The intent of using the expanded preliminary JD is to allow a landowner or other "affected party" to move ahead expeditiously to obtain a Savannah District permit authorization where the party determines that it is in his or her best interest. In most cases, expanded preliminary JDs are also non-binding "written indications" that there may be waters of the United States, including wetlands, on a parcel or indications of the approximate location(s) of waters of the United States or wetlands on a parcel. A Savannah District verification of a delineation using an expanded preliminary JD, would provide the landowner or affected party with defensible documentation concerning the maximum limits of Savannah District jurisdiction.
The expanded preliminary JD would also support Clean Water Act (CWA) and Rivers and Harbor Act (RHA) permitting. Parties interested in use of the expanded preliminary JD to support permitting efforts would need to complete the expanded preliminary JD form provided in Appendix D below.
When an expanded preliminary JD is requested, interested parties will also submit a delineation of waters of the US for the review area. The review area can be limited to the impact site(s) for which a permit it is required or include the entire project site. Interested parties would submit a delineation to the Savannah District for verification by providing a formal survey or GPS exhibit of waters within a review area. The complete package requesting verification of a delineation would include, but is not limited to: a formal surveyor GPS exhibit of the waters within a review area; field data sheets; soils map; quad sheets; etc. A Savannah District-verified delineation is valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance and will be honored by the district unless the information submitted, and on which the Savannah District has based its determination, is later found to be in error. See SAS Expanded Preliminary JD Checklist below for an exhaustive list of requirements for a complete submittal.
Savannah District will not accept a request for an expanded preliminary JD for actions which are regulated pursuant to sections of the CWA program which are administered by other Federal or state agencies (e.g., Section 402,303, or 311). In such circumstances, the Savannah District will decline to perform the JD and instead refer the person who requested.