Revised Rapanos Guidance - On 3 December 2008, the Department of the Army and the US Environmental Protection Agency issued revised guidance regarding Clean Water Act jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States. For more info click here.

*SPECIAL PUBLIC NOTICE* - The Fort Worth District has published a special public notice announcing new public notice distribution procedures.  As required by Executive Order to reduce the use of paper in Federal agencies and to reduce the escalating costs in processing and mailing, the Fort Worth District Regulatory Branch will no longer mail paper copies of Public Notices to general mailing lists.  Beginning January 1, 2009, we will distribute public notices via our website at http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata/environ/regulatory/public/pn/.  Applicants and property owners adjacent to proposed projects will continue to receive public notices via the U.S. Postal Service.  You will need internet access to view future public notices.  We will send email notifications when public notices have been posted to our website.  To receive email notifications, you must register online at http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata/environ/regulatory/reg/default.aspx.

*RECRUITMENT ANNOUNCEMENT* - The Fort Worth Regulatory Branch has released a recruitment announcement for a Regulatory Specialist under the Department of the Army Career Intern Program.

The Regulatory Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) plays a critical role in the protection of the nation's aquatic ecosystem and navigation.  Important elements of the program implemented by the USACE under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 include conducting jurisdictional determinations for wetlands and other waters of the United States and navigable waters of the United States; evaluating applications for individual and general permits for activities in these jurisdictional areas; ensuring compliance of issued permits; and enforcing requirements of the law for unpermitted activities.  The USACE works closely with other federal, state, and local natural resource agencies and the public in exercising these responsibilities. Fort Worth District Regulatory Branch handouts provide guidance, procedures, and recommendations for submittals to the USACE and assist applicants with complying with Regulatory Program requirements.

Waters of the United States include navigable waters and may include other parts of the surface water tributary system down to the smallest of streams (e.g., tributary that only contains water after a rain event), lakes, ponds, or other water bodies on those streams, and adjacent wetlands (e.g. sloughs, swamps, and some seasonally flooded areas) if they meet certain criteria.  Isolated waters such as playa lakes, prairie potholes, old river scars, cutoff sloughs, and abandoned construction and mining pits may also be waters of the United States if they meet certain criteria.  An important point is that waters of the United States include areas that are man-made, or man-induced, as well as natural. Activities that occur in waters of the U.S. that require a permit may include, but are not limited to, shoreline and bank stabilization; boat ramps; roads; residential and commerical developments; utilities; flood control facilities; mining; oil, gas and water wells; and in some cases dredging and other excavation.

Site Navigation: 

• Hot Topics and Latest News
• Regulatory Program Introduction
• Geographic Jurisdiction
  • Determinations of No Jurisdiction for Isolated, Non-navigable, Intra-state Waters Resulting from U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County V. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Jurisdictional Determinations
• Regulated Activities
• Permitting
  • Nationwide, Regional, and Programmatic General Permits
  • Standard Individual Permits and Letters of Permission
  • Mitigation
  • Appeals
  • Emergency Permits
  • Trinity River and Tributaries Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision
  • Public Notices
  • Monthly Public Notices of Issued Individual Permits
  • Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Section 214

• Law, Regulation, and Guidance Links
• Federal Government Links
• State of Texas Government Links
• Other Organization Links
• Other Resource Agency Information
• Threatened and Endangered Species Information
• Cultural Resources Information
• Soil Information Links
• Vegetation Information Links
• Stream Information and Management
• Wetland Information and Management
• West Nile Virus Information
• Handouts
• Consultants List
• USACE Standard Operating Procedures