(1) A permit is not required under this part for any of the following:

    (a) Any fill or structure existing before April 1, 1966, in waters covered by former 1965 PA 291, and any fill or structures existing before January 9, 1973, in waters covered for the first time by former 1972 PA 346.

    (b) A seasonal structure placed on bottomland to facilitate private noncommercial recreational use of the water if it does not unreasonably interfere with the use of the water by others entitled to use the water or interfere with water flow.

    (c) Reasonable sanding of beaches to the existing water's edge by the riparian owner or a person authorized by the riparian owner.

    (d) Maintenance of an agricultural drain, regardless of outlet, if all of the following requirements are met:

    (i) The maintenance includes only activities that maintain the location, depth, and bottom width of the drain as constructed or modified at any time before July 1, 2014.

    (ii) The maintenance is performed by the landowner or pursuant to the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630.

    (e) Maintenance and operation of a waste collection or treatment facility either ordered to be constructed or approved for operation under a state or a federal water pollution control law and this part. For purposes of this subdivision, "operation" includes dredging, filling, or construction and placement of structures in the waste collection or treatment facility in compliance with this act.

    (f) Construction and maintenance of minor drainage structures and facilities that are identified by rule promulgated by the department under section 30110. Before a rule is promulgated pursuant to this subsection, the rule must be approved by the majority of a committee consisting of the director of the department, the director of the department of agriculture and rural development, and the director of the state transportation department or their designated representatives. The rules shall be reviewed at least annually.

    (g) Maintenance of a drain that either was legally established and constructed before January 1, 1973, pursuant to the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630, except those legally established drains constituting mainstream portions of certain natural watercourses identified in rules promulgated by the department under section 30110, or was constructed or modified under a permit issued pursuant to this part. As used in this subdivision, "maintenance of a drain" means the physical preservation of the location, depth, and bottom width of a drain and appurtenant structures to restore the function and approximate capacity of the drain as constructed or modified at any time before July 1, 2014, and includes, but is not limited to, the following activities if performed with best management practices:

    (i) Excavation of accumulated sediments back to original contours.

    (ii) Reshaping of the side slopes.

    (iii) Bank stabilization where reasonably necessary to prevent erosion. Materials used for stabilization must be compatible with existing bank or bed materials.

    (iv) Armoring, lining, or piping if a previously armored, lined, or piped section is being repaired and all work occurs within the footprint of the previous work.

    (v) Replacement of existing control structures, if the original function of the drain is not changed and the original approximate capacity of the drain is not increased.

    (vi) Repair of stabilization structures.

    (vii) Culvert replacement, including culvert extensions of not more than 24 additional feet per culvert.

    (viii) Emergency reconstruction of recently damaged parts of the drain. Emergency reconstruction must occur within a reasonable period of time after damage occurs in order to qualify for this exemption.

    (h) Projects constructed under the watershed protection and flood prevention act, 16 USC 1001 to 1012.

    (i) Construction and maintenance of privately owned cooling or storage ponds used in connection with a public utility except at the interface with public waters.

    (j) Maintenance of a structure constructed under a permit issued pursuant to this part and identified by rule promulgated under section 30110, if the maintenance is in place and in kind with no design or materials modification.

    (k) A water withdrawal.

    (l) Annual installation of a seasonal dock or docks, pilings, mooring buoys, or other mooring structures previously authorized by and in accordance with a permit issued under this part.

    (m) Controlled access of livestock to streams for watering or crossing if constructed in accordance with applicable practice standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

    (n) Temporary drawdowns of impoundments at hydroelectric projects licensed by the federal energy regulatory commission (FERC) and subject to FERC's authority if both of the following apply:

    (i) The FERC licensee has consulted this state during the drawdown plan development and this state's concerns have been addressed in the drawdown plan as FERC considers appropriate.

    (ii) Adverse environmental impacts, including stream flow, aquatic resources, and timing, have been avoided and minimized to the extent practical.

    (o) Removal, by the riparian owner or a person authorized by the riparian owner, of plants that are an aquatic nuisance as defined in section 3301, if the removal is accomplished by hand-pulling without using a powered or mechanized tool and all plant fragments are removed from the water and properly disposed of on land above the ordinary high-water mark as defined in section 30101.

    (p) Raking of lake bottomlands by the riparian owner or a person authorized by the riparian owner. To minimize effects on the lake bottomlands, the areas raked shall be unvegetated before raking and predominantly composed of sand or pebbles, and the raking shall be performed without using a powered or mechanized tool. For the purposes of this subdivision, the pulling of a nonpowered, nonmechanized tool with a boat is not the use of a powered or mechanized tool.

    (2) As used in this section, "water withdrawal" means the removal of water from its source for any purpose.

    (3) As used in this part, "agricultural drain" means a human-made conveyance of water that meets all of the following requirements:

    (a) Does not have continuous flow.

    (b) Flows primarily as a result of precipitation-induced surface runoff or groundwater drained through subsurface drainage systems.

    (c) Serves agricultural production.

    (d) Was constructed before January 1, 1973, or was constructed in compliance with this part or former 1979 PA 203.