PORTLAND DISTRICT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program began in 1890 with the responsibility of protecting and maintaining the nation’s navigable waterways.  As a result of changing public needs and evolving policy via new laws and court decisions, protection has been extended to all waters of the United States including many wetlands.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through the Regulatory Program, administers and enforces Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Under Section 10, a permit is required for work or structures in, over or under navigable waters of the United States. Under Section 404, a permit is required for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. Many water bodies and wetlands in the nation are waters of the United States and are subject to the Corps' regulatory authority.

The Portland District administers one of the largest regulatory permitting programs within the Corps of Engineers, providing for the protection of waters of the United States, including federally delineated wetlands and navigable waters. The Portland District Regulatory Branch has jurisdiction over the state of Oregon, southern Washington ports and restoration projects in the Columbia River estuary funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.