" At A Glance":

At the request of local interests, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides assistance in developing and implementing solutions to water resources problems.  Assistance is available under one of two types of Congressional authorities:

-   Large project authorities, specifically mandated by Congress through Congressional authorization

-   Continuing Authorities Program (CAP).

In instances where problems are generally "small" in scope, the Corps may act directly under its Continuing Authorities Program (CAP).  This program allows the Corps to respond more quickly than might otherwise be possible through the specific Congressional authorization process. This is because Congress has delegated general authority to the Corps to plan, design and construct, within specified funding limits, certain types of water resources development projects.

The CAP Program is comprised individual programs for nine different types of projects, each with its own program authority and strict limits on the Federal contribution as shown in the chart below.  As favorable studies progress toward more detailed design and construction, certain project costs must be shared with the local sponsor, including any and all costs in excess of Federal project limits shown in the chart.  For this reason, the local sponsor must be a non-Federal entity with the power to raise revenue sufficient to satisfy requirements of local cooperation.  Select this link to view the Corps of Engineers Guide to CAP Programs.

To learn more about each authority click on the link in the title shown below:  This is an "At A Glance" summary of the Continuing Authorities Project Authorities, Federal Study Limit Implementation limit, Cost Shares requirements (Federal and Non Federal) as well as the Project Limits: