U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers (USACE) Permits
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which is a division of the Federal Government, has a Regulatory Program that is described on their website as follows: "Initially it served a fairly simple, straightforward purpose: to protect and maintain the navigable capacity of the nation's waters. Time, changing public needs, evolving policy, case law, and new statutory mandates have changed the complexity of the program, adding to its breadth, complexity, and authority."
The ultimate goal of the USACE Regulatory Program is to protect the waters of the United States and their ecosystems, which is crucial to protecting critical ecological functions, including water filtration, flood control, and maintaining habitats for diverse plant and animal species.
USACE permits are administered under the authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Example projects that might require USACE permitting include wetland filling or dredging; stream or river modifications; construction of dams or levees; infrastructure projects such as bridges, causeways, or culverts; mining or excavation activities; or aquatic habitat restoration or enhancement.
If you have wetlands or any existing streams or bodies of water on your property, it is important that you determine early on in your project if a permit is required from the USACE. If you are unsure whether or not your property, or parts of your property, is regulated by the USACE, an application can be submitted for a Jurisdictional Determination. This process involves (1) the identification and location of aquatic resources on a property, including wetlands; and (2) the determination of whether those areas are regulated by the USACE.
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variances that may be required to make your plans a reality.
Further Information and "Example" Plans Developed by Alta can be Viewed on the Following Pages: