Proposal To Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits, 35185-35240 [2016-12083]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35185-35240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12083]



[[Page 35185]]

Vol. 81

Wednesday,

No. 105

June 1, 2016

Part III





Department of Defense





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Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers





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33 CFR Chapter II





Proposal To Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits; Proposed Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 105 / Wednesday, June 1, 2016 / 
Proposed Rules

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

33 CFR Chapter II

RIN 0710-AA73


Proposal To Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting 
comments for the reissuance of the existing nationwide permits (NWPs), 
general conditions, and definitions, with some modifications. The Corps 
is also proposing to issue two new NWPs and one new general condition. 
The Corps is requesting comment on all aspects of these proposed 
nationwide permits. The reissuance process starts with this publication 
of the proposed NWPs in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment 
period. The purpose of this Federal Register document is to solicit 
comments on the proposed new and modified NWPs, as well as the NWP 
general conditions and definitions. Shortly after the publication of 
this Federal Register document, each Corps district will publish a 
public notice to solicit comments on its proposed regional conditions 
for these NWPs.

DATES: Submit comments on or before August 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number COE-
2015-0017 and/or RIN 0710-AA73, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Email: NWP2017@usace.army.mil. Include the docket number, COE-2015-
0017, in the subject line of the message.
    Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20314-1000.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Due to security requirements, we cannot 
receive comments by hand delivery or courier.
    As explained later, the proposed rule would establish new and 
revise existing information collection requirements. If you wish to 
comment on the information collection requirements in this proposed 
rule, please note that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is 
required to make a decision concerning the collection of information 
contained in this proposed rule between 30 and 60 days after 
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a 
comment to OMB on the proposed information collection requirements is 
best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it by July 1, 
2016.
    Instructions: If submitting comments through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal, direct your comments to docket number COE-2015-
0017. All comments received will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available on-line at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the commenter indicates that the comment includes information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit 
information that you consider to be CBI, or otherwise protected, 
through regulations.gov or email. The regulations.gov Web site is an 
anonymous access system, which means we will not know your identity or 
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. 
If you send an email directly to the Corps without going through 
regulations.gov your email address will be automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and 
made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment we 
recommend that you include your name and other contact information in 
the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If we 
cannot read your comment because of technical difficulties and cannot 
contact you for clarification we may not be able to consider your 
comment. Electronic comments should avoid the use of any special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to regulations.gov. All documents in the docket 
are listed. Although listed in the index, some information is not 
publicly available, such as CBI or other information whose disclosure 
is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted 
material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available 
only in hard copy form.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Olson at 202-761-4922 or 
access the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Home Page at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits.aspx.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issues nationwide permits 
(NWPs) to authorize activities under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 that will result 
in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects. There are currently 50 NWPs. These NWPs were published in the 
February 21, 2012, issue of the Federal Register (77 FR 10184) and 
expire on March 18, 2017. With this Federal Register notice, we are 
beginning the process for reissuing the NWPs so that the reissued NWPs 
will be in effect immediately after the current NWPs expire.
    Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act provides the statutory 
authority for the Secretary of the Army, after notice and opportunity 
for public hearing, to issue general permits on a nationwide basis for 
any category of activities involving discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States. The Secretary's authority to 
issue permits has been delegated to the Chief of Engineers and his or 
her designated representatives. Nationwide permits are a type of 
general permit issued by the Chief of Engineers and are designed to 
regulate with little, if any, delay or paperwork certain activities in 
jurisdictional waters and wetlands that have no more than minimal 
adverse environmental impacts (see 33 CFR part 330.1(b)). Activities 
authorized by NWPs and other general permits must be similar in nature, 
cause only minimal adverse environmental effects when performed 
separately, and will have only minimal cumulative adverse effect on the 
environment (see 33 U.S.C. 1344(e)(1)). Nationwide permits can also be 
issued to authorize activities pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899 (see 33 CFR part 322.2(f)). The NWP program is 
designed to provide timely authorizations for the regulated public 
while protecting the Nation's aquatic resources.
    The phrase ``minimal adverse environmental effects when performed 
separately'' refers to the direct and indirect adverse environmental 
effects caused by a specific activity authorized by an NWP. The phrase 
``minimal cumulative adverse effect on the environment'' refers to the 
collective direct and indirect adverse environmental effects caused by 
the all the activities authorized by a particular NWP during the time 
period that NWP is in effect (a period of no more than 5 years) in a 
specific geographic region. The appropriate geographic area for 
assessing cumulative effects is

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determined by the decision-making authority for the general permit.
    When Corps Headquarters issues or reissues an NWP, it conducts a 
national-scale cumulative impact assessment in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act definition of ``cumulative impact'' 
at 40 CFR 1508.7. The NEPA cumulative effects analysis prepared by 
Corps Headquarters for an NWP examines the impact on the environment 
which results from the incremental impact of its action (i.e., the 
activities that will be authorized by that NWP) and adds that 
incremental impact to ``other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable 
future actions regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or 
person undertakes such other actions'' (40 CFR 1508.7). In addition to 
environmental impacts caused by activities authorized by the NWP, other 
NWPs, and other types of DA permits, the Corps' NEPA cumulative effects 
analysis in each of its national decision documents discusses, in 
general terms, the environmental impacts caused by other past, present, 
and reasonably foreseeable future Federal, non-Federal, and private 
actions. For example, wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems are 
affected by a wide variety of Federal, non-Federal, and private actions 
that involve land use/land cover changes, pollution, resource 
extraction, species introductions and removals, and climate change 
(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005).
    Corps Headquarters fulfills the requirements of NEPA when it 
finalizes the environmental assessment in its national decision 
document for the issuance or reissuance of an NWP. An NWP verification 
issued by a district engineer does not require separate NEPA 
documentation (see 53 FR 3126, the Corps' final rule for implementing 
the National Environmental Policy Act, which was published in the 
February 3, 1986, issue of the Federal Register). When a district 
engineer issues an NWP verification, he or she is merely verifying that 
the activity is authorized by an NWP issued by Corps Headquarters. That 
verification is subject to any activity-specific conditions added to 
the NWP authorization by the district engineer. When reviewing a 
request for an NWP verification, the district engineer considers, among 
other factors, the ``cumulative adverse environmental effects resulting 
from activities occurring under the NWP'' (33 CFR 330.5(d)(1)).
    If that NWP authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into 
waters of the United States, the Corps also conducts a national-scale 
cumulative effects analysis in accordance with the 404(b)(1) 
Guidelines. The 404(b)(1) Guidelines approach to cumulative effects 
analysis for the issuance or reissuance of general permits is described 
at 40 CFR 230.7(b).
    Corps Headquarters issues a decision document for each NWP, which 
includes a NEPA environmental assessment, a public interest review, and 
if applicable, a 404(b)(1) Guidelines analysis. Each NWP is a stand-
alone general permit.
    When the Corps issues or reissues NWPs, Corps divisions are 
required to prepare supplemental decision documents to provide regional 
analyses of the environmental effects of those NWPs. The supplemental 
decision documents also support the division engineer's decision on 
modifying, suspending, or revoking one or more NWPs in a particular 
region. Nationwide permits are modified on a regional basis through the 
addition of regional conditions, which restricts the use of the NWPs in 
those regions that are subject to those regional conditions. 
Supplemental decision documents include regional cumulative effects 
analyses conducted under the NEPA definition, and for those NWPs that 
authorize discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States, regional cumulative effects analyses conducted in 
accordance with the 404(b)(1) guidelines approach at 40 CFR 230.7(b). 
The geographic regions considered in a supplemental decision document 
may be of cumulative adverse environmental effects are made at 
different geographic scales. In their supplemental decision documents, 
division engineers will evaluate cumulative effects of each NWP at the 
scale of a Corps district, state, or other geographic area, such as a 
watershed or ecoregion. If the division engineer is not suspending or 
revoking an NWP in a particular region, a supplemental decision 
document for an NWP includes a statement finding that the use of that 
NWP in the region will cause only minimal individual and cumulative 
adverse environmental effects.
    For some NWPs, the project proponent may proceed with the NWP 
activity as long as he or she complies with all terms and conditions of 
the applicable NWP(s), including regional conditions. When required, 
water quality certification and/or Coastal Zone Management Act 
consistency concurrence must be obtained or waived (see general 
conditions 25 and 26, respectively). Other NWPs require project 
proponents to notify district engineers of their proposed activities 
prior to conducting regulated activities, so that district engineers 
can make case-specific determinations of NWP eligibility. The 
notification takes the form of a pre-construction notification (PCN). 
The purpose of a PCN is to give the district engineer an opportunity to 
review a proposed NWP activity (generally 45 days after receipt of a 
complete PCN) to ensure that the proposed activity (i.e., discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States and/or 
structures or work in navigable waters of the United States) is 
authorized by NWP. The PCN requirements for the NWPs are stated in the 
terms of those NWPs, as well as a number of general conditions, 
especially general condition 32. Paragraph (b) of general condition 32 
lists the information required for a complete PCN. We are also 
proposing to develop a standard PCN form for use with the 2017 NWPs.
    For the 2017 NWPs, the Corps has developed a standard form for 
PCNs. There will be a separate Federal Register notice seeking comment 
on the NWP PCN form. For more information on the PCN, see the 
``Administrative Requirements'' section of this notice.
    Twenty-one of the proposed NWPs require PCNs for all activities, 
including the two proposed new NWPs. Twelve of the proposed NWPs 
require PCNs for some activities authorized by those NWPs. Nineteen of 
the NWPs do not require PCNs, unless notification is required to comply 
with certain general conditions. All NWPs require PCNs for any proposed 
activity undertaken by a non-federal entity that might affect listed 
species or designated critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act 
(see general condition 18 and 33 CFR part 330.4(f)(2)) or any proposed 
activity undertaken by a non-federal entity that may have the potential 
to cause effects to historic properties listed, or eligible for listing 
in, the National Register of Historic Places (see general condition 20 
and 33 CFR 330.4(g)(2)).
    Except for NWPs 21, 49, and 50, and activities conducted by non-
Federal permittees that require PCNs under paragraph (c) of general 
conditions 18 and 20, if the Corps district does not respond to the PCN 
within 45 days of a receipt of a complete PCN the activity is 
authorized by NWP (see 33 CFR 330.1(e)(1)). Regional conditions imposed 
by division engineers may also add PCN requirements to one or more 
NWPs.
    When a Corps district receives a PCN, the district engineer reviews 
the PCN and determines whether the proposed activity will result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative

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adverse environmental effects. The district engineer applies the 
criteria in paragraph 2 of section D, ``District Engineer's Decision.'' 
The district engineer may add conditions to the NWP authorization, 
including mitigation requirements, to ensure that the verified NWP 
activity results in no more than minimal individual and cumulative 
adverse environmental effects. The district engineer prepares a 
decision document to explain his or her conclusions. The district 
engineer will consider cumulative adverse environmental effects within 
a watershed, county, state, or a Corps district. If the applicant 
requests a waiver of a linear foot or other NWP limit that is allowed 
to be waived, and the district engineer determines, after coordinating 
with the agencies, that the proposed NWP activity will result in no 
more than minimal adverse environmental effects, the decision document 
explains the basis for the district engineer's decision. The decision 
document is part of the administrative record for the NWP verification, 
and may be made available through a Freedom of Information Act request 
submitted to the appropriate Corps district office.
    Pre-construction notification requirements give the Corps the 
opportunity to evaluate certain proposed NWP activities on a case-by-
case basis to ensure that they will cause no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects, individually and cumulatively. Some NWP 
activities that require PCNs also require agency coordination (see 
paragraph (d) of general condition 32). This case-by-case review of 
PCNs often results in district engineers adding activity-specific 
conditions, including mitigation requirements, to NWP authorizations to 
ensure that the adverse environmental effects are no more than minimal. 
Mitigation requirements for NWP activities can include permit 
conditions (e.g., time-of-year restrictions or use of best management 
practices) to avoid or minimize adverse effects on certain species or 
other resources, or compensatory mitigation requirements to offset 
authorized losses of jurisdictional waters and wetlands so that the net 
adverse environmental effects are no more than minimal. Any 
compensatory mitigation required for NWP activities must comply with 
the Corps' compensatory mitigation regulations at 33 CFR part 332. 
Review of a PCN may also result in the Corps district asserting 
discretionary authority to require an individual permit for the 
proposed activity, if the district engineer determines, based on the 
information provided in the PCN and other available information, that 
adverse environmental effects will be more than minimal, or there are 
sufficient concerns for any of the Corps public interest review factors 
(see 33 CFR 330.4(e)(2)). As discussed above, for NWP verifications, 
district engineers will assess cumulative adverse environmental effects 
at an appropriate regional scale. If an NWP verification includes 
multiple authorizations using a single NWP (e.g., linear projects with 
crossings of separate and distant waters of the United States 
authorized by NWPs 12 or 14) or non-linear projects authorized with two 
or more different NWPs (e.g., an NWP 28 for reconfiguring an existing 
marina plus an NWP 19 for minor dredging within that marina), the 
district engineer will evaluate the cumulative effects of the 
applicable NWPs within the appropriate geographic area.
    Because the required NEPA cumulative effects and 404(b)(1) 
Guidelines cumulative effects analyses are conducted by Corps 
Headquarters in its decision documents for the issuance of the NWPs, 
district engineers do not need to do comprehensive cumulative effects 
analyses for NWP verifications. For an NWP verification, the district 
engineer only needs to assess the cumulative adverse environmental 
effects of the NWP or NWPs at the appropriate geographic scale (e.g., 
Corps district, watershed, ecoregion) and include a statement in 
administrative record stating whether the proposed NWP activity, plus 
any required mitigation, will result in no more than minimal individual 
and cumulative adverse environmental effects. If the district engineer 
determines, after considering mitigation, that there will be more than 
minimal cumulative adverse environmental effects, he or she will 
exercise discretionary authority and require an individual permit.
    Today's proposal to reissue the 50 existing NWPs with some 
modifications and to issue two new NWPs reflects the Corps commitment 
to environmental protection. We are proposing to revise the text of 
some of the NWPs, general conditions, and definitions so that they are 
clearer and can be more easily understood by the regulated public, 
government personnel, and interested parties while retaining terms and 
conditions that protect the aquatic environment. Making the text of the 
NWPs clearer and easier to understand will also facilitate compliance 
with these permits, which will also benefit the aquatic environment. 
The NWP program allows the Corps to authorize activities with only 
minimal adverse environmental impacts in a timely manner. Thus, the 
Corps is able to better protect the aquatic environment by focusing its 
limited resources on more extensive evaluations through the individual 
permit process focused on more rigorous evaluation of activities that 
have the potential for causing more severe adverse environmental 
effects.
    Through the NWPs, the aquatic environment will also receive 
additional protection through regional conditions imposed by division 
engineers and activity-specific conditions added to NWPs by district 
engineers. These regional conditions and activity-specific conditions 
further minimize adverse environmental effects, because these 
conditions can only further restrict use of the NWPs. Nationwide 
permits also allow Corps district engineers to exercise, on a case-by-
case basis, discretionary authority to require individual permits for 
proposed activities that may result in more than minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse environmental effects. Nationwide permits help 
protect the aquatic environment because they provide incentives to 
permit applicants to reduce impacts to jurisdictional waters and 
wetlands to meet the restrictive requirements of the NWPs and receive 
authorization more quickly than they would through the individual 
permit process. Regional general permits issued by district engineers 
provide similar environmental protections and incentives to project 
proponents.
    Regional conditions may be imposed on the NWPs by division 
engineers to take into account regional differences in aquatic resource 
functions and services across the country and to restrict or prohibit 
the use of NWPs to protect those resources. Through regional 
conditions, a division engineer can modify an NWP to require submission 
of PCNs for certain activities. Regional conditions may also restrict 
or prohibit the use of an NWP in certain waters or geographic areas, if 
the use of that NWP in those waters or areas might result in more than 
minimal individual or cumulative adverse environmental effects. 
Regional conditions may not be less stringent than the NWPs.
    A district engineer may impose activity-specific conditions on an 
NWP authorization to ensure that the NWP activity will result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse effects on the 
environment and other public interest review factors. In addition, 
activity-specific conditions will often include mitigation 
requirements, including avoidance and

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minimization, and possibly compensatory mitigation, to reduce the 
adverse environmental effects of the proposed activity so that they are 
no more than minimal. Compensatory mitigation requirements for NWP 
activities must comply with the applicable provisions of 33 CFR part 
332. Compensatory mitigation may include the restoration, 
establishment, enhancement, and/or preservation of wetlands. 
Compensatory mitigation may also include the rehabilitation, 
enhancement, or preservation of streams, as well as the restoration, 
enhancement, and protection/maintenance of riparian areas next to 
streams and other open waters. District engineers may also require 
compensatory mitigation for impacts to other types of aquatic 
resources, such as seagrass beds, shallow sandy bottom marine areas, 
and coral reefs.
    Compensatory mitigation can be provided through permittee-
responsible mitigation, mitigation banks, or in-lieu fee programs. If 
the required compensatory mitigation will be provided through 
mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program credits, the permit conditions 
must comply with the requirements at 33 CFR 332.3(k)(4), and specify 
the number and resource type of credits that need to be secured by the 
permittee. If the required compensatory mitigation will be provided 
through permittee-responsible mitigation, the permit conditions must 
comply with 33 CFR 332.3(k)(3).

Process for Reissuing the NWPs

    The NWPs reissued on February 13, 2012, went into effect on March 
19, 2012. Those NWPs expire on March 18, 2017. The process for 
reissuing the NWPs for the next five-year period starts with today's 
publication of the proposed NWPs in the Federal Register for a 60-day 
comment period. Requests for a public hearing must be submitted in 
writing to the address in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. These 
requests must explain the reason or reasons why a public hearing should 
be held. If we determine that a public hearing or hearings would assist 
in making a decision on the proposed NWPs, general conditions, and 
definitions, a 30-day advance notice will be published in the Federal 
Register to advise interested parties of the date(s) and location(s) 
for the public hearing(s). Any announcement of public hearings would 
also be posted as a supporting document in docket number COE-2015-0017 
at www.regulations.gov as well as the Corps Regulatory Program home 
page at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits.aspx.
    Shortly after the publication of this Federal Register notice, 
Corps district offices will issue public notices to solicit comments on 
proposed regional conditions. In their district public notices, 
district engineers may also propose to suspend or revoke some or all of 
these NWPs if they have issued, or are proposing to issue, regional 
general permits, programmatic general permits, or section 404 letters 
of permission for use instead of some or all of these NWPs. The comment 
period for these district public notices will be 45 days.
    After the comment period has ended, we will review the comments 
received in response to this Federal Register notice. Then we will 
draft the final NWPs, and those draft final NWPs will be subjected to 
another review under Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and 
Review. The Corps will try to publish the final NWPs in the Federal 
Register approximately 90 days before the planned effective date of 
March 19, 2017, the day after the 2012 NWPs expire. This 90-day period 
provides coastal state governments the opportunity to make their 
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) consistency determinations for these 
NWPs, consistent with 15 CFR 930.36(b). During this 90-day period, 
state governments, tribal governments, and EPA will make their Clean 
Water Act Section 401 water quality certifications (WQCs) for these 
NWPs. The CZMA/WQC and regional conditioning processes are discussed in 
more detail below.
    Within this 90-day period, Corps districts will prepare 
supplemental decision documents and proposed regional conditions for 
approval by division engineers before the final NWPs go into effect. 
Supplemental decision documents address the environmental 
considerations related to the use of NWPs in a Corps district, state, 
or other geographic region. The supplemental decision documents will 
certify that the NWPs, with any regional conditions or geographic 
suspensions or revocations, will authorize only those activities that 
result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse 
effects on the environment or any relevant public interest review 
factor.

Existing and New Permits

    Activities authorized by the 2012 NWPs remain authorized by those 
NWPs until March 18, 2017. An activity completed under the 
authorization provided by a 2012 NWP continues to be authorized by that 
NWP (see 33 CFR 330.6(b)). Activities authorized by the 2012 NWPs that 
have commenced or are under contract to commence by March 18, 2017, 
will have one year (i.e., until March 18, 2018) to complete those 
activities under the terms and conditions of the 2012 NWPs (see 33 CFR 
330.6(b)). Activities previously authorized by the 2012 NWPs that have 
not commenced or are not under contract to commence by March 18, 2017, 
will require reauthorization under the 2017 NWPs, provided those 
activities qualify for authorization under the 2017 NWPs. If those 
activities no longer qualify for NWP authorization because they do not 
meet the terms and conditions of the 2017 NWPs (including any regional 
conditions imposed by division engineers), the project proponent will 
need to obtain an individual permit, or seek authorization under a 
regional general permit, if such a general permit is available in the 
applicable Corps district and can be used to authorize the proposed 
activity.

National Environmental Policy Act Compliance

    We have prepared a draft decision document for each proposed NWP. 
Each draft decision document contains an environmental assessment (EA). 
The EA includes the public interest review described in 33 CFR 
320.4(b). The EA generally discusses the anticipated impacts the NWP 
will have on the human environment and the Corps' public interest 
review factors. If a proposed NWP authorizes discharges of dredged or 
fill material into waters of the United States, the draft decision 
document will also include analysis conducted pursuant to guidelines 
set out in section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act (404(b)(1) 
Guidelines) in accordance with 40 CFR 230.7. These decision documents 
evaluate the environmental effects of each NWP from a national 
perspective.
    The draft decision documents for the proposed NWPs are available on 
the internet at: www.regulations.gov (docket ID number COE-2015-0017) 
as Supporting Documents. We are soliciting comments on these draft 
national decision documents, and any comments received will be 
considered when preparing the final decision documents for the NWPs.
    After the NWPs are issued or reissued, division engineers will 
issue supplemental decision documents to evaluate environmental effects 
on a regional basis (e.g., state or Corps district). The supplemental 
decision documents are prepared by Corps districts, but must be 
approved and

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formally issued by the appropriate division engineer, since the NWP 
regulations at 33 CFR 330.5(c) state that the division engineer has the 
authority to modify, suspend, or revoke NWP authorizations for any 
specific geographic area within his or her division. For some Corps 
districts, their geographic area of responsibility covers an entire 
state. For other states, there is more than one Corps district 
responsible for implementing the Corps Regulatory Program, including 
the NWP program. In those states, there is a lead Corps district 
responsible for preparing the supplemental decision documents for all 
of the NWPs. The supplemental decision documents will discuss regional 
conditions imposed by division engineers to protect the aquatic 
environment and ensure that any adverse environmental effects resulting 
from NWP activities in that region will be no more than minimal, 
individually and cumulatively.
    For the NWPs, the assessment of cumulative effects occurs at three 
levels: National, regional, and the verification stage. Each national 
NWP decision document includes a national-scale NEPA cumulative effects 
analysis. Each supplemental decision document has a NEPA cumulative 
effects analysis conducted for a region, which is usually a state or 
Corps district. When a district engineer issues a verification letter 
in response to a PCN or a voluntary request for a NWP verification, the 
district engineer prepares a brief decision document. That decision 
document explains whether the proposed NWP activity, after considering 
permit conditions such as mitigation requirements, will result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects.
    If the NWP is not suspended or revoked in a state or a Corps 
district, the supplemental decision document includes a certification 
that the use of the NWP in that district, with any applicable regional 
conditions, will result in no more than minimal cumulative adverse 
environmental effects.
    After the NWPs are issued or reissued, evaluations by a district 
engineer may result in a recommendation to the division engineer to 
modify, suspend, or revoke one or more NWPs in a particular geographic 
region or watershed at a later time. Such a recommendation will occur 
if the district engineer finds information indicating that the use of 
an NWP in a particular area may result in more than minimal individual 
or cumulative adverse environmental effects. In such cases, the 
division engineer will amend the applicable supplemental decision 
documents to account for the modification, suspension, or revocation of 
those NWPs.

Compliance With Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act

    The proposed NWPs are issued in accordance with section 404(e) of 
the Clean Water Act and 33 CFR part 330. These NWPs authorize 
categories of activities that are similar in nature. The ``similar in 
nature'' requirement does not mean that activities authorized by an NWP 
must be identical to each other. We believe that the ``categories of 
activities that are similar in nature'' requirement in Clean Water Act 
section 404(e) is to be interpreted broadly, for practical 
implementation of this general permit program.
    Nationwide permits, as well as other general permits, are intended 
to reduce administrative burdens on the Corps and the regulated public 
while maintaining environmental protection, by efficiently authorizing 
activities that have no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects, consistent with Congressional intent in the 1977 amendments to 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Keeping the number of NWPs 
manageable is a key component for making the NWPs protective of the 
environment and streamlining the authorization process for those 
general categories of activities that have no more than minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects.
    The various terms and conditions of these NWPs, including the NWP 
regulations at 33 CFR 330.1(d) and 330.4(e), allow district engineers 
to exercise discretionary authority to modify, suspend, or revoke NWP 
authorizations or to require individual permits, and ensure compliance 
with section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act. For each NWP that may 
authorize discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States, the national and supplemental decision documents include 
404(b)(1) Guidelines analyses. These 404(b)(1) Guidelines analyses are 
conducted in accordance with 40 CFR part 230.7.
    The 404(b)(1) Guidelines analyses in the national and supplemental 
decision documents also include a cumulative effects analysis, in 
accordance with 40 CFR 230.7(b) and 230.11(g). A 404(b)(1) Guidelines 
cumulative effects analysis is provided in addition to the NEPA 
cumulative effects analysis because the implementing regulations for 
NEPA and the 404(b)(1) Guidelines define ``cumulative impacts'' or 
``cumulative effects'' differently.

2015 Revisions to the Definition of ``Waters of the United States''

    In the June 29, 2015, edition of the Federal Register (80 FR 37054) 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army published a 
final rule amending the definition of ``waters of the United States'' 
in the Corps' regulations at 33 CFR part 328 and in a number of EPA's 
regulations. Numerous parties filed multiple challenges to the 2015 
final rule, which currently are pending. On October 9, 2015, the United 
States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a stay of the rule 
pending further order of that court.
    We are seeking the views of NWP users on how the 2015 revisions to 
the definition of ``waters of the United States'' might affect the 
applicability and efficiency of the proposed NWPs. We are also seeking 
comments on changes to the NWPs, general conditions, and definitions 
that would help ensure that activities that result in no more than 
minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects can 
continue to be authorized by the NWPs. The objective of such changes is 
to continue to be consistent with Congressional intent for section 
404(e) of the Clean Water Act, which calls for a streamlined 
authorization process for regulated activities with only minimal 
adverse environmental effects.
    After the final rule defining waters of the United States was 
published on June 29, 2015, the Corps received letters from several 
entities requesting that the Corps consider increasing the acreages 
limits and PCN thresholds for several NWPs. One group suggested 
increasing the acreage limits and PCN thresholds for NWPs 12, 14, 18, 
43, 51, and 52 and another group asked for increases in the acreage 
limits and PCN thresholds for NWPs 12, 14, 39, 43, 51, and 52. The 
former group recommended increasing the acreage limits of NWPs 12, 14, 
43, 51, and 52 to one acre and the acreage limit of NWP 18 to \1/2\-
acre. The latter group said the acreage limits of NWPs 12, 14, 39, 43, 
51, and 52 should be raised to two acres. Both of these groups cited 
the President's Climate Action Plan and EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan 
as reasons to increase the acreage limits and PCN thresholds of these 
NWPs. They said these NWPs are important tools for meeting goals for 
natural gas and renewable energy production and transmission, to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions. Further, they assert that new and modified 
infrastructure, some of which would

[[Page 35191]]

likely be authorized by NWPs 12, 39, 51 and 52, would need to be 
constructed and operational in the next several years to meet the goals 
in the Climate Action Plan.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Nationwide permits 3, 12, and 14 are frequently used to 
authorize discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States and structures and work in navigable waters of the 
United States associated with the construction and maintenance of 
infrastructure, including energy and transportation infrastructure. 
Nationwide permits 51 and 52 authorize renewable energy projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, we are seeking comment on changes in the terms and 
conditions of the NWPs. These could include changes in acreage and 
linear foot limits (see below), PCN thresholds, and the use of other 
tools for complying with the no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects requirement for NWPs and other types of general permits. Such 
tools include using PCNs and the activity- and site-specific review 
they require and retaining the \1/10\-acre threshold for requiring 
wetland compensatory mitigation (see paragraph (c) of general condition 
23).

Acreage Limits and Pre-Construction Notification Thresholds

    We are seeking comment on whether to retain the \1/2\-acre limit 
that has been imposed on certain NWPs (i.e., NWPs 12, 14, 21, 29, 39, 
42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52), or to impose different acreage limits on 
these NWPs. We are seeking comment on the acreage limits in part 
because of the suggestions from various entities mentioned in the 
previous section of this notice. Another reason we are soliciting 
comments on the acreage limits is to help determine whether there are 
alternative acreage limits that would be more effective at ensuring 
that the NWPs continue to meet their intended purpose of providing a 
streamlined authorization process for activities resulting in no more 
than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. 
Many of the NWPs listed in the previous sentence have had this \1/2\-
acre limit since 2000. Nationwide permit 50 was first issued in 2007 
and NWPs 51 and 52 were originally issued in 2012. We welcome comments 
and suggestions for higher or lower acreage limits and those comments 
and suggestions should include relevant data and other information that 
explain why the acreage limits should be changed. Different acreage 
limits can be suggested for NWPs that authorize different categories of 
activities.
    Comments should explain how your recommended changes to acreage 
limits would help the NWP program continue to comply with Congressional 
intent for a streamlined process for authorizing regulated activities 
that result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects. The intent of Congress was articulated through 
the 1977 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1344(e)). Commenters should consider that general permits are an 
important tool for protecting the environment by providing incentives 
to minimize impacts to jurisdictional waters and wetlands to qualify 
for a streamlined authorization process. If those incentives are 
removed by reducing the acreage limits so that designing projects to 
qualify for NWP authorization is no longer practical, project 
proponents may submit permit applications for activities with 
substantial adverse environmental impacts. General permits are also an 
important tool for managing the Corps' Regulatory Program, and allow 
the Corps to focus its resources on evaluating individual permit 
applications for proposed activities that have the potential for 
resulting in substantial adverse environmental impacts.
    We are also soliciting comments on changing the PCN thresholds for 
those NWPs that require pre-construction notification. Pre-construction 
notifications are an important tool for ensuring that NWP activities 
result in only minimal and individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects. Pre-construction notifications allow district 
engineers to evaluate the activity- and site-specific circumstances of 
proposed NWP activities to decide whether those activities are eligible 
for NWP authorization or require individual permits. In addition, PCNs 
provide district engineers with the opportunity to impose activity-
specific conditions on NWPs, including mitigation requirements, to 
comply with the statutory requirements of Section 404(e) of the Clean 
Water Act. Pre-construction notifications also facilitate compliance 
with the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation 
Act.
    There are circumstances where requiring PCNs for all activities 
authorized by an NWP is not necessary to satisfy the ``no more than 
minimal'' adverse environmental effects requirement. We are soliciting 
comment on whether the PCN thresholds for specific NWPs should be 
changed to improve the efficiency of the NWP Program while maintaining 
strong protection of the aquatic environment and other public interest 
review factors relevant to the Corps' Regulatory Program.

Waivers of Certain Nationwide Permit Limits

    Since 2002, certain NWPs have had a 300-linear foot limit for 
losses of stream bed that could be waived after a district engineer 
evaluates the PCN and determines that the proposed NWP activity would 
result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects. In the 2012 NWPs, we added a requirement that 
waivers of certain NWP limits could only be granted through a written 
determination by a district engineer concluding that the proposed NWP 
activity would result only in minimal adverse environmental effects. 
The ability to waive those limits provides flexibility in the NWPs to 
authorize, after an activity-specific review, activities that are 
specifically determined by district engineers to result in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects.
    In today's proposal, the following NWPs have certain limits that 
can be waived with a written determination of a district engineer after 
review of a PCN: NWPs 13, 21, 29, 36, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 
52. For all these NWPs, the district engineer can only grant the waiver 
upon making a written determination that the NWP activity will result 
in only minimal adverse environmental effects. For NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 
42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52, the total loss of waters of the United 
States, including any waivers of the 300 linear foot limit for the loss 
of intermittent and ephemeral stream bed, cannot exceed \1/2\-acre.
    The Corps uses an internal, automated information system to track 
all individual permit applications and NWP verification requests, as 
well as verifications for regional general permits and programmatic 
general permits. That automated information system, known as ORM, is 
used to record requested amounts of impacts to jurisdictional waters 
and wetlands, as well as proposed compensatory mitigation. When the 
Corps issues an individual permit or a general permit verification, 
Corps district project managers record the amounts of authorized 
impacts and, if required, compensatory mitigation. The proposed and 
authorized impacts and compensatory mitigation are recorded as acres or 
linear feet, or both, depending on the judgment of the Corps project 
manager. The Corps' automated information system does not specifically 
track waivers for NWP verifications, but for the 2017 NWPs we will be 
modifying that system by adding data fields to record the use of 
waivers for these NWPs.

[[Page 35192]]

    In the 2012 NWPs, agency coordination was required for any proposed 
activity authorized by NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52 
where the applicant requested a waiver of the 300 linear foot limit for 
the loss of intermittent or ephemeral stream bed. The agency 
coordination process is described in paragraph (d)(2) of the ``pre-
construction notification'' general condition, and we are not proposing 
any changes to that agency coordination process. These waivers can only 
be issued after an activity-specific evaluation, consideration of 
agency comments received in response to agency coordination, and the 
district engineer's consideration of the nine factors for making 
minimal effect determinations described in paragraph D.1 in the section 
entitled ``District Engineer's Decision'' (77 FR 10184 at 10287-10288).
    To gather more information on the use of waivers, we are soliciting 
comment on five aspects of waivers:
    (1) Making changes to the numeric limits that can be waived;
    (2) whether to retain the authority of district engineers to issue 
activity-specific waivers of certain NWP limits;
    (3) whether to impose a linear foot cap on waivers to the 500 
linear foot limit for NWPs 13 and proposed NWP B (e.g., a total waiver 
amount of 1,000 linear feet), and the 20 foot limit (e.g., a total 
waiver amount of 40 linear feet) in NWP 36;
    (4) whether to impose a linear foot cap (e.g., a total waiver 
amount of 1,000 linear feet) on losses of intermittent and ephemeral 
stream bed potentially eligible for waivers of the 300 linear foot 
limit for losses of stream bed in NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 
51, and 52; and
    (5) whether to require compensatory mitigation to offset all losses 
of stream bed (consistent with General Condition 23(d)) authorized by 
waivers of the 300 linear foot limit for NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 
44, 50, 51, and 52.
    Comments on suggested changes to the numeric limits above which a 
waiver could be issued, and comments on whether to retain or remove the 
waiver provisions, should be accompanied by data and other information 
supporting the commenter's views on these questions. If the ability for 
district engineers to issue waivers of certain NWP limits is removed, 
then individual permits would be required for proposed activities with 
losses of waters of the United States that exceed those limits.
    NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52 currently have a 
\1/2\-acre cap on losses of waters of the United States. Any loss of 
stream bed, including any losses of intermittent and ephemeral stream 
bed in excess of 300 linear feet that are waived upon a written 
determination by the district engineer after agency coordination, 
counts towards that \1/2\-acre limit. We are seeking comment on whether 
there should also be a linear foot cap on those waivers, in addition to 
the \1/2\-acre limit. Commenters supporting a linear foot cap on 
waivers for the loss of intermittent and ephemeral stream bed should 
provide a suggested numeric linear foot cap. Commenters should also 
explain how their suggested linear foot limit will help ensure that 
these NWPs only authorize activities with no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects, and include supporting data and other 
information.
    We are also seeking comment on whether to require compensatory 
mitigation for all losses of intermittent or ephemeral stream bed 
authorized by NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52 through a 
district engineer's written waiver of the 300 linear foot limit. 
Commenters are encouraged to provide data to support their position 
including providing data that demonstrate that compensatory mitigation 
is necessary to reach a finding of minimal impact based on the criteria 
listed in paragraph 2, section D for specific resource types.
    It is important to note that district engineers can only issue 
those waivers after conducting agency coordination. District engineers 
fully consider agency comments received during that coordination, 
including any agency comments recommending requiring compensatory 
mitigation to ensure that the net adverse environmental effects are no 
more than minimal. In the NWP program, district engineers require 
compensatory mitigation on a case-by-case basis when necessary to 
ensure that proposed NWP activities will result in no more than minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects (see 33 CFR 
part 330.1(e)(3) and general condition 23).
    When making waiver decisions for NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 
50, 51, and 52, as well as compensatory mitigation decisions, district 
engineers consider the nine factors in paragraph 2 of Section D, 
District Engineer's Decision. The factors most relevant to compensatory 
mitigation decision making are: The environmental setting in the 
vicinity of the NWP activity, the functions provided by the aquatic 
resources that will be affected by the NWP activity, the degree or 
magnitude to which the aquatic resources perform those functions, the 
extent that aquatic resource functions will be lost as a result of the 
NWP activity (e.g., partial or complete loss), the duration of the 
adverse effects (temporary or permanent), and the importance of the 
aquatic resource functions to the region (e.g., watershed or 
ecoregion). We are soliciting comment on the appropriateness and 
practicability of requiring compensatory mitigation for all waivers of 
the 300 linear foot limit for losses of stream bed, to offset the 
losses of intermittent and ephemeral stream that are authorized by 
written waivers issued by district engineers for these NWPs. We are 
also seeking comments and suggestions on technical approaches for 
providing compensatory mitigation to offset losses of stream bed 
authorized by those written waivers.

Compliance With the Endangered Species Act

    The Corps has determined that the NWP regulations at 33 CFR 
330.4(f) and NWP general condition 18, endangered species, ensure that 
all activities authorized by NWPs comply with section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA). Those regulations and general condition 
18 require non-federal permittees to submit PCNs for any activity that 
might affect listed species or designated critical habitat. The Corps 
then evaluates the PCN and makes an effect determination for the 
proposed NWP activity for the purposes of ESA section 7. The Corps 
established the ``might affect'' threshold in 33 CFR 330.4(f)(2) and 
paragraph (c) of general condition 18 because it is more stringent than 
the ``may affect'' threshold for section 7 consultation in the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries 
Service's (NMFS) ESA section 7 consultation regulations at 50 CFR part 
402. The word ``might'' is defined as having ``less probability or 
possibility'' than the word ``may'' (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate 
Dictionary, 10th edition).
    If the project proponent is required to submit a PCN and the 
proposed activity might affect listed species or critical habitat, the 
activity is not authorized by NWP until either the Corps district makes 
a ``no effect'' determination or makes a ``may affect'' determination 
and completes formal or informal ESA section 7 consultation.
    When evaluating a PCN, the Corps will either make a ``no effect'' 
determination or a ``may affect'' determination. If the Corps makes a 
``may affect'' determination, it will notify the non-federal applicant 
and the activity is not authorized by NWP until ESA Section 7 
consultation has been completed. If the non-federal project

[[Page 35193]]

proponent does not comply with 33 CFR 330.4(f)(2) and general condition 
18, and does not submit the required PCN, then the activity is not 
authorized by NWP. In such situations, it is an unauthorized activity 
and the Corps district will determine an appropriate course of action 
to respond to the unauthorized activity.
    Federal agencies, including state agencies (e.g., certain state 
Departments of Transportation) to which the Federal Highway 
Administration has assigned its responsibilities pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 
327, are required to follow their own procedures for complying with 
Section 7 of the ESA (see 33 CFR 330.4(f)(1) and paragraph (b) of 
general condition 18). This includes circumstances when an NWP activity 
is part of a larger overall federal project or action. The federal 
agency's ESA section 7 compliance covers the NWP activity because it is 
undertaking the NWP activity and possibly other related activities that 
are part of a larger overall federal project or action.
    On October 15, 2012, the Chief Counsel for the Corps issued a 
letter to the FWS and NMFS (the Services) clarifying the Corps' legal 
position regarding compliance with the ESA for the February 13, 2012, 
reissuance of 48 NWPs and the issuance of two new NWPs. That letter 
explained that the issuance or reissuance of the NWPs, as governed by 
NWP general condition 18 (which applies to every NWP and which relates 
to endangered and threatened species), and 33 CFR 330.4(f), results in 
``no effect'' to listed species or critical habitat, and therefore the 
reissuance/issuance action itself does not require ESA section 7 
consultation. Although the reissuance/issuance of the NWPs has no 
effect on listed species or their critical habitat and thus requires no 
ESA section 7 consultation, the terms and conditions of the NWPs, 
including general condition 18, and 33 CFR 330.4(f) ensure that ESA 
consultation will take place on an activity-specific basis wherever 
appropriate at the field level of the Corps, FWS, and NMFS. The 
principles discussed in the Corps' October 15, 2012, letter apply to 
this proposed issuance/reissuance of NWPs. Those principles are 
discussed in more detail below.
    The only activities that are immediately authorized by NWPs are 
``no effect'' activities under Section 7 of the ESA and its 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 402. Therefore, the issuance or 
reissuance of NWPs does not require ESA section 7 consultation because 
no activities authorized by any NWPs ``may affect'' listed species or 
critical habitat without first completing activity-specific ESA Section 
7 consultations with the Services, as required by general condition 18 
and 33 CFR 330.4(f). Regional programmatic ESA section 7 consultations 
may also be used to satisfy the requirements of the NWPs in general 
condition 18 and 33 CFR 330.4(f)(2) if a proposed NWP activity is 
covered by that regional programmatic consultation.
    ESA section 7 requires each federal agency to ensure, through 
consultation with the Services, that ``any action authorized, funded, 
or carried out'' by that agency ``is not likely to jeopardize the 
continued existence of listed species or adversely modify designated 
critical habitat.'' (See 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2).) Accordingly, the 
Services' section 7 regulations specify that an action agency must 
ensure that the action ``it authorizes,'' including authorization by 
permit, does not cause jeopardy or adverse modification. (See 50 CFR 
402.01(a) and 402.02.) Thus, in assessing application of ESA section 7 
to NWPs issued or reissued by the Corps, the proper focus is on the 
nature and extent of the specific activities ``authorized'' by the NWPs 
and the timing of that authorization.
    The issuance or reissuance of the NWPs by the Chief of Engineers 
imposes express limitations on activities authorized by those NWPs. 
These limitations are imposed by the NWP terms and conditions, 
including the general conditions that apply to all NWPs regardless of 
whether pre-construction notification is required. With respect to 
listed species and critical habitat, general condition 18 expressly 
prohibits any activity ``which `may affect' a listed species or 
critical habitat, unless section 7 consultation addressing the effects 
of the proposed activity has been completed.'' General condition 18 
also states that if an activity ``may affect'' a listed species or 
critical habitat, a non-federal applicant must submit a PCN and ``shall 
not begin work on the activity until notified by the district engineer 
that the requirements of the ESA have been satisfied and that the 
activity is authorized.'' Permit applicants that are Federal agencies 
should follow their own requirements for complying with the ESA (see 33 
CFR 330.4(f)(1)), and if a PCN is required the district engineer will 
review the federal agency's ESA compliance documentation and determine 
whether it is sufficient to address ESA compliance for the NWP 
activity.
    Thus, because no NWP can or does authorize an activity that may 
affect a listed species or critical habitat absent an activity-specific 
ESA section 7 consultation, and because any activity that may affect a 
listed species or critical habitat must undergo an activity-specific 
consultation before the district engineer can verify that the activity 
is authorized by NWP, the issuance or reissuance of NWPs has ``no 
effect'' on listed species or critical habitat. Accordingly, the action 
being ``authorized'' by the Corps (i.e., the issuance or re-issuance of 
the NWPs themselves) has no effect on listed species or critical 
habitat.
    To help ensure protection of listed species and critical habitat, 
general condition 18 establishes a higher threshold than the threshold 
set forth in the Services' ESA section 7 regulations for initiation of 
section 7 consultation. Specifically, while section 7 consultation must 
be initiated for any activity that ``may affect'' listed species or 
critical habitat, for non-federal permittees general condition 18 
requires submission of a PCN to the Corps if ``any listed species or 
designated critical habitat might be affected or is in the vicinity of 
the activity, or if the activity is located in designated critical 
habitat'' and prohibits work until ``notified by the district engineer 
that the requirements of the ESA have been satisfied and that the 
activity is authorized.'' (See paragraph (c) of general condition 18.) 
The PCN must ``include the name(s) of the endangered or threatened 
species that might be affected by the proposed work or that utilize the 
designated critical habitat that might be affected by the proposed 
work.'' (See paragraph (b)(7) of general condition 32.) Paragraph (f) 
of general condition 18 notes that information on the location of 
listed species and their critical habitat can be obtained from the 
Services directly, or from their Web sites.
    General condition 18 makes it clear to project proponents that an 
NWP does not authorize the ``take'' of an endangered or threatened 
species. Paragraph (e) of general condition 18 also states that a 
separate authorization (e.g., an ESA section 10 permit or a biological 
opinion with an ``incidental take statement'') is required to take a 
listed species. In addition, paragraph (a) of general condition 18 
states that no activity is authorized by NWP which is likely to 
``directly or indirectly jeopardize the continued existence of a 
threatened or endangered species or a species proposed for such 
designation'' or ``which will directly or indirectly destroy or 
adversely modify the critical habitat of such species.'' Such 
activities would require district engineers to exercise their 
discretionary authority

[[Page 35194]]

and subject the proposed activity to the individual permit review 
process, because an activity that would jeopardize the continued 
existence of a listed species, or a species proposed for listing, or 
that would destroy or adversely modify the critical habitat of such 
species would not result in minimal adverse environmental effects and 
thus cannot be authorized by NWP.
    During the process for developing regional conditions, Corps 
districts coordinate or consult with FWS and/or NMFS regional or field 
offices to identify regional conditions that can provide additional 
assurance of compliance with general condition 18 and 33 CFR 
330.4(f)(2). Such regional conditions can add PCN requirements to one 
or more NWPs in areas inhabited by listed species or where designated 
critical habitat occurs. Regional conditions can also be used to 
establish time-of-year restrictions when no NWP activity can take place 
to ensure that individuals of listed species are not adversely affected 
by such activities. Corps districts will continue to consider through 
regional consultations, local initiatives, or other cooperative efforts 
additional information and measures to ensure protection of listed 
species and critical habitat, the requirements established by general 
condition 18 (which apply to all uses of all NWPs), and other 
provisions of the Corps regulations ensure full compliance with ESA 
section 7.
    Corps district offices meet with local representatives of the FWS 
and NMFS to establish or modify existing procedures, where necessary, 
to ensure that the Corps has the latest information regarding the 
existence and location of any threatened or endangered species or their 
critical habitat. Corps districts can also establish, through local 
procedures or other means, additional safeguards that ensure compliance 
with the ESA. Through formal ESA section 7 consultation, or through 
other coordination with the FWS and/or the NMFS, as appropriate, the 
Corps establishes procedures to ensure that NWP activities will not 
jeopardize any threatened and endangered species or result in the 
destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat. 
Such procedures may result in the development of regional conditions 
added to the NWP by the division engineer, or in activity-specific 
conditions to be added to an NWP authorization by the district 
engineer.
    Based on the fact that NWP issuance or reissuance has no effect on 
listed species or critical habitat and any activity that ``may affect'' 
listed species or critical habitat will undergo activity-specific ESA 
section 7 consultation, there is no requirement that the Corps 
undertake programmatic consultation for the NWP program. The national 
programmatic consultations conducted in the past for the NWP program 
were voluntary consultations. Regional programmatic consultation can be 
conducted by Corps districts and regional or local offices of the FWS 
and/or NMFS to provide further assurance against potential adverse 
effects on listed species or critical habitat, and assure other 
benefits to listed species or critical habitat, such as through the 
establishment of additional procedures, regional NWP conditions, 
activity-specific NWP conditions, or other safeguards that may be 
employed by Corps district offices based on further discussions between 
the Corps and the FWS and NMFS.
    The programmatic ESA section 7 consultations the Corps conducted 
for the 2007 and 2012 NWPs were voluntary consultations. The voluntary 
programmatic consultation conducted with the NMFS for the 2012 NWPs 
resulted in a biological opinion issued on February 15, 2012, which was 
replaced by a new biological opinion issued on November 24, 2014, after 
the proposed action was modified and triggered re-initiation of that 
programmatic consultation. The programmatic consultation on the 2012 
NWPs with the FWS did not result in a biological opinion.
    In the Corps Regulatory Program's automated information system 
(ORM), the Corps collects data on all individual permit applications, 
all NWP PCNs, all voluntary requests for NWP verifications where the 
NWP or general conditions do not require PCNs, and all verifications of 
activities authorized by regional general permits. For all written 
authorizations issued by the Corps, the collected data include 
authorized impacts and required compensatory mitigation, as well as 
information on all consultations conducted under section 7 of the ESA. 
Every year, the Corps evaluates over 30,000 NWP PCNs and requests for 
NWP verifications when PCNs are not required, and provides written 
verifications for those activities when district engineers determine 
those activities result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. During the evaluation process, district engineers assess 
potential impacts to listed species and critical habitat and conduct 
section 7 consultations whenever they determine NWP activities may 
affect listed species or critical habitat. District engineers will 
exercise discretionary authority and require individual permits when 
proposed NWP activities will result in more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects.
    Each year, the Corps conducts thousands of ESA section 7 
consultations with the FWS and NMFS for activities authorized by NWPs. 
These section 7 consultations are tracked in ORM. During the period of 
March 19, 2012, to December 14, 2015, Corps districts conducted 1,188 
formal consultations and 7,327 informal consultations for NWP 
activities under ESA section 7. During that time period, the Corps also 
used regional programmatic consultations for 7,679 NWP verifications to 
comply with ESA section 7. Therefore, each year NWP activities are 
covered by an average of more than 4,300 formal, informal, and 
programmatic ESA section 7 consultations with the FWS and/or NMFS.
    For one of the protective measures in NMFS's 2014 biological 
opinion, Corps districts posted information to assist prospective NWP 
users in complying with general condition 18. That implementation 
guidance was issued on August 5, 2014, and provides general guidance to 
prospective permittees on whether a PCN should be submitted for a 
proposed NWP activity to comply with general condition 18. It also 
directs prospective permittees to NMFS's Web site for additional 
information on listed species and critical habitat under their 
jurisdiction. Districts coordinated that document with NMFS regional 
and field offices and had the option of adding region-specific 
information. For the 2017 NWPs, we plan to continue using that 
information document, and expanding it to include information on listed 
species and critical habitat under the jurisdiction of the FWS.
    During the process for reissuing the NWPs, Corps districts will 
coordinate with regional and field offices of the FWS and NMFS to 
discuss whether new or modified regional conditions should be imposed 
on the NWPs to improve protection of listed species and designated 
critical habitat. Regional conditions must comply with the Corps' 
regulations for adding permit conditions (33 CFR 325.4), and the Corps 
decides whether suggested regional conditions identified during this 
coordination are appropriate for the NWPs. During this coordination, 
other tools, such as additional regional programmatic consultations or 
standard local operating procedures, might be identified to facilitate 
compliance with the ESA while streamlining the process for authorizing 
activities under the NWPs. Section 7 consultation on regional 
conditions only occurs when a

[[Page 35195]]

Corps districts makes a ``may affect'' determination and initiates 
formal or informal section 7 consultation with the FWS and/or NMFS, 
depending on the species that may be affected. Otherwise, the Corps 
district coordinates with the FWS and/or NMFS. Regional conditions, 
standard local operating procedures, and regional programmatic 
consultations are important tools for protecting listed species and 
critical habitat and helping to tailor the NWP program to address 
specific species, their habitats, and the stressors that affect those 
species.

Compliance With the Essential Fish Habitat Provisions of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

    The NWP Program's compliance with the essential fish habitat (EFH) 
consultation requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act will be achieved through EFH consultations between 
Corps districts and NMFS regional offices. This approach continues the 
EFH Conservation Recommendations provided by NMFS Headquarters to Corps 
Headquarters in 1999 for the NWP program. Corps districts that have EFH 
designated within their geographic areas of responsibility will 
coordinate with NMFS regional offices, to the extent necessary, to 
develop NWP regional conditions that conserve EFH and are consistent 
the NMFS regional EFH Conservation Recommendations. Corps districts 
will conduct consultations in accordance with the EFH consultation 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.920.

Regional Conditioning of Nationwide Permits

    Under section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act, NWPs can only be 
issued for those activities that result in no more than minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. For activities 
that require authorization under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors 
Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403), the Corps' regulations at 33 CFR 322.2(f) 
have a similar requirement. An important mechanism for ensuring 
compliance with these requirements is regional conditions imposed by 
division engineers to address local environmental concerns. 
Coordination with federal and state agencies and Tribes, and the 
solicitation of public comments, assist division and district engineers 
in identifying and developing appropriate regional conditions for the 
NWPs. Effective regional conditions protect local aquatic ecosystems 
and other resources and helps ensure that the NWPs authorize only those 
activities that result in no more than minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse effects on the aquatic environment, and are in the 
public interest.
    There are two types of regional conditions: (1) Corps regional 
conditions and (2) water quality certification/Coastal Zone Management 
Act consistency determination regional conditions.
    Corps regional conditions may be added to NWPs by division 
engineers after a public notice and comment process and coordination 
with appropriate federal, state, and local agencies, as well as Tribes. 
The process for adding Corps regional conditions to the NWPs is 
described at 33 CFR 330.5(c).
    Examples of Corps regional conditions include:
     Restricting the types of waters of the United States where 
the NWPs may be used (e.g., fens, bogs, bottomland hardwoods, etc.) or 
prohibiting the use of some or all of the NWPs in those types of waters 
or in specific watersheds.
     Restricting or prohibiting the use of NWPs in an area 
covered by a Special Area Management Plan, where regional general 
permits are issued to authorize activities consistent with that plan 
that have only minimal adverse environmental effects.
     Revoking certain NWPs in a watershed or other type of 
geographic area (e.g., a state or county).
     Adding PCN requirements to NWPs to require notification 
for all activities or lowering PCN thresholds, in certain watersheds or 
other types of geographic areas, or in certain types of waters of the 
United States.
     Reducing NWP acreage limits in certain types of waters of 
the United States or specific waterbodies, or in specific watersheds or 
other types of geographic regions.
     Restricting activities authorized by NWPs to certain times 
of the year in a particular waterbody, to minimize the adverse effects 
of those activities on fish or shellfish spawning, wildlife nesting, or 
other ecologically cyclical events.
     Conditions necessary to facilitate compliance with general 
condition 18, to enhance protection of listed species or critical 
habitat under the Endangered Species Act.
     Conditions necessary to facilitate compliance with general 
condition 17, to enhance protection of tribal trust resources, 
including natural and cultural resources and Indian lands.
     Conditions necessary for ensuring compliance with general 
condition 20, to protect historic properties.
     Conditions necessary to ensure that NWP activities have no 
more than minimal adverse effects to Essential Fish Habitat.
    Corps regional conditions approved by division engineers cannot 
remove or reduce any of the terms and conditions of the NWPs, including 
general conditions. Corps regional conditions cannot lessen PCN 
requirements. In other words, Corps regional conditions can only be 
more restrictive than the NWP terms and conditions established by Corps 
Headquarters when it issues or reissues an NWP.
    Water quality certification (WQC) regional conditions are added to 
the NWPs as a result of water quality certifications issued by states, 
Tribes, or the U.S. EPA. Regional conditions are added to the NWPs 
through the state Coastal Zone Management Act consistency review 
process. These WQC/CZMA regional conditions are reviewed by Corps 
division engineers to determine whether they are consistent with the 
Corps regulations for permit conditions at 33 CFR 325.4. Regulatory 
Guidance Letter 92-4, issued on September 14, 1992, provides additional 
guidance and information on WQC and CZMA conditions for the NWPs.
    At approximately the same time as the publication of this Federal 
Register notice, each Corps district will issue an initial public 
notice. The public comment period for these district public notices 
will be 45 days. Those initial public notices will include proposed 
Corps regional conditions developed by our district offices, and will 
also request comments or suggestions for additional Corps regional 
conditions or modifications to the proposed Corps regional conditions.
    The public notices issued by the Districts may also include, for 
informational purposes only, proposed conditions intended to meet the 
specific requirements of Tribes, states, and EPA for the purposes of 
obtaining WQC, and the specific requirements of states for obtaining 
CZMA concurrence. The WQC and CZMA reviews are separate and independent 
administrative review processes for the NWPs. Public comments on the 
Tribal, state, or EPA WQC regional conditions or state CZMA regional 
conditions as proposed by the districts should be sent directly to the 
Tribe, state, or EPA, as appropriate. The public should not send 
comments on proposed WQC/CZMA regional conditions to the Corps.
    In response to the district's public notice, interested parties may 
suggest additional Corps regional conditions or changes to Corps 
regional conditions. They may also suggest suspension or

[[Page 35196]]

revocation of NWPs in certain geographic areas, such as specific 
watersheds or waterbodies. Such comments should include data to support 
the need for the suggested modifications, suspensions, or revocations 
of NWPs.
    After the NWPs are issued or reissued, the division engineer will 
issue supplemental decision documents for each NWP in a specific region 
(e.g., a state or Corps district). Each supplemental decision document 
will evaluate the NWP on a regional basis (e.g., by Corps district 
geographic area of responsibility or by state) and discuss the need for 
NWP regional conditions for that NWP. Each supplemental decision 
document will also include a statement by the division engineer, which 
will certify that the NWP, with approved regional conditions, will 
authorize only those activities that will have no more than minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects.
    After the division engineer approves the Corps regional conditions, 
each Corps district will issue a final public notice for the NWPs. The 
final public notice will announce both the final Corps regional 
conditions and any final WQC/CZMA regional conditions. The final public 
notices will also announce the final status of water quality 
certifications and CZMA consistency determinations for the NWPs. Corps 
districts may adopt additional regional conditions after following 
public notice and comment procedures, if they identify a need to add or 
modify regional conditions. Information on regional conditions and the 
suspension or revocation of one or more NWPs in a particular area can 
be obtained from the appropriate district engineer.
    In cases where a Corps district has issued a regional general 
permit that authorizes similar activities as one or more NWPs, during 
the regional conditioning process the district will clarify the use of 
the regional general permit versus the NWP(s). For example, the 
division engineer may revoke the applicable NWP(s) so that only the 
regional general permit is available for use to authorize those 
activities.

Water Quality Certification/Coastal Zone Management Act Consistency 
Determination for Nationwide Permits

    A Tribal, State, or EPA water quality certification, or waiver 
thereof, is required by Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, for an 
activity authorized by NWP which results in a discharge into waters of 
the United States. In addition, any state with a federally-approved 
CZMA program must concur with the Corps' determination that activities 
authorized by NWPs which are within, or will have reasonably 
foreseeable effects on any land or water uses or natural resources of 
the state's coastal zone, are consistent with the CZMA program to the 
maximum extent practicable. Water quality certifications and/or CZMA 
consistency concurrences may be issued without conditions, issued with 
conditions, or denied for specific NWPs.
    We believe that, in general, the activities authorized by the NWPs 
will not violate Tribal, state, or EPA water quality standards, other 
provisions of Tribal/State law, and will be consistent with state CZMA 
programs/enforceable policies. The NWPs are conditioned to ensure that 
adverse environmental effects will be no more than minimal and address 
the types of activities that would be routinely authorized if evaluated 
under the individual permit process. We recognize that in some states 
or Tribal lands there will be a need to add regional conditions, or 
individual Tribal or State review for some activities, to ensure 
compliance with water quality standards, other appropriate provisions 
of Tribal/State law, and/or consistency with the state's CZMA programs. 
As a practical matter, we intend to work with states and Tribes to 
ensure that NWPs include the necessary conditions so that they can 
issue water quality certifications or CZMA consistency concurrences. 
Therefore, each Corps district will initiate discussions with their 
respective Tribe(s), state(s), and regional offices of EPA, as 
appropriate, to discuss issues of concern and identify regional 
modifications and other approaches to address the scope of waters, 
activities, discharges, and PCNs, as appropriate, to resolve these 
issues.
    Please note that in some states the Corps has issued state 
programmatic general permits (SPGPs) or regional general permits 
(RGPs), and within those states some or all of the NWPs may be 
suspended or revoked by division engineers. Concurrent with today's 
proposal, district engineers may be proposing suspension or revocation 
of the NWPs in states where SPGPs or RGPs will be used in place of some 
or all of the NWPs.

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act

    This Federal Register notice serves as the Corps' application to 
the Tribes, States, or EPA, where appropriate, for water quality 
certification (WQC) of the activities authorized by these NWPs. The 
Tribes, States, and EPA, where appropriate, are requested to issue, 
deny, or waive water quality certification pursuant to 33 CFR 330.4(c) 
for these NWPs.
    If a state denies a WQC for an NWP within that state, then the 
affected activities are not authorized by NWP within that state, until 
a project proponent obtains an individual WQC for that activity, or a 
waiver of WQC occurs. However, when applicants request verification of 
NWP activities that require individual WQC, and the Corps determines 
that those activities meet the terms and conditions of the NWP, the 
Corps will issue provisional NWP verification letters. The provisional 
verification letter will contain general and regional conditions as 
well as any activity-specific conditions the Corps determines are 
necessary for NWP authorization. The Corps will notify the applicant 
that he or she must obtain an activity-specific WQC, or waiver thereof, 
before he or she is authorized to start discharging dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States. That is, NWP authorization 
will be contingent upon obtaining the necessary WQC or waiver thereof 
from the Tribe, State, or EPA where appropriate. Anyone wanting to 
perform such activities where pre-construction notification to the 
Corps is not required has an affirmative responsibility to first obtain 
an activity-specific WQC or waiver thereof from the Tribe, State, or 
EPA before proceeding under the NWP. This requirement is provided at 33 
CFR 330.4(c).

Section 307 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)

    This Federal Register notice serves as the Corps' determination 
that the activities authorized by these NWPs are, to the maximum extent 
practicable, consistent with state CZMA programs. This determination is 
contingent upon the addition of state CZMA conditions and/or regional 
conditions, or the issuance by the state of an individual consistency 
concurrence, where necessary. States are requested to concur or object 
to the consistency determination for these NWPs following 33 CFR 
330.4(d).
    The Corps' CZMA consistency determination only applies to NWP 
authorizations for activities that are within, or affect, any land, 
water uses or natural resources of a State's coastal zone. NWP 
authorizations for activities that are not within or would not affect a 
State's coastal zone do not require the Corps' CZMA consistency 
determinations and thus are not contingent on a State's concurrence 
with the Corps' consistency determinations.

[[Page 35197]]

    If a state objects to the Corps' CZMA consistency determination for 
an NWP, then the affected activities are not authorized by NWP within 
that state, until a project proponent obtains an individual CZMA 
consistency concurrence, or sufficient time (i.e., six months) passes 
after requesting a CZMA consistency concurrence for the applicant to 
make a presumption of consistency, as provided in 33 CFR 330.4(d)(6). 
However, when applicants request NWP verifications for such activities, 
and the Corps determines that those activities meet the terms and 
conditions of the NWP, the Corps will issue provisional NWP 
verification letters. The provisional verification letter will contain 
general and regional conditions as well as any activity-specific 
conditions the Corps determines are necessary for the NWP 
authorization. The Corps will notify the applicant that he or she must 
obtain an activity-specific CZMA consistency concurrence before he or 
she is authorized to start work in waters of the United States. That 
is, NWP authorization will be contingent upon obtaining the necessary 
CZMA consistency concurrence from the State. Anyone wanting to perform 
such activities where pre-construction notification to the Corps is not 
required has an affirmative responsibility to present a CZMA 
consistency certification to the appropriate State agency for 
concurrence. Upon concurrence with such CZMA consistency certifications 
by the state, the activity would be authorized by the NWP. This 
requirement is provided at 33 CFR 330.4(d).

Nationwide Permit Verifications

    Certain NWPs require the permittee to submit a PCN, and thus 
request confirmation from the district engineer prior to commencing the 
proposed work that an NWP activity complies with the terms and 
conditions of an NWP. The requirement to submit a PCN is identified in 
the NWP text, as well as certain general conditions. General condition 
18 requires non-federal permittees to submit PCNs for any proposed 
activity that might affect listed species or critical habitat, if 
listed species or critical habitat are in the vicinity of the proposed 
activity, or if the proposed activity is located in critical habitat. 
General condition 20 requires non-federal permittees to submit PCNs for 
any proposed activity that may have the potential to cause effects to 
any historic properties listed in, determined to be eligible for 
listing in, or potentially eligible for listing in, the National 
Register of Historic Places.
    In the PCN, the project proponent must specify which NWP or NWPs he 
or she wants to use to provide the required Department of Army (DA) 
authorization under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or section 
10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. For voluntary NWP 
verification requests (where a PCN is not required), the request should 
also identify the NWP(s) the project proponent wants to use. The 
district engineer should verify the activity under those NWP(s), as 
long as the proposed activity complies with all applicable terms and 
conditions, including any applicable regional conditions imposed by the 
division engineer. If the proposed activity does not qualify for NWP 
authorization, the district engineer must exercise discretionary 
authority and explain why the NWP or NWPs specified by the applicant 
are not appropriate for authorizing the proposed activity.
    Pre-construction notification requirements may be added to NWPs by 
division engineers through regional conditions to require PCNs for 
additional activities. For an activity where a PCN is not required, a 
project proponent may submit a PCN voluntarily, if he or she wants 
written confirmation that the activity is authorized by an NWP. Some 
project proponents submit permit applications without specifying the 
type of authorization they are seeking. In such cases, district 
engineer will review those applications and determine if the proposed 
activity qualifies for NWP authorization or another form of DA 
authorization, such as a regional general permit (see 33 CFR 330.1(f)).
    In response to a PCN or a voluntary NWP verification request, the 
district engineer reviews the information submitted by the prospective 
permittee. If the district engineer determines that the activity 
complies with the terms and conditions of the NWP, he or she will 
notify the permittee. Activity-specific conditions, such as 
compensatory mitigation requirements, may be added to an NWP 
authorization to ensure that the NWP activity results in only minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. The activity-
specific conditions are incorporated into the NWP verification, along 
with the NWP text and the NWP general conditions.
    If the district engineer reviews the PCN or voluntary NWP 
verification request and determines that the proposed activity does not 
comply with the terms and conditions of an NWP, he or she will notify 
the project proponent and provide instructions for applying for 
authorization under a regional general permit or an individual permit. 
District engineers will respond to NWP verification requests, submitted 
voluntarily or as required through PCN, within 45 days of receiving a 
complete PCN. Except for NWPs 21, 49, and 50, and for proposed NWP 
activities that require Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation 
and/or National Historic Preservation Act section 106 consultation, if 
the project proponent has not received a reply from the Corps within 45 
days, he or she may assume that the project is authorized, consistent 
with the information provided in the PCN. For NWPs 21, 49, and 50, and 
for proposed NWP activities that require ESA Section 7 consultation 
and/or NHPA Section 106 consultation, the project proponent may not 
begin work before receiving a written NWP verification.
    In the January 28, 2013, issue of the Federal Register (78 FR 
5726), the Corps issued a final rule that amended the NWP regulations 
to allow district engineers to issue NWP verification letters that are 
in effect until the NWP expires, instead of two years. That rule took 
effect on February 27, 2013. That final rule streamlines the 
verification process for NWP activities.

Contact Information for Corps District Engineers

    Contact information for Corps district engineers is available at 
the following Web page: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits/RegulatoryContacts.aspx.

Request for Comment

    We are proposing to reissue 50 nationwide permits, as well as the 
general conditions and definitions. We are also proposing to issue two 
new NWPs and one new general condition. Substantive changes to the 
nationwide permits, general conditions, and definitions are discussed 
below, but we are soliciting comments on all the nationwide permits, 
general conditions, and definitions as well as all NWP application 
procedures including the PCNs. Minor grammatical changes, the removal 
of redundant language, and other small changes are not discussed in the 
preamble below. Therefore, commenters should carefully read each 
proposed NWP, general condition, and definition in this notice.

Discussion of Proposed Modifications to Existing Nationwide Permits

    If an existing NWP is not listed in this section of the preamble, 
we are proposing to reissue the NWP without changing the terms of the 
NWP.

[[Page 35198]]

    NWP 3. Maintenance. We are proposing to modify this NWP to state 
that it also authorizes regulated activities associated with the 
removal of previously authorized structures or fills. Individual 
permits include a permit condition requiring modification of the permit 
and the removal of the authorized structure or fill if the permittee 
will no longer use it, and will not transfer the authorization and the 
structures or fills to another party. (See general condition 2 of 
appendix A to 33 CFR part 325.) General permits might not have a 
similar condition, so we are proposing to modify this NWP to authorize 
such removals. The proposed modification to NWP 3 would authorize the 
removal of the previously authorized structure or fill in those cases 
where authorization is required (e.g., work in section 10 waters).
    We are also proposing to modify paragraph (c) of this NWP to 
clarify that the use of temporary mats in jurisdictional waters and 
wetlands is also authorized by this NWP, if those mats are used to 
minimize impacts during regulated maintenance activities. After the 
timber mats are used, they are removed and the affected areas are 
returned to pre-construction elevations. This provision of NWP 3 would 
only be necessary in circumstances where the Corps district has 
determined that the use of such mats in jurisdictional waters and 
wetlands requires DA authorization.
    NWP 12. Utility Line Activities. We are proposing to modify the 
``utility lines'' paragraph of this NWP to clarify that the NWP 
authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States and structures or work in navigable waters of the United 
States for crossings of those waters associated with the construction, 
maintenance, or repair of utility lines. This change is intended to 
clarify that NWP 12 does not authorize the construction, maintenance, 
or repair of utility lines per se. The Corps only authorizes those 
components of utility lines where the construction, maintenance, or 
repair involves activities regulated under its jurisdictional 
authorities (i.e., section 404 of the Clean Water Act and section 10 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899). Because of the proposed 
modification, we are proposing to remove the text in this sentence that 
referred to ``excavation, backfill, and bedding'' because those 
activities are covered by the more precise reference to ``discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.'' Some 
excavation activities do not require section 404 authorization.
    We are also proposing to modify the definition of ``utility line'' 
to make it clear that utility lines can also include lines, such as 
optic cables, that communicate through the internet.
    In response to a suggestion received during the period that the 
2012 NWPs were in effect, we are proposing to add a paragraph to NWP 12 
to authorize, to the extent that DA authorization is required, 
discharges of dredged or fill material into section 404 waters, and 
structures and work in section 10 waters, necessary to remediate 
inadvertent returns of drilling muds (also known as ``frac-outs'') that 
can occur during directional drilling operations to install utility 
lines below jurisdictional waters and wetlands. An inadvertent return 
takes place when drilling fluids are released through fractures in the 
bedrock and flow to the surface, and possibly into a river, stream, 
wetland, or other type of waterbody. The entity making the suggestion 
expressed concerns about inconsistencies in how inadvertent returns are 
managed when they occur. The entity also requested that NWP 12 
authorize section 404 and section 10 activities that are necessary to 
remediate inadvertent returns, instead of addressing the needed 
remediation through enforcement actions. For NWP 12 activities where 
there is the possibility of such inadvertent returns, district 
engineers may add conditions to the NWP 12 verification requiring 
activity-specific remediation plans to address these situations, should 
they occur during the installation or maintenance of the utility line.
    The fluids used for directional drilling operations consist of a 
water-bentonite slurry. This water-bentonite mixture is not considered 
a toxic or hazardous substance, but it can adversely affect aquatic 
organisms if released into bodies of water. Because a frac-out releases 
a drilling fluid and that fluid is not a material that can be 
considered ``fill material'' under 33 CFR 323.2(e), the inadvertent 
returns of these drilling muds is not regulated under section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act. However, activities necessary to contain and clean 
up these drilling fluids may require DA authorization (e.g., temporary 
fills in waters of the United States, or fills to repair a fracture in 
a stream bed). For the same reasons as the proposed modification to NWP 
3, we are proposing to modify this NWP to state that the use of 
temporary mats in jurisdictional waters and wetlands is also 
authorized.
    We are proposing to modify Note 1 to remove the requirement to send 
a copy of the PCN to the National Ocean Service, because there is no 
need to chart a utility in navigable waters of the United States unless 
it is verified as being authorized by NWP 12. Corps districts will 
still send copies of NWP 12 verifications, when utility lines are 
installed in waters charted by the National Ocean Service.
    In addition, we are proposing to add three new notes to this NWP. 
The new proposed Note 2 explains that separate and distant crossings of 
waters of the United States may qualify for separate NWP authorization, 
consistent with past practices as codified in the NWP regulations 
issued on November 22, 1991 (see 56 FR 59110) and the definition of 
``single and complete linear project'' promulgated in the 2012 NWPs. In 
the 1991 final rule, the Corps defined the term ``single and complete 
project'' at 33 CFR 330.2(i). In the 2012 NWPs, we clarified the long-
standing practices associated with the 1991 final rule by providing 
separate definitions for ``single and complete linear project'' and 
``single and complete non-linear project'' (see 77 FR 10184 at 10290 
and the associated preamble discussion in the February 21, 2012 issue 
of the Federal Register.)
    Proposed Note 2 also points prospective permittees to 33 CFR 
330.6(d), which addresses the use of NWPs with individual permits, 
where components of a larger overall project that have independent 
utility might be eligible for NWP authorization while other components 
might require an individual permit because not all crossings of waters 
of the United States comply with the terms and conditions of the NWPs 
or regional general permits. For utility lines, Sec.  330.6(d) applies 
in cases where one or more crossings for a stand-alone utility line are 
not eligible for NWP authorization, but the remaining crossings for the 
utility line could satisfy the NWP terms and conditions. If one or more 
separate and distant crossings of waters of the United States for a 
stand-alone utility line do not qualify for authorization by NWP or a 
regional general permit, and an individual permit is required to 
authorize those crossings, then all the crossings necessary to 
construct that stand-alone utility line would require an individual 
permit. A stand-alone utility line is a utility line that has 
independent utility and can be operated on its own to transport 
materials or energy from a point of origin to a terminal point.
    Section 330.6(d) requires an individual permit for all regulated 
activities under the Clean Water Act and, if applicable, the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899, associated with a stand-alone utility line if one 
or more crossings of waters of the United States

[[Page 35199]]

do not qualify for general permit authorization and requires an 
individual permit. Other utility line segments that can operate 
independently (i.e., other stand-alone utility lines) can be authorized 
by NWP if all of the crossings of waters of the United States that 
require DA authorization are eligible for NWPs, as long as the permit 
decision document includes an impact analysis for the larger, overall 
utility line project (see 33 CFR 330.6(d)(1)).
    The second new note (proposed Note 3) references the regulation 
(i.e., 33 CFR 322.5(i)) that specifies the minimum clearances required 
for aerial electric power transmission lines crossing navigable waters 
of the United States.
    The third new note (proposed Note 5) states that NWP 12 authorizes 
utility line maintenance and repair activities that do not qualify for 
the Clean Water Act section 404(f)(1) exemption for maintenance of 
currently serviceable structures.
    NWP 13. Bank Stabilization. We are proposing to modify the first 
paragraph of this NWP to clarify that it authorizes a wide variety of 
bank stabilization measures. This NWP has never been limited to hard 
structural measures, such as bulkheads and revetments, for bank 
stabilization. This NWP can be used to authorize vegetative bank 
stabilization techniques, including hybrid techniques that involve both 
hard materials and vegetation components (e.g., bioengineering). For 
example, a bank may be graded and plant materials installed to 
stabilize portions of the bank, with rip rap placed at the bottom of 
the bank for toe protection. Nationwide permit 13 was first issued in 
1977; it has never specified any preference for particular approaches 
to bank stabilization. This NWP has always had the flexibility to 
authorize a variety of types of bank stabilization measures.
    In addition, NWP 13 is used to authorize bank stabilization 
activities in a variety of types of aquatic environments, such as open 
coasts, sheltered coasts, rivers and streams, lakes, and other types of 
waters. The appropriate approach for bank stabilization is dependent on 
site conditions, and landowners and contractors may have preferences 
for specific approaches. In addition, there can be a substantial amount 
of variation in the effectiveness of a particular bank stabilization 
technique across these different environments. Given that variability 
and the need to consider site-specific conditions and practicability 
when selecting an appropriate bank stabilization approach for a site, 
we believe it is not appropriate to modify this NWP to require the use 
of one technique to control bank erosion over other techniques.
    We are proposing to modify paragraph (c) of this NWP to clarify 
that the quantity of the dredged or fill material discharged into 
waters of the United States must not exceed one cubic yard per running 
foot below the plane of the ordinary high water mark or the high tide 
line, as measured along the bank. Some bank stabilization techniques, 
such as stream barbs, may involve fills that extend from the bank to 
the streambed. Stream barbs are low rock sills that extend from a 
stream bank to cross the thalweg of the stream. In other words, not all 
discharges of dredged or fill material authorized by this NWP must be 
placed along the bank if the bank stabilization method relies on other 
fill configurations, and as long as discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States are minimized to the maximum 
extent practicable.
    As discussed below, we are proposing to issue a new NWP to 
authorize nature-based bank stabilization techniques known as living 
shorelines. We believe a separate NWP is appropriate to authorize 
structures and work in navigable waters and discharges of dredged or 
fill material into waters of the United States for the construction and 
maintenance of living shorelines. Living shorelines are effective 
primarily in sheltered, low- to mid- energy coasts (see the 2007 
National Research Council Report entitled ``Mitigating Shore Erosion 
along Sheltered Coasts''). In open coasts subject to higher energy 
regimes such as stronger wave energies and greater erosive forces, hard 
bank stabilization structures such as revetments and bulkheads or a 
combination of hard structures and soft, nature-based structures (e.g., 
hybrid approaches described by the Systems Approach to Geomorphic 
Engineering (SAGE) \2\) are more effective at protecting infrastructure 
and buildings along those coasts. The proposed NWP for living 
shorelines is intended to complement NWP 13 to provide general permit 
authorization for these approaches to bank stabilization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ https://sagecoast.org/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Paragraph (a) of general condition 23 requires that NWP activities 
avoid and minimize adverse effects to waters of the United States to 
the maximum extent practicable on the project site (i.e., on-site). 
Living shorelines involve filling fairly large areas of intertidal and 
subtidal lands or lake shorelines. The placement of sand fills for 
marsh plantings and the construction of stone sills and breakwaters 
alter shoreline habitats and require consideration of trade-offs of 
those habitat changes (NRC 2007). Bulkheads and other bank 
stabilization structures can be constructed near to or landward of the 
high tide line in estuarine waters, or near to or landward of the mean 
high water line in lakes; thus resulting in much smaller fill areas in 
waters of the United States or no fills in waters of the United States 
if they constructed outside of the Corps' jurisdiction. Additionally, 
we recognize that bulkheads have indirect effects on nearby 
jurisdictional waters and wetlands and that living shorelines can 
provide some important ecological functions and services. Another 
factor is that there are trade-offs associated with every approach to 
bank stabilization and those trade-offs are considered by landowners 
when deciding which bank stabilization approach they will be proposing 
if they need to obtain DA authorization. The Corps also evaluates these 
trade-offs when evaluating all bank stabilization proposals.
    We are soliciting comments on proposed changes to NWP 13 and the 
proposed NWP B. We are trying to provide as much equitability as 
possible between NWP 13 and the new, proposed NWP for living 
shorelines, so that landowners can consider a variety of options. By 
providing an efficient authorization option, landowners have incentive 
to select an environmentally preferable bank stabilization option where 
appropriate. A few of the terms in NWPs 13 and proposed NWP B are 
similar. There are different PCN thresholds because living shorelines 
require substantial amounts of fill material, while bank stabilization 
methods authorized by NWP 13 involving small amounts of fill to be 
discharged into waters of the United States, or no discharges into 
special aquatic sites such as tidal wetlands and vegetated shallows, do 
not require PCNs.
    Another factor is that the Corps' regulations have long recognized 
that landowners have a general right to protect their property from 
erosion (see 33 CFR 320.4(g)(2)). The Corps evaluates the potential for 
the proposed erosion protection measures to cause damage to other 
landowners' property, adversely affect public health and safety, 
adversely impact wetland values, and the Corps can inform the applicant 
about possible alternative methods of bank stabilization. However, that 
section of our regulations also states that the Corps' advice will be 
given only as general guidance, and must not compete with private 
consulting firms. In other

[[Page 35200]]

words, the Corps cannot mandate a specific approach to bank 
stabilization. Consideration must also be given to the availability of 
consultants and contractors qualified to design and build living 
shorelines. Many landowners prefer bulkheads and revetments because 
well-constructed bulkheads last approximately 20 years and revetments 
can last up to 50 years (NRC 2007).
    As discussed elsewhere in this notice, we are proposing to develop 
a standard form for use in submitting PCNs. The proposed PCN form will 
include two questions for PCNs involving bank stabilization activities. 
The first question will ask whether the applicant has considered the 
use of living shorelines, if he or she is submitting a PCN for a bank 
stabilization activity. The second question will ask if there are 
consultants and contractors in the area that are qualified to design 
and construct living shorelines. We will also modify our automated 
information system to track the responses to those questions. We will 
use the responses to those questions during evaluations of the use of 
NWPs 13 and B. The Corps solicits comments on the suitability on those 
questions and whether other questions should be included on the form.
    NWP 14. Linear Transportation Projects. We are proposing to add a 
note to this NWP similar to proposed Note 2 in NWP 12 to explain that 
separate and distant crossings of waters of the United States for 
linear projects may qualify for separate authorization by NWP. Similar 
to proposed Note 2 in NWP 12, the proposed Note 1 for NWP 14 references 
33 CFR 330.6(d) because linear transportation projects also have to 
comply with the requirements of Sec.  330.6(d). Linear transportation 
projects can have segments that can operate as stand-alone roads or 
other types of linear transportation projects. NWP 14 can authorize 
those segments with independent utility where each separate and distant 
crossing of waters of the United States qualifies for NWP 
authorization. If one or more separate and distant crossings of waters 
of the United States for a stand-alone linear transportation project 
does not qualify for authorization by NWP or a regional general permit, 
and an individual permit is required to authorize the crossings, then 
all the crossings necessary to construct that stand-alone linear 
transportation project would require an individual permit. Section 
330.6(d) requires an individual permit for all regulated activities 
under the Clean Water Act and, if applicable, the Rivers and Harbors 
Act of 1899, associated with a stand-alone linear transportation 
projects if one or more crossings of waters of the United States do not 
qualify for general permit authorization and requires an individual 
permit. Other linear transportation project segments that can operate 
independently (i.e., other stand-alone linear transportation projects) 
can be authorized by NWP if all of the crossings of waters of the 
United States that require DA authorization are eligible for NWPs, as 
long as the permit decision document includes an impact analysis for 
the larger, overall linear transportation project (see 33 CFR 
330.6(d)(1)).
    NWP 19. Minor Dredging. We are proposing to add a sentence 
requiring the dredged material to be deposited and retained at an area 
that has no waters of the United States, unless the district engineer 
specifically authorizes the placement of that dredged material into 
jurisdictional waters and wetlands through a separate authorization. 
The new sentence is intended to provide consistency with the NWPs that 
authorize dredging or similar activities, where the dredged or 
excavated material requires disposal. The NWPs that currently have that 
provision are: NWP 31, which authorizes the maintenance of existing 
flood control facilities, NWP 36 which authorizes boat ramps, and 
paragraph (b) of NWP 3, which authorizes the removal of accumulated 
sediments from the vicinity of existing structures. To protect 
jurisdictional waters and wetlands, dredged or excavated material 
should be deposited in uplands or other areas not subject to the Corps' 
jurisdiction, unless the district engineer issues a separate 
authorization to allow that dredged material to be placed in waters of 
the United States for a specific use, such as substrate for marsh 
reestablishment.
    NWP 21. Surface Coal Mining Activities. We are proposing to remove 
paragraph (a) that was in the 2012 NWP 21. The proposed NWP consists of 
paragraph (b) of the 2012 NWP 21, with a \1/2\-acre limit for losses of 
non-tidal waters of the United States, a 300 linear foot limit for 
losses of stream bed, and a prohibition against discharges of dredged 
or fill material into waters of the United States for the construction 
of valley fills.
    As discussed in the February 21, 2012, Federal Register notice (77 
FR 10184 at 10212), paragraph (a) of the 2012 NWP 21 was intended to 
``provide an equitable transition to the new limits in NWP 21 and 
reduce burdens on the regulated public.'' In that final rule, we also 
stated that if surface coal mining activities previously authorized by 
NWP 21 could not be completed before the 2012 NWP 21 expires, or within 
one year of that expiration date if the activity qualifies for the 
grandfathering provision at 33 CFR 330.6(b), then the project proponent 
would have to obtain an individual permit or, if available, a regional 
general permit authorization to complete the surface coal mining 
activities in waters of the United States (see 77 FR 10184 at 10209-
10210).
    NWP 32. Completed Enforcement Actions. We are proposing to modify 
paragraph (i)(a) of this NWP to clarify that the 5 acre and 1 acre 
limits apply to the areas adversely affected by the activities that 
remain after resolution has been achieved. These would be the net 
adverse effects after any required restoration was conducted to reach 
resolution.
    NWP 33. Temporary Construction, Access, and Dewatering. We are 
proposing to modify this NWP to change the PCN threshold to require 
notification only for temporary construction, access, and dewatering 
activities in navigable waters of the United States. In the 2007 NWPs, 
we modified NWPs 3, 12, and 14 to authorize temporary structures, 
fills, and work in jurisdictional waters and wetlands to complete the 
authorized NWP activity. In the 2012 NWPs we added similar language to 
NWP 13. While those four NWPs require PCNs for certain activities, when 
we modified those NWPs we did not add PCN requirements specifically for 
temporary structures, fills, and work associated with conducting the 
activities authorized by those NWPs. Based on our experience with those 
four NWPs and to provide more efficiency in the NWP Program, we believe 
that it is no longer necessary to require PCNs for NWP 33 activities in 
section 404-only waters. We are proposing to continue to require PCNs 
for all NWP 33 activities in section 10 waters, to ensure that each of 
those activities are reviewed by district engineers on a case-by-case 
basis to protect navigation and other relevant public interest review 
factors. Division engineers can add regional conditions to this NWP to 
require PCNs for temporary construction, access, and dewatering 
activities in section 404-only waters.
    Pre-construction notification will still be required for proposed 
activities in section 404-only waters that will be conducted by non-
federal permittees, when those activities trigger the notification 
requirements of general condition 18, endangered species, and general 
condition 20, historic properties. See paragraph (c) of general 
condition 18 and paragraph (c) of general condition 20.

[[Page 35201]]

    NWP 35. Maintenance Dredging of Existing Basins. We are proposing 
to modify this NWP to state that all dredged material must be placed in 
an area that has no waters of the United States, unless placement of 
the dredged material into waters of the United States is authorized by 
a separate DA authorization. The proposed change is intended to provide 
consistency with the proposed changes to NWP 19 and the text of other 
NWPs that authorize dredging or excavation activities. There may be 
some situations where disposal of the dredged material into waters of 
the United States is acceptable, such as using the dredged material for 
marsh establishment or re-establishment. The district engineer will 
authorize that disposal into waters of the United States through a 
separate DA authorization, such as another NWP, a regional general 
permit, or an individual permit. Please see the rationale provided 
above in the preamble discussion of the proposed changes to NWP 19.
    NWP 39. Commercial and Institutional Developments. We are proposing 
to modify this NWP to clarify that it authorizes discharges of dredged 
or fill material into waters of the United States to construct 
wastewater treatment facilities. Wastewater treatment facilities are 
attendant features for commercial, industrial, and institutional 
facilities to hold and treat wastewater. Wastewater treatment 
facilities are excluded from Clean Water Act jurisdiction (see 33 CFR 
328.3(b)(1)) and do not require Clean Water Act Section 404 
authorization to maintain those facilities. Applicants should be aware 
that, consistent with current policy, designation of a portion of 
waters of the United States as a waste treatment system does not alter 
CWA jurisdiction over any waters upstream and/or adjacent to such 
system.
    NWP 40. Agricultural Activities. We are not proposing any changes 
to this NWP. As discussed below, we are seeking comment on whether any 
clarifications are need for this NWP. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States for normal farming, 
silviculture and ranching activities such as plowing, seeding, 
cultivating, minor drainage, and harvesting for the production of food, 
fiber, and forest products, or upland soil and water conservation 
practices are exempt from the requirement to obtain Clean Water Act 
section 404 authorization, except when those activities trigger the 
recapture provision of Clean Water Act section 404(f)(2). Normal 
farming, silviculture and ranching activities that trigger the 
recapture provision of section 404(f)(2) can be authorized by 
individual or general permits. This NWP authorizes a variety of 
agricultural activities that involve discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States, as long as those activities 
comply with the terms and conditions of this NWP, including the \1/2\-
acre limit for losses of waters of the United States, and result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects. Nationwide permit 40 can be used to authorize discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States associated 
with blueberry production. We are soliciting comment on whether any 
further clarification of NWP 40 is necessary.
    NWP 41. Reshaping Existing Drainage Ditches. We are soliciting 
comment on clarifications or changes to NWP 41 that might encourage 
more landowners to reshape their drainage ditches to help improve local 
water quality, including suggestions for text to clarify the NWP for 
circumstances where original configuration information is not 
available. To facilitate the reshaping of drainage ditches to improve 
water quality, we are also proposing to remove the requirement to 
submit a PCN if more than 500 linear feet of ditch is to be reshaped.
    This NWP was first issued in 2000 (65 FR 12818 at 12854, March 9, 
2000). The intent of this NWP is to authorize the maintenance of 
drainage ditches that were constructed in waters of the United States 
in a manner that benefits the aquatic environment. This NWP authorizes 
changes to the ditch cross section by creating gentler slopes so that 
there is greater interaction between water in the ditch and soil and 
vegetation to facilitate the removal of sediment, nutrients, and 
chemicals from that water. However, this NWP does not authorize 
reshaping ditches so that they drain larger areas than the original 
ditch was designed to drain. In other words, this NWP allows the 
configuration of the ditch to be changed to improve water quality, but 
not increase the original geographic area drained by the ditch. 
Determining the original drainage area of a ditch can be accomplished 
by reviewing records, obtaining technical advice from consultants, or 
other sources of information. When evaluating compliance with this NWP, 
Corps district staff will use their judgment, based on such 
information, to determine whether the activity is in compliance with 
the requirement not to increase the original drainage capacity of the 
ditch.
    We are soliciting comment on clarifications or changes to NWP 41 
that might encourage more landowners to reshape their drainage ditches 
to help improve local water quality, including suggestions for text to 
clarify the NWP for circumstances where original configuration 
information is not available. To facilitate the reshaping of drainage 
ditches to improve water quality, we are also proposing to remove the 
requirement to submit a PCN if more than 500 linear feet of ditch is to 
be reshaped and are soliciting comment on that change.
    NWP 43. Stormwater Management Facilities. We are proposing to 
modify the sentence that states that the maintenance of stormwater 
management facilities that are determined to be waste treatment systems 
under 33 CFR 328.3(a)(8) generally does not require a section 404 
permit. That provision in the Corps' regulations refers to the waste 
treatment exclusion in the 1986 definition of ``waters of the United 
States,'' which appears in the last paragraph of Sec.  328.3(a) in the 
1986 final rule (see 51 FR 41250). We are proposing to change the 
reference to 33 CFR 328.3(a)(8) that was in the text of the 2012 NWP 43 
to ``33 CFR 328.3(b)(6)'' because under the 2015 final rule amending 
the definition of ``waters of the United States'' that exclusion 
applies to ``[s]tormwater control features constructed to convey, 
treat, or stormwater that are created in dry land'' We are proposing to 
remove the word ``generally'' from this sentence, because under the 
2015 final rule defining ``waters of the United States,'' there are no 
exceptions to the exclusions in 33 CFR 328.3(b) (see the first sentence 
of Sec.  328.3(b)).
    NWP 44. Mining Activities. We are proposing changes to the terms of 
this NWP to clarify the application of the \1/2\-acre limit for losses 
of waters of the United States. The mining activities authorized by 
this NWP often involve impacts to open waters, such as the mining of 
sand and gravel from large rivers. Paragraph (a) of the proposed 
modification states that the loss of non-tidal wetlands cannot exceed 
\1/2\-acre. Paragraph (b) states that the mined area in open non-tidal 
waters cannot exceed \1/2\-acre. Paragraph (c) limits the total impacts 
under paragraphs (a) and (b) to \1/2\-acre. In other words, if the 
proposed mining activity involves discharges of dredged or fill 
material into both vegetated non-tidal wetlands and open waters, the 
acreage loss of non-tidal wetlands plus the acreage of open waters 
excavated (or dredged, if the mining activity occurs in non-tidal 
navigable waters of the United States) cannot exceed \1/2\-acre. This 
modification will provide further assurance that this NWP will only

[[Page 35202]]

authorize activities with no more than minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse environmental effects. This NWP also limits the loss 
of stream bed to 300 linear feet, unless for intermittent and ephemeral 
streams the district engineer issues a waiver after coordinating with 
the agencies and making a written determination that the proposed 
activity will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of non-tidal waters of the United States, plus the 
loss of stream bed, cannot exceed \1/2\-acre.
    NWP 45. Repair of Uplands Damaged by Discrete Events. To provide 
flexibility in the use of this NWP after major flood events or other 
natural disasters, we are proposing to modify the PCN requirement to 
allow district engineers to waive the 12-month deadline for submitting 
PCNs. The district engineer can waive the 12-month deadline if the 
prospective permittee can demonstrate funding, contract, or similar 
delays. Such delays can occur after major storm events if the entities 
responsible for making decisions regarding disbursement of funds or 
issuing contracts are short-staffed or receive more requests than can 
be handled in a timely manner.
    NWP 48. Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Activities. We are 
proposing to modify this NWP to clarify that it authorizes new and 
continuing commercial shellfish aquaculture operations in authorized 
project areas. We are proposing to define the project area as the area 
in which the operator is authorized to conduct commercial shellfish 
aquaculture activities during the period the NWP is in effect. Those 
areas can be identified through leases or permits issued by an 
appropriate state or local government agency, a treaty, or any other 
easement, lease, deed, contract, or other legally-binding agreement 
which establishes an enforceable property interest for an operator. 
Legally-binding agreements can include agreements between operators to 
conduct shellfish aquaculture on various parcels within project areas 
in which they have the requisite interests. The proposed changes 
recognize that in some areas of the country, state or local 
authorizations are not required for commercial shellfish aquaculture 
activities if the subtidal or intertidal lands are privately owned. In 
addition, we are proposing to define a ``new commercial shellfish 
aquaculture operation'' as an operation in a project area where 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities have not been conducted 
during the past 100 years.
    In addition, we are proposing changes to this NWP to do a better 
job of taking into account the dynamic nature of commercial shellfish 
aquaculture activities and to further streamline the authorization 
process. During the effective period of this NWP, an operator may 
change the species cultivated in the project area. An operator may also 
utilize only certain areas in the project area, and allow other areas 
within the project area to be fallow. If a PCN is required for the 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activity, either because of the PCN 
thresholds in the text of the NWP, the requirements of general 
condition 18, or other general conditions or regional conditions, a PCN 
only needs to be submitted once during the period this NWP is in 
effect. The one-time PCN would identify the species expected to be 
cultivated during the period the 2017 NWP 48 is in effect, and identify 
the entire project area, including active and fallow areas. If 
unanticipated changes to the commercial shellfish operation need to 
occur during this period, and those changes involve activities 
regulated by the Corps, the operator should contact the Corps district 
to request a modification of the NWP verification, instead of 
submitting another PCN.
    For the purposes of NWP 48, the project area is not limited to 
those areas where active commercial shellfish activities are presently 
occurring. The project area includes all areas in which the operator is 
authorized to conduct commercial shellfish aquaculture activities, as 
identified through a lease or permit issued by an appropriate state or 
local government agency, a treaty, or any other easement, lease, deed, 
contract, or other legally-binding agreement which establishes an 
enforceable property interest for the operator. The project area also 
includes fallow areas, as long as the fallow areas are included in the 
areas identified in the lease, permit, or other applicable document or 
agreement.
    The information in a PCN must describe, in general terms, the 
expected plan of operation for the commercial shellfish aquaculture 
activity during the period this NWP is in effect. The PCN must list the 
species expected to be cultivated during the time frame the 2017 NWP 48 
authorization is in effect, as well as the area(s) expected to be used 
for cultivation during that period.
    We are also proposing to modify the pre-construction notification 
requirements for this NWP. We are proposing to remove the PCN 
requirement for dredge harvesting, tilling, or harrowing conducted in 
areas inhabited by submerged aquatic vegetation. We are proposing this 
modification because of the recognition in numerous studies and reports 
that have shown that vigorous populations of shellfish and submerged 
aquatic vegetation can coexist in coastal waters (e.g., Dumbauld and 
McCoy 2015; Tallis et al. 2009) In addition, both submerged aquatic 
vegetation beds and oyster beds provide habitat for a wide variety of 
fish and invertebrate species (Hosack et al. 2006). The presence of 
submerged aquatic vegetation should not prevent the use of NWP 48 to 
authorize commercial shellfish aquaculture activities because available 
evidence indicates that both shellfish and submerged aquatic vegetation 
sustain vibrant populations in the same waterbody. If the commercial 
shellfish aquaculture activity might affect listed species or critical 
habitat, then a PCN is required under general condition 18, and the 
Corps will evaluate effects to submerged aquatic vegetation caused by 
the commercial shellfish aquaculture activity. For those on-going 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities that are covered by a 
currently valid programmatic biological opinion, programmatic informal 
consultation concurrence, or activity-specific biological opinion or 
informal consultation concurrence, the PCN should be expeditiously 
reviewed by the district engineer.
    We are also proposing to remove the notification requirement for 
changing from bottom culture to floating or suspended culture, because 
general condition 1 provides sufficient assurance that these activities 
will have no more than minimal adverse effects on navigation. A third 
modification to the PCN thresholds is to require PCNs for commercial 
shellfish aquaculture activities that will include species that have 
never been cultivated in the waterbody, instead of species that have 
not ``previously'' been cultivated in that waterbody. We believe the 
word ``never'' provides more clarity than the word ``previously.'' A 
fourth modification to the PCN requirements is to require PCNs for 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities proposed for areas that 
have not been used for those activities for the past 100 years, 
consistent with our proposed definition of ``new commercial shellfish 
aquaculture operations.''
    For NWP 48 activities that require PCNs, either because of the 
terms of NWP 48 or the requirements of general condition 18 or other 
general or regional conditions, we are proposing to require the PCN to 
identify all the species that the operator plans to cultivate during 
the period this NWP is in effect. We are

[[Page 35203]]

also proposing to require PCNs to state whether suspended cultivation 
techniques will be used, as well as information on the general water 
depths in the project area. A detailed survey of water depths is not 
required for a PCN.
    During the implementation of NWP 48, questions have been raised 
about the accumulation of sediment in tidal waterbodies where long 
lines slow water flows so that suspended sediments fall out of the 
water column, and whether that sediment accumulation is a regulated 
activity under section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Long lines are used 
in commercial shellfish aquaculture to grow oysters in the water 
column, as an alternative to bottom culture. Sediment accretion caused 
by long lines is not a discharge of dredged or fill material and is not 
regulated under section 404 of the Clean Water Act because the sediment 
accumulation is an indirect effect of the use of long lines. Section 
404 of the Clean Water Act requires permits for point sources 
discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, 
unless those activities are exempt from the requirement to obtain 
section 404 authorization. Sediment accretion caused by long lines is 
dispersed throughout the area those long lines are used, and there is 
no point source. With long lines, there is not a point source 
discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.
    NWP 51. Land-Based Renewable Energy Generation Facilities. We are 
proposing to split Note 1 of the 2012 NWP 51 into two notes. Note 1 
explains that utility lines constructed to transfer energy from the 
land-based renewable energy generation facility to a distribution 
system, regional grid, or other facility are general considered to be 
linear projects. Proposed Note 2 states that if the only activities 
that require DA authorization are utility line crossings or road 
crossings, those activities should be authorized by NWPs 12 and 14, 
respectively, if they satisfy the terms and conditions of those NWPs.
    Based on comments and questions from stakeholders, we are seeking 
comment on changing the PCN threshold in this NWP, which currently 
requires PCNs for all authorized activities. We are soliciting comment 
on whether changing the PCN threshold so that some NWP 51 activities 
can proceed without pre-construction notification would streamline the 
authorization process for regulated activities associated with land-
based renewable energy generation facilities while still ensuring that 
these activities have no more than minimal adverse environmental 
impacts. Comments should provide a recommended PCN threshold, such as 
losses of waters of the United States in excess of \1/10\-acre or \1/
4\-acre. Pre-construction notification would still be required for all 
activities that trigger the PCN requirements in general condition 18, 
endangered species, and general condition 20, historic properties.
    NWP 52. Water-Based Renewable Energy Generation Pilot Projects. 
During the period the 2012 NWPs have been in effect, we received a 
suggestion that this NWP also authorize floating solar energy 
generation facilities.
    In response to that suggestion, we are proposing to modify this NWP 
to include floating solar energy generation projects in navigable 
waters of the United States. A single water-based solar renewable 
energy unit can occupy a substantial area of navigable waters. We are 
proposing to limit the surface area of navigable waters covered by 
floating solar energy generation facilities to \1/2\-acre, but are 
seeking comment on whether a different limit would be more appropriate 
for such projects. The current 10-unit limit for water-based wind 
turbines and hydrokinetic generation units does not seem practical for 
floating solar generation facilities and for ensuring that adverse 
effects to navigation and other public interest review factors due to 
floating solar energy facilities are no more than minimal, individually 
and cumulatively.
    Please note that floating water-based solar energy generation 
facilities installed in open waters subject only to Clean Water Act 
section 404 jurisdiction do not require DA authorization unless there 
is an associated discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of 
the United States. Water-based solar energy generation facilities are 
structures floating on the water surface, and structures in section 
404-only waters that do not involve discharges of dredged or fill 
material do not require DA authorization.
    On December 22, 2014, the Corps issued guidance clarifying the 
circumstances when hydrokinetic projects that require authorization 
from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) or DA 
authorization under Sections 9 and 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 
1899. That guidance concluded that hydrokinetic projects authorized by 
FERC under the Federal Power Act of 1920 do not require DA 
authorization under sections 9 or 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 
1899. Therefore, NWP 52 would only be used to authorize hydrokinetic 
projects in navigable waters that do not require FERC authorization. 
Nationwide permit 52 can be used to authorize water-based renewable 
energy generation facilities on the outer continental shelf, if those 
generation facilities require authorization under section 10 of the 
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. Section 4(f) of the Outer Continental 
Shelf Lands Act of 1953, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1333(e)) extended the 
Corps' section 10 authority over installations, artificial islands, and 
structures on the outer continental shelf (see 33 CFR 320.2(b) and 
322.3(b)).
    We are requesting comments on modifying this NWP to remove the 
terms that limited the 2012 NWP 52 to pilot projects. We are also 
seeking comment on limits of the number of permanent water-based 
renewable energy generation units that could authorized by this NWP, if 
the pilot project limitation is removed in the final NWP. As discussed 
above, we are also soliciting comment on acreage limits for water-based 
solar renewable energy generation projects.

Discussion of Proposed New Nationwide Permits

    During the period the 2012 NWPs were in effect, the Corps received 
a number of suggestions for changes to the NWPs, general conditions, 
and definitions. Suggested modifications of existing NWPs, general 
conditions, and definitions are discussed above. In response to those 
suggestions, we are proposing to issue two new NWPs to authorize two 
categories of activities: The removal of low-head dams and the 
construction and maintenance of living shorelines. Some low-head dam 
removals might have been authorized by NWP 27, if those dams were small 
dams located in headwater streams. However, most low-dam removal 
requires individual permit authorization because it is not covered by 
an NWP or regional general permit. The proposed NWP will facilitate the 
removal of low-head dams that are no longer being used for their 
intended purposes or are too costly to repair. The removal of low-head 
dams restores ecological processes in rivers and streams and enhances 
public safety.
    We are also proposing to issue a new NWP that authorizes the 
construction and maintenance of living shorelines. Many living 
shorelines require individual permit authorization, and some Corps 
districts have issued regional general permits to authorize different 
types of living shorelines. The proposed NWP will provide general 
permit authorization for the construction and maintenance of living 
shorelines, which will give landowners

[[Page 35204]]

a choice in how they can protect their property under erosion 
mitigation measures authorized by NWP. Bank stabilization activities 
are authorized by NWP 13 and if the proposed new NWP is issued, it will 
provide a similar streamlined authorization process as NWP 13. Both of 
these NWPs will result in decreased processing times and permit 
application costs associated with obtaining authorization under Section 
404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act 
of 1899.

Proposed NWP A. Removal of Low-Head Dams

    We are proposing to issue a new NWP to authorize structures and 
work in navigable waters of the United States, as well as associated 
discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United 
States, for the removal of low-head dams. One objective for removing 
such dams would be to restore rivers and streams by removing barriers 
that adversely affect ecological processes. Another objective would be 
to facilitate removal of these dams to enhance public safety because 
many low-head dams are old and poorly maintained, and are potential 
safety hazards. The proposed NWP will authorize activities that restore 
rivers and streams, and improve public safety. As discussed below, low-
head and other types of dams cause substantial disruption and 
degradation of the ecological functions performed by rivers and 
streams. Low-head dams also pose hazards to swimmers and paddlers. The 
proposed NWP would only authorize the removal of low-head dams. If the 
landowner or other entity wants to construct a replacement or new dam, 
he or she would have to obtain a separate Department of the Army 
authorization to construct a replacement or new dam into waters of the 
United States.
    A large number of low-head or run-of-the river dams were 
constructed in the United States during the past few centuries to 
increase water levels to provide water for towns and cities, and 
industries, as well as power (Tschantz and Wright 2011). Many of those 
dams were built in the 19th century, and are deteriorating or have been 
abandoned (Tschantz and Wright 2011). Many of these dams, especially 
the older dams, no longer serve an economic purpose (Born et al. 1998, 
Shuman 1995) and are in need of repair or replacement to comply with 
modern dam safety standards. Low-head dams present a safety hazard, and 
have been linked to hundreds of deaths since the 1960s (Tschantz 2014).
    Graf (1993) estimates there are more than 2,000,000 small dams in 
the United States, and many of these small dams are low-head dams. Many 
of these dams need to be replaced or repaired, and the replacement or 
repair costs are likely to be prohibitive for 90 percent of the dam 
owners (Shuman 1995). Dam removal may be the only practical economic 
alternative for protecting public safety and preventing economic losses 
if they cannot be repaired or replaced. There is also increasing 
interest in removing these dams to restore rivers and streams, and the 
ecological functions and services they provide (Born et al. 1998). 
There is also interest in removing these dams to protect public safety.
    Dams cause a number of adverse effects on rivers and streams, such 
altering river and stream hydrology, altering sediment transport 
through the riverine network, changing flooding regimes, fragmenting 
river and stream habitats, and blocking corridors for movement of fish 
and other aquatic organisms (Stanley and Doyle 2003, Poff and Hart 
2002). Dams also modify nutrient cycling processes in rivers and 
streams, change water temperatures, and alter the functioning of 
aquatic and riparian habitats (Poff and Hart 2002). Dams change the 
communities of aquatic organisms from riverine species that inhabit 
free-flowing waters to lacustrine species that prefer to live in lakes 
(Born et al. 1998). Dam removal helps reverse many of these adverse 
effects, and restore ecological functions performed by rivers and 
streams and their riparian habitats (O'Connor et al. 2015, Stanley and 
Doyle 2003, Gregory et al. 2002, Bednarek 2001)
    Dams can be classified in a number of ways. One approach to 
classifying dams is an operational or functional definition: Run-of-the 
river dams versus storage dams (Poff and Hart 2002). Run-of-the river 
dams have small hydraulic heads and storage volumes, short residence 
times, and there is little or no control of the rates at which water is 
released from the dams (Poff and Hart 2002) because the water is 
allowed to flow over the dam structure (Csiki and Rhoads 2014). Storage 
dams have large hydraulic heads and storage volumes, long hydraulic 
residence times, and there is control over water releases from the dams 
(Poff and Hart 2002).
    Another approach is to classify dams as large or small, based on 
designated thresholds of dam height and storage capacity. For example, 
the National Inventory of Dams considers large dams as having high 
hazard potential or dams with low hazard potential that are either (1) 
more than 7.6 meters (25 feet) tall with a storage capacity more than 
18,500 cubic meters (653,000 cubic feet), or (2) more than 1.8 meters 
(6 feet) tall with a storage capacity greater than 61,700 cubic meters 
(2,367,000 cubic feet) (Poff and Hart 2002). Dams classified these 
three ways listed above can vary considerably in size (Poff and Hart 
2002). Dams may be considered ``small'' if they do not meet or exceed 
the criteria for large dams under the National Inventory of Dams (e.g., 
Fencl et al. 2015, Stanley et al. 2002). Dam height is not a good 
indicator of the storage capacity of a dam because the storage capacity 
also depends on the shapes of the stream channel and the valley in 
which the stream is located, and the lateral extent of the dam 
structure.
    The National Inventory of Dams is a congressionally authorized 
automated information system that catalogues dams in the United States 
and its territories. The current National Inventory of Dams was 
published in 2013, and it includes information on 87,000 dams that are 
more than 25 feet high, can store more than 50 acre-feet of water, or 
are considered a significant hazard if they were to fail. The National 
Inventory of Dams is maintained and published by the Corps along with 
the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, the states and 
territories, and Federal agencies that regulate dams. Additional 
information on the National Inventory of Dams is available at: https://www.agc.army.mil/Media/FactSheets/FactSheetArticleView/tabid/11913/Article/480923/national-inventory-of-dams.aspx (accessed April 6, 
2016).
    Run-of-the river dams usually are not higher than the channel banks 
of the rivers and streams in which they are located (Csiki and Rhoads 
2014). Low-head dams are considered run-of-the-river dams (Tschantz and 
Wright 2011). Tschantz and Wright (2011) define low-head dams as dams 
that pass water over the entire dam structure, and were constructed to 
raise the water level and provide a source of water for industry, 
municipal water supply, irrigation, recreation, and to protect utility 
lines. Low-head dams pass peak flows and are unlikely to hold fine 
sediment or alter downstream water flows (Poff and Hart 2002, Csiki and 
Rhoads 2014). They have little effect on downstream hydrologic regimes 
(Doyle et al. 2005).
    For the purposes of this NWP, we are proposing to define a ``low-
head dam'' as ``a dam built across a stream to pass flows from upstream 
over the entire width of the dam crest on an uncontrolled basis.'' For 
this NWP, we are proposing to adapt the definition of ``low-head'' dam 
from Tschantz and Wright (2011) because dams that meet

[[Page 35205]]

that definition store low volumes of sediment, and therefore sediment 
releases during low-head dam removal will be more likely to be small 
and result in no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. 
Sediment releases from dam removal are less of a problem for low-head 
dams and dams in wide valleys, because there is not much sediment 
stored behind those dams (Gregory et al. 2002). During high flows, 
sediment from the impounded area upstream of the low-head dam is 
transported over the dam structure, thus preventing the impoundment 
from filling with sediment (Fencl et al. 2015, Csiki and Rhoads 2014). 
Because low-head dams do not store large amounts of sediment and low-
head dams continue to allow sediment transport through the impoundment, 
they are not likely to be storing contaminants at levels greater than 
the levels of contaminants transported along the stream network through 
normal runoff and sediment transport processes (Poff and Hart 2002). 
Contaminants usually adhere to fine sediments (i.e., silts, clays) that 
are more readily transported through the stream network in the 
suspended sediment load. Low-head dams continue to allow that sediment 
transport to continue because the water that passes over the crest of 
the low-head dam carries those fine sediments in suspension. Csiki and 
Rhoads (2014) found that sediments stored in run-of-the-river dams turn 
over rapidly because they are regularly flushed out of the impoundment 
during high flow events. Therefore, low-head dams are likely to be 
storing little sediment laden with contaminants.
    We are soliciting comment on alternative approaches to defining 
``low-head dams'' for the purposes of this NWP. Alternative approaches 
may define low-head dams in terms of maximum dam heights or reservoir 
volumes. Commenters suggesting other definitions of low-head dams for 
use with this NWP should explain how their recommended definitions will 
be more effective than the proposed definition in helping ensure that 
NWP A only authorizes those low-head dam removals that result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects. Those recommendations should cite scientific studies or 
reviews in support of those suggested definitions.
    Recent reviews and studies have shown that rivers and streams 
recover quickly after dam removal (e.g., O'Connor et al. 2015, Lovett 
2014, Doyle et al. 2005, Stanley et al. 2002). The rate of recovery is 
dependent on dam size, river size, river channel shape, sediment 
volume, and sediment grain size (O'Connor et al. 2015). Sediment 
released as a result of dam removal are redistributed throughout the 
downstream segments within months (O'Connor et al. 2015). Different 
groups of aquatic organisms recover at different rates following dam 
removal (Doyle et al. 2005, Stanley and Doyle 2003). Dam removal should 
be viewed in the trade-offs that occur (Stanley and Doyle 2003). There 
are substantial long-term beneficial ecological outcomes from dam 
removal (e.g., restored river flows, habitat connectivity, temperature 
regimes, sediment transport, and migration corridors) and some short-
term adverse effects (e.g., sediment releases, increased turbidity, and 
the potential release of contaminated sediments) (Bednarek 2001).
    The proposed NWP will also facilitate the removal of old, 
deteriorating low-head dams that present threats to public safety. Low-
head dams are hazardous to kayakers, canoeists, and others that engage 
in water-borne recreational activities and try to cross the crests of 
these dams. These dams can create a reverse roller wave at the base of 
the downstream side of the dam, and cause fatalities through drowning.
    The release of sediments from dams, either through their operation 
or the removal of dam structures, may or may not result in a discharge 
of dredged or fill material, as those terms are defined at 33 CFR 
323.2. Csiki and Rhoads (2014) concluded that there should be less 
concern about sediment management when removing run-of-the-river dams 
because of the minor sediment volumes stored by such dams. The 
determination of whether a regulated discharge occurs from such 
sediment releases is made on a case-by-case basis. Regulatory Guidance 
Letter 05-04, issued by the Corps on August 19, 2005, provides guidance 
on when sediment releases from dam breaches require DA authorization 
under section 404 of the Clean Water Act. District engineers will use 
the information provided in that Regulatory Guidance Letter when 
evaluating PCNs. When evaluating PCNs, district engineers will also 
consider whether there is a need to test sediment that might be stored 
in the impoundment for contaminants, based on a ``reason to believe'' 
approach similar to the EPA's inland testing manual for dredged 
material. If the district engineer determines that the release of 
sediments associated with the removal of a low-head dam results in a 
discharge of dredged or fill material, this NWP would authorize that 
discharge. The effects of those sediment releases will diminish over 
time, as the sediment is transported downstream by the flowing water.
    Nationwide permit 27 authorizes the installation, removal, and 
maintenance of small water control structures, dikes, and berms to 
restore or enhance streams and other types of aquatic resources. Small 
water control structures include small dams, and small in-stream dams 
are typically limited to headwater streams. While DA authorization to 
remove some low-head dams could be provided by NWP 27, the proposed new 
NWP would authorize the removal of larger low-head dams, including low-
head dams located below the headwaters, that are not authorized by NWP 
27. The proposed NWP would authorize the removal of low-head dams 
regardless of stream size or the location in the stream network in a 
watershed, as long as the district engineer determines, after reviewing 
a PCN, that the proposed low-head dam removal activity will result in 
no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects.
    We are seeking comments on this proposed new NWP, including its 
terms and conditions, such as the definition of ``low-head dam.'' In 
response to a PCN, the district engineer may impose activity-specific 
conditions on an NWP verification to ensure that the adverse 
environmental effects of the authorized activity are no more than 
minimal or exercise discretionary authority to require exercise 
discretionary authority to require an individual permit for the 
proposed activity.

Proposed NWP B. Living Shorelines

    We are proposing to issue a new NWP to authorize structures and 
work in navigable waters of the United States, and discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, for the 
construction and maintenance of living shorelines. While some 
activities associated with living shorelines can be authorized by NWPs 
13 and 27, the construction of living shorelines often requires 
individual permits because the structures, work, and fills may not fall 
within the terms and conditions of those NWPs. These activities often 
require substantial amount of fill discharged into jurisdictional 
waters and wetlands to achieve appropriate grades to dissipate wave 
energy, as well as sills or breakwaters to protect the marsh fringe 
that helps maintain the grade of the substrate. Living shorelines may 
also alter intertidal and subtidal habitats utilized by endangered or 
threatened species, and PCNs for this NWP will be evaluated by district 
engineers to determine if ESA Section 7 consultation

[[Page 35206]]

is required to comply with general condition 18.
    Living shorelines maintain the continuity of natural land-water 
interface and provide ecological benefits which hard bank stabilization 
structures do not, such as improved water quality, resilience to 
storms, and habitat for fish and wildlife.
    We are proposing a separate NWP to authorize the construction and 
maintenance of living shorelines to provide an efficient mechanism for 
authorizing these types of projects when they have no more than minimal 
adverse environmental effects. The current and proposed NWP 13 is an 
important tool for authorizing a variety of bank stabilization 
techniques to help protect private and public property and 
infrastructure. Both NWP 13 and proposed NWP B provide options for 
implementing the Corps' regulations relating to considerations of 
property ownership, especially 33 CFR 320.4(g). Section 320.4(g)(2) 
states that a landowner has the ``general right to protect property 
from erosion'' and that ``applications to erect protective structures 
will usually receive favorable consideration.''
    Living shorelines are designed for erosion control and also sustain 
habitat functions along a shoreline, resulting in minimal environmental 
effects on a coastline. Living shorelines provide ecosystem services to 
society, shoreline stabilization, storm attenuation, food production, 
nutrient and sediment removal, water quality improvement and carbon 
sequestration (Barbier et al. 2011). The vegetation and fish 
utilization in constructed marsh sill can mirror that of nearby natural 
marshes in just a few growing seasons (Currin et al. 2008; Gittman et 
al. 2016). Even narrow marshes, like a frequent component of living 
shoreline designs, have been shown to slow waves and reduce shoreline 
erosion. It must be noted, shorelines are dynamic environments and the 
core function of stabilization is not static, but changes over time.
    In 2007, the National Research Council (NRC) issued a report 
entitled: ``Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts.'' \3\ One 
of the findings in that report was that the lack of a general permit to 
authorize living shorelines is one of a few factors that discourages 
the use of that erosion control technique in sheltered coasts. Other 
studies have made similar findings. The 2007 NRC study and other 
reports acknowledge that living shorelines are not practical or 
feasible in all coastal environments. Living shorelines work best in 
sheltered coasts, which are defined in the 2007 NRC report as 
shorelines that front smaller bodies of water, and are not subject to 
the high energy erosive forces that occur along open coasts. Additional 
information on living shorelines is available from the Systems Approach 
to Geomorphic Engineering Group (SAGE), in a publication entitled 
``Natural and Structural Measures for Shoreline Stabilization.'' \4\ In 
2015, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued 
guidance on living shorelines.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Available at https://www.nap.edu/read/11764/.
    \4\ Available at: https://sagecoast.org/ (accessed February 4, 
2016).
    \5\ Available at: https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/pdf/noaa_guidance_for_considering_the_use_of_living_shorelines_2015.pdf 
(accessed February 5, 2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Coastal environments fall along a continuum, and there is no 
quantifiable measure to identify a sheltered coast. Therefore, judgment 
must be used to determine whether a particular segment of the shoreline 
is a sheltered coast where the use of living shorelines to manage 
erosion will likely be practical and effective. According to the 2007 
NRC report, sheltered coasts are typically found in estuaries, bays, 
lagoons, and coastal deltas.
    Depending on site conditions, these areas exhibit a variety of 
geomorphic features, such as upland bluffs, dunes, beaches, tidal 
flats, and sand bars. In sheltered coasts, the distance to the opposite 
shore (i.e., fetch) is generally small, and water depths are usually 
shallow. These coastal areas are usually subject to low velocity tidal 
currents and low- or medium-energy waves. In general, the larger the 
fetch the higher the level of protection needed to reduce erosion and 
to protect the property.
    Living shorelines are generally limited to lower energy, sheltered 
estuarine waters rather than open estuarine waters and marine waters 
with higher energy waves and currents. Living shorelines are also used 
in the Great Lakes, and this proposed NWP would also authorize the 
construction and maintenance of living shorelines in these waters and 
other lakes. In lower energy shorelines, sills or breakwaters can 
provide protection to fringe marshes landward of those structures, but 
in higher energy coastal environments, wave energy can bypass those 
structures and erode the substrate, resulting in the loss of the marsh 
fringe. The combination of a constructed or enhanced marsh fringe with 
protective sills or breakwaters can help maintain a more natural 
shoreline and provide more ecological functions and services than 
hardening shorelines to reduce erosion. Another living shoreline 
approach is to construct short, low-profile, sand containment 
structures perpendicular to the shoreline, place sand between the low-
profile sand containment structures, grade the sand to the proper slope 
to dissipate wave energy, and plant marsh vegetation in the sand to 
establish or improve a fringe marsh to reduce erosion. This design 
approach allows organisms more access to and from the intertidal zone 
than living shorelines constructed with stone sills.
    Sills are structures placed in the water outside the seaward edge 
of a tidal marsh fringe. Sills can be constructed with stone or other 
materials (e.g. oyster, oyster shell bags, coir fiber logs, coir with 
mussels, etc.) and protect the existing or planted marsh fringe by 
reducing wave action and erosion. The sill should be the minimum size 
necessary to protect the marsh fringe. Sills should have breaks to 
allow aquatic animals to move between the open water and the marsh 
fringe. Breakwaters are structures consisting of stone or other 
materials that are constructed offshore to reduce the energy of waves 
reaching the shoreline, and protect the marsh vegetation planted or 
recruited along the shore. Breakwaters may be detached from, or 
attached to, the shoreline.
    ``Living shoreline'' is a broad term that encompasses a range of 
shoreline stabilization techniques along estuarine coasts, bays, 
sheltered coastlines, and tributaries. A living shoreline has a 
footprint that is made up mostly of native material. It incorporates 
vegetation or other living, natural ``soft'' elements alone or in 
combination with some type of harder shoreline structure (e.g. oyster 
reefs or rock sills) for added stability. Living shorelines are 
designed for erosion control and also sustain habitat function along a 
shoreline, resulting in minimal environmental effects on a coastline. 
Living shorelines provide ecosystem services to society, shoreline 
stabilization, storm attenuation, food production, nutrient and 
sediment removal, water quality improvement and carbon sequestration. 
The vegetation and fish utilization in constructed marsh sill can 
mirror that of nearby natural marshes in just a few growing seasons. 
Even narrow marshes--like a frequent component of living shoreline 
designs--have been shown to slow waves and reduce shoreline erosion. It 
should be noted that shorelines are dynamic environments and the core 
function of stabilization is not static, but changes over time.

[[Page 35207]]

    We are seeking comment on the proposal to limit the placement of 
structures and fills to within 30 feet of the mean high water line or 
ordinary high water mark. Please note that the proposed 30 foot limit 
is not a design standard. It is merely intended to establish a limit 
above which a written waiver from the district engineer is required to 
obtain NWP authorization. The proposed 30-foot limit was derived by 
examining some of the literature on the design living shorelines, 
especially those living shorelines that involve the planting of a marsh 
fringe with and without sills or other types of protective structures. 
Sand fills are often needed to establish a grade along the shore that 
will dissipate wave energy and provide appropriate elevations for the 
planting of marsh grasses that will further reduce wave energy. A 
typical grade for sand fills for planted tidal marsh fringe ranges from 
8:1 to 10:1 (Hardaway et al. 2010). According to the Maryland 
Department of the Environment (MDE), marsh establishment projects for 
shore protection are typically 20 to 25 feet wide and additional 
encroachment into the water would be needed if sills or other 
structures are necessary to protect the marsh (MDE 2008). In mid-energy 
wave environments, wetland marshes need to be around 40 to 70 feet wide 
with armor stone to protect the marsh (Hardaway et al. 2010).
    Based on our review of available information on design 
specifications for living shorelines, we determined that 30 feet is a 
moderate encroachment that could authorize a large proportion of living 
shorelines with no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. We 
are seeking comments on the proposed 30-foot limit, and welcome 
suggestions for different limits as long as the commenter provides 
supporting data or other information for his or her proposed limit. We 
are also proposing to allow district engineers to waive this 30 foot 
limit, if they make a written determination concluding that the 
proposed activity will result in only minimal adverse environmental 
effects after coordinating the PCNs with the agencies. The project 
proponent must submit a PCN before a waiver can be issued by the 
district engineer, and if the district engineer does not provide a 
written verification authorizing the waiver, then the proposed activity 
does not qualify for NWP authorization.
    The design and construction of living shorelines are dependent on 
site-specific conditions. This NWP is intended to provide flexibility 
to authorize living shorelines in a variety of environmental settings, 
as long as discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States and structures and work in navigable waters are minimized 
to the maximum extent practicable. If the district engineer does not 
provide a written response within 45-days of receipt of a complete PCN, 
and general conditions 18 and 20 do not apply, a default authorization 
does not occur for an NWP activity that requires a written waiver from 
the district engineer. Commenters are encouraged to suggest other 
limits, and provide a rationale for a recommended alternative limit. We 
are also soliciting comments on whether district engineers should have 
the authority to waive this 30-foot limit, if in response to a PCN the 
district engineer can issue a written waiver based on a site-specific 
evaluation and a written finding that the proposed living shoreline 
will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. 
There are nine criteria used by the Corps to determine whether a 
proposed NWP activity will result in no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects are listed in paragraph 2 of Section D, 
``District Engineer's Decision.''
    We are also seeking comment on the other proposed terms of this 
NWP, as well as the proposed pre-construction notification thresholds. 
We are proposing to require PCNs for any proposed construction of 
living shorelines. However, for maintenance and repair activities, pre-
construction notification would not be required, unless a PCN is 
necessary under an applicable NWP general condition or regional 
conditions imposed by division engineers. For example, maintenance and 
repair activities conducted by non-federal permittees that might affect 
a species listed under the Endangered Species Act would require pre-
construction notification (see general condition 18).
    For activities that require PCNs, district engineers will review 
those proposed activities, and make site-specific determinations 
whether the proposed activities will result in no more than minimal 
individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. Division 
engineers can add regional conditions to this NWP to address 
environmental concerns and other public interest review factors at a 
regional level.

Discussion of Proposed Modifications to Nationwide Permit General 
Conditions

    GC 12. Soil Erosion and Sediment Controls. To clarify the 
application of this general condition in tidal waters, we are proposing 
to modify the last sentence to encourage permittees to conduct work 
during low tides to reduce soil erosion and sediment transport during 
construction activities in waters subject to the ebb and flow of the 
tide.
    GC 16. Wild and Scenic Rivers. We are proposing to modify this 
general condition to require pre-construction notification for any NWP 
activity that will occur in a component of the National Wild and Scenic 
River System, or in a river officially designated by Congress as a 
``study river'' for possible inclusion in the system while the river is 
in an official study status. Section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act requires Federal agencies that issue permits or licenses for water 
resources projects to coordinate with the Federal agency with direct 
management responsibility for that river. Water resources projects, for 
the purposes of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, include activities that 
require Department of the Army permits under Section 404 of the Clean 
Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. 
District engineers will coordinate PCNs for those NWP activities that 
have the potential to adversely affect Wild and Scenic Rivers or study 
rivers. The managing Federal agency with direct management 
responsibility for that river will issue a determination with its 
findings on the proposed NWP activity's effects on the applicable 
characteristics of the Wild and Scenic River or study river. There are 
different standards for activities that are within the corridors of 
these Wild and Scenic Rivers and activities that are outside of those 
river corridors.
    For the purposes of section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic River Act, 
there are processes for evaluating water resources projects within a 
Wild and Scenic River corridor and for evaluating water resources 
projects outside a Wild and Scenic River corridor. For activities 
within a Wild and Scenic River's ordinary high water marks (i.e., the 
activity is below the ordinary high water mark), the Federal agency 
with direct management responsibility for that river applies a ``direct 
and adverse effect'' standard. For an activity located in a river's 
ordinary high water marks upstream, downstream, or on a tributary to a 
Wild and Scenic River (i.e., ``outside'' the Wild and Scenic River 
corridor), the Federal agency with direct management responsibility for 
that river evaluates whether the proposed activity will ``invade the 
area or unreasonably diminish'' the Wild and Scenic River. After the 
Federal agency with direct management responsibility for that river 
makes its determination, it will transmit that determination to the 
Corps district.

[[Page 35208]]

    If the Federal agency makes a written determination that the 
proposed NWP activity will not have a direct and adverse effect on the 
values that resulted in the designation of that Wild and Scenic River 
or study river, the district engineer will issue the NWP verification 
as long as the proposed NWP activity complies with all other applicable 
terms and conditions. If the Federal agency with direct management 
responsibility for that river finds that the proposed NWP activity will 
have a direct and adverse effect on the Wild and Scenic River or study 
river, it may recommend measures to eliminate those adverse effects. If 
the prospective permittee modifies the proposed NWP activity to adopt 
those recommended measures, the district engineer will coordinate the 
revised PCN with the Federal agency, and then decide whether to issue 
the NWP verification.
    District engineers are encouraged to work out local procedures with 
Federal agencies with direct management responsibility over Wild and 
Scenic Rivers and study rivers in their geographic areas of 
responsibility. Regional conditions may also be added to the NWPs by 
division engineers to help potential users of the NWPs understand when 
PCNs need to be submitted to district engineers to comply with this 
general condition.
    GC 18. Endangered Species. We are proposing to modify the first 
paragraph of this general condition to define the terms ``direct 
effects'' and ``indirect effects.'' We are proposing to use definitions 
from FWS and NMFS regulations and guidance to define these terms for 
general condition 18, to assist with compliance with this general 
condition. We are proposing to define ``direct effects'' as ``the 
immediate effects on listed species and critical habitat caused by the 
proposed NWP activity.'' We are proposing to define ``indirect 
effects'' as ``those effects on listed species and critical habitat 
that are caused by the proposed NWP activity and are later in time, but 
still are reasonably certain to occur.'' The definition of ``direct 
effects'' is adapted from the FWS and NMFS's 1998 Endangered Species 
Consultation Handbook (page 4-25) because that term is not defined in 
their section 7 regulations. The definition of ``indirect effects'' is 
adapted from the FWS and NMFS's section 7 regulations at 50 CFR 402.02.
    The implementing regulations for ESA section 7 require Federal 
agencies to consult with the FWS and/or NMFS on any Federal action that 
``may affect'' listed species or critical habitat. The Federal action 
is the activity that is authorized, funded, or carried out, in whole or 
in part, by that agency. To determine if ESA section 7 consultation is 
required, the Federal agency evaluates whether its action will directly 
or indirectly affect listed species or critical habitat.
    The term ``minimal adverse environmental effect'' used for the 
purposes of the NWPs has a different meaning and regulatory application 
than the term ``may affect,'' when that term is used for implementing 
section 7 of the ESA. The former term is the threshold for determining 
whether a regulated activity qualifies for NWP authorization. The 
latter term is used to determine when section 7 consultation is 
required for a Federal action, such as an activity that may be 
authorized by an NWP. For the purposes of the NWPs, ESA section 7 
consultation is required for NWP activities that may affect listed 
species or critical habitat. Either formal or informal consultation may 
be conducted to comply with the requirements of ESA section 7.
    General condition 18 requires a non-federal permittee to submit a 
pre-construction notification to the district engineer if any listed 
species or designated critical habitat might be affected or is in the 
vicinity of the project. The term ``in the vicinity'' cannot be 
explicitly defined for the purposes of general condition 18 because the 
``vicinity'' is dependent on a variety of factors, such as species 
distribution, ecology, life history, mobility, and migratory patterns 
(if applicable), as well as habitat characteristics and species 
sensitivity to various environmental components and potential 
stressors. The vicinity is also dependent on the NWP activity and the 
types of direct and indirect effects that might be caused by that NWP 
activity.
    During formal consultation, ESA section 7 and its implementing 
regulations require the FWS and NMFS to consider in their biological 
opinions the direct and indirect effects of the Federal action, as well 
as the effects of any interrelated or interdependent actions. The FWS 
and NMFS also consider cumulative effects, as that term is defined in 
50 CFR 402.02. Interrelated and interdependent activities are not 
Federal actions, because they are not authorized, funded, or carried 
out by the Federal agency. In many instances, the action that triggers 
the ESA section 7 consultation requirement (e.g., a discharge of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States that requires 
Corps authorization and may affect a listed species or critical 
habitat) is a component of a larger overall project, and the biological 
opinion also considers the effects of the interrelated and 
interdependent activities on listed species and critical habitat. Those 
interrelated and interdependent activities are outside of the 
jurisdiction of the Corps. Including interrelated and interdependent 
activities in a formal ESA Section 7 consultation and biological 
opinion does not grant the Corps any authority to regulate those 
activities and their effects on listed species and critical habitat. 
The FWS and NMFS would be responsible for enforcing those provisions of 
the incidental take statement that apply to the upland activities 
outside of the Corps' jurisdiction.
    We are proposing to modify paragraph (b) of this general condition 
to clarify that Federal agencies only need to submit documentation of 
compliance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when the 
terms and conditions of the NWP, or regional conditions imposed by the 
division engineer, require the submission of a PCN. The NWP regulations 
at 33 CFR 330.4(f)(1) do not require Federal permittees to submit PCNs 
if the proposed NWP activity does not otherwise require a PCN. Under 
section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act, all Federal agencies are 
obligated to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize the continued 
existence of listed species or destroy or adversely modify critical 
habitat. Therefore, Federal agencies have their own obligations to 
conduct section 7 consultations to ensure that their actions are not 
likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or 
result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated 
critical habitat. Activities authorized by NWP are usually a component 
of a larger overall Federal agency action. The federal agency is 
responsible for ensuring that its overall action, plus any NWP 
activities that authorize components of their larger overall action, 
comply with ESA section 7. When a Federal permittee conducts formal 
section 7 consultation, the FWS and NMFS will consider the direct and 
indirect effects of that Federal agency's action, plus the effects 
caused by interrelated and interdependent activities. The overall 
action subject to formal section 7 consultation should include those 
activities for which the Federal permittee is seeking NWP 
authorization.
    It is not the Corps' responsibility to make sure that other Federal 
agencies are fulfilling their obligations under section 7 of the ESA. 
The FWS and NMFS can work with the federal agency if they have concerns 
about that Federal

[[Page 35209]]

agency's compliance with ESA section 7 for a particular Federal action. 
The proposed change to this paragraph is also consistent with 33 CFR 
330.4(f)(1), which states that for the purposes of the NWP Program, 
Federal agencies should follow their own procedures for complying with 
ESA section 7. There should not need to be two section 7 consultations 
for the same Federal action, when another Federal agency's larger 
action includes an activity for which they are seeking NWP 
authorization.
    We are also proposing to modify paragraph (d) of this general 
condition to clarify that the district engineer may add activity-
specific conditions to an NWP authorization after conducting formal or 
informal ESA section 7 consultation. The 2012 version of this general 
condition referred to regional conditions, which are approved by 
division engineers to modify one or more NWPs in a region. Regional 
conditions are imposed within a Corps district, state, watershed, or 
other type of geographic area. Most ESA section 7 consultations done 
for the purposes of general condition 18 are activity-specific 
consultations, and therefore it would be more appropriate for this 
paragraph to refer to conditions added to specific NWP authorizations. 
Division engineers can impose regional conditions on the NWPs to help 
protect listed species and designated critical habitat. Regional 
conditions are usually identified through coordination with the FWS or 
NMFS instead of formal or informal consultations.
    We are also proposing to update the URLs for the Web sites 
maintained by the FWS and NMFS where information on endangered and 
threatened species and designated critical habitats can be obtained.
    GC 19. Migratory Birds and Bald and Golden Eagles. We are proposing 
to modify this general condition to state that the permittee is 
responsible for ensuring that his or her action complies with the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, 
instead of stating that the permittee is responsible for obtaining any 
``take'' permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There may be 
situations where such ``take'' permits are not required and compliance 
with these acts may be achieved through other means.
    GC 20. Historic Properties. Parallel with the proposed 
modifications of paragraph (b) of general condition 18, we are also 
proposing to modify paragraph (b) of general condition 20 to state that 
federal permittees only need to submit documentation of their 
compliance with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(NHPA) if the proposed NWP activity requires pre-construction 
notification because of other terms and conditions, including regional 
conditions imposed by division engineers. Federal agencies are 
responsible for complying with the requirements of NHPA section 106. 
Activities undertaken by other federal agencies that might qualify for 
NWP authorization are usually parts of a larger overall action and 
include other activities that not regulated by the Corps. If a State 
Historic Preservation Officer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, or 
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation have concerns about the 
federal agency's compliance with section 106, they can work with the 
federal agency conducting the larger overall undertaking.
    GC 23. Mitigation. We are proposing to modify the opening paragraph 
of this general condition and paragraph (b) to clarify that mitigation 
can be required by district engineers to ensure that activities 
authorized by NWPs will result in no more than minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse environmental effects. The NWP regulations at 33 CFR 
330.1(e)(3) state that district engineer first reviews the PCN to 
determine whether the proposed NWP activity will result in more than 
minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. If the 
district engineer determines the adverse environmental effects of the 
proposed NWP activity will be more than minimal, he or she will notify 
the applicant of two options: (1) The applicant can apply for an 
individual permit, or (2) the applicant can prepare a mitigation 
proposal to reduce the adverse environmental effects so that they are 
no more than minimal. If the applicant chooses the latter option, the 
district engineer will review the mitigation proposal and if it is 
sufficient to ensure the proposed NWP activity will result in no more 
than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects, 
he or she will issue an NWP verification with conditions stating the 
mitigation requirements.
    We are proposing to modify paragraph (d) to state that compensatory 
mitigation for stream losses should be provided through rehabilitation, 
enhancement, or preservation. This will make paragraph (d) consistent 
with 33 CFR 332.3(e)(3), which states that streams are difficult-to-
replace resources. Compensatory mitigation projects for streams should 
focus on actions that improve or protect the ecological functions 
provided by existing streams. The proposed modification uses the word 
``should'' and if a particular stream restoration project involves re-
establishment of the stream, and would have a high likelihood of 
resulting in the restoration of stream functions and services, then 
that stream re-establishment project could be determined by the 
district engineer to be an acceptable compensatory mitigation project 
for an NWP activity.
    In paragraph (e), we are proposing to modify the first sentence to 
state that compensatory mitigation provided through riparian areas can 
be accomplished by restoration, enhancement, or preservation of those 
areas. An existing stream would have had a riparian area at some time 
in the past, so we are deleting establishment as a compensatory 
mitigation mechanism. If the riparian area was removed, re-establishing 
that riparian area is a restoration action. We are proposing to modify 
the second sentence of this paragraph to state that restored riparian 
areas should consist of native species. If the compensatory mitigation 
project involves replanting the riparian area, then native plant 
species should be used. If an intact riparian area already exists, and 
that riparian area is already providing important ecological functions 
and services, then that riparian area should be preserved through site 
protection mechanisms. Clearing trees from a well-established, 
functioning riparian area to remove individual trees because they are 
non-native, in most cases, can do more harm than good. Clearing trees 
disturbs the soil and makes it more susceptible to erosion, and it will 
take years for the newly planted vegetation to develop into trees. 
During the time it takes the riparian area to develop and recover, 
important ecological functions are likely to be reduced or absent.
    In the 2012 version of general condition 23, the requirement to 
comply with the applicable provisions of the Corps' compensatory 
mitigation regulations at 33 CFR part 332 is in the paragraph 
addressing wetland mitigation. Because the Corps' compensatory 
mitigation regulations at 33 CFR part 332 apply to all types of aquatic 
resources, including streams, we are proposing to move those 
requirements to a new separate paragraph (paragraph (f)).
    We are proposing to modify paragraph (f)(1) to state that if the 
district engineer determines compensatory mitigation is required for 
the proposed NWP activity, the preferred mechanism for providing 
compensatory mitigation is either mitigation bank credits or in-lieu 
credits. This proposed modification is consistent with the 2008 
mitigation rule,

[[Page 35210]]

specifically 33 CFR 332.3(b). That section of the 2008 mitigation rule 
establishes a hierarchical framework for considering compensatory 
mitigation options for DA permits. Mitigation banks are a preferred 
mechanism for providing compensatory mitigation because they 
``typically involve larger, more ecologically valuable parcels, and 
more rigorous scientific and technical analysis, planning and 
implementation than permittee-responsible mitigation.'' (33 CFR 
332.3(b)(2)). In-lieu fee programs are preferable to permittee-
responsible mitigation because in-lieu fee projects typically involve 
``larger, more ecologically valuable parcels, and more rigorous 
scientific and technical analysis, planning and implementation than 
permittee-responsible mitigation.'' (33 CFR 332.3(b)(3)). In addition, 
in-lieu fee programs are required to implement compensation planning 
frameworks to identify and address high-priority resource needs on a 
watershed scale. If the district engineer determines that compensatory 
mitigation is necessary to ensure an NWP activity results in no more 
than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects, 
and the appropriate number and type of mitigation bank credits or in-
lieu fee program credits are not available, then the district engineer 
will require the applicant to submit a permittee-responsible mitigation 
plan for the district engineer's review.
    In October 2015, the Corps' Institute for Water Resources released 
a report entitled: ``The Mitigation Rule Retrospective: A Review of the 
2008 Regulations Governing Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of 
Aquatic Resources'' (Report number 2015-R-03). A copy of this report is 
available at: https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Media/NewsStories/tabid/11418/Article/626925/iwr-releases-the-mitigation-rule-retrospective-a-review-of-the-2008-regulations.aspx. The report examines Corps permit 
data and compensatory mitigation requirements for the period of 2010 to 
2014. The report also looks at the number of approved mitigation banks 
and in-lieu fee programs under the 2008 mitigation rule. The report 
uses data from the Corps Regulatory Program's automated information 
system, ORM, and the Regulatory In-Lieu Fee and Bank Information System 
(RIBITS).
    During the five-year period examined in the mitigation rule 
retrospective, 31% of the individual permits issued by Corps districts 
required compensatory mitigation and 8% of the activities verified as 
qualifying for general permit authorization required compensatory 
mitigation. Ten percent of the NWP verifications issued from 2010 to 
2014 required compensatory mitigation. The Corps' regulations have 
different thresholds for requiring compensatory mitigation for 
individual permits and general permits. The threshold for requiring 
compensatory mitigation for individual permits is found at 33 CFR 
320.4(r), which was not changed by the 2008 mitigation rule (see 33 CFR 
332.1(b)). The threshold for requiring compensatory mitigation for NWP 
activities is described in 33 CFR 330.1(e)(3), which was promulgated in 
1991 and was not affected by the issuance of the 2008 mitigation rule. 
Regional general permits issued by Corps districts use a threshold 
similar to the compensatory mitigation threshold for the NWP program. 
Compensatory mitigation is required for NWPs and other general permits 
when necessary to ensure that the authorized activities result in no 
more than minimal adverse environmental effects.
    The report also examined the effectiveness of the Corps Regulatory 
Program in minimizing impacts to jurisdictional waters and wetlands 
(see figure 5 of the report). For individual permits and general 
permits, 89% of the authorized impacts to jurisdictional waters and 
wetlands were less than \1/2\-acre, and 70% of the permitted impacts to 
jurisdictional waters and wetlands were less than \1/10\-acre. The 
authorized impacts shown in that chart include both permanent and 
temporary impacts to jurisdictional waters and wetlands. Those data 
show that project proponents design their projects to reduce those 
impacts to qualify for NWP authorization. They also minimize wetland 
losses so that they are less than \1/10\-acre, below the threshold in 
paragraph (c) of general condition 23 for requiring compensatory 
mitigation for wetland losses.
    The mitigation rule retrospective also demonstrates the increased 
use of mitigation bank credits and in-lieu fee program credits to 
fulfill compensatory mitigation requirements in individual permits and 
general permit verifications. This increased use occurs as a result of 
more mitigation banks and in-lieu fee programs getting approved under 
the 2008 mitigation rule and more credits becoming available. 
Concurrent with this increased use of mitigation bank credits and in-
lieu fee program credits, there has been a decrease in the use of 
permittee-responsible mitigation to fulfill compensatory mitigation 
requirements.
    The report also includes charts showing the service areas of 
approved mitigation banks and in-lieu fee program credits, where those 
credits might be available for providing compensatory mitigation for 
NWP activities and activities authorized by other types of Corps 
permits. Most of the approved mitigation banks provide wetland credits, 
some mitigation banks provide stream credits, and a number of 
mitigation banks provide both wetland and stream credits. There are 
some approved mitigation banks that provide credits for losses of other 
types of aquatic resources, and those mitigation banks are relatively 
rare. However, given the increased availability of mitigation banks and 
in-lieu fee program credits in much of the country, we are proposing to 
modify paragraph (f)(1) of general condition 23 to establish a 
preference for the use of those credits to comply with compensatory 
mitigation requirements imposed by district engineers to ensure that 
NWP activities result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative 
adverse environmental effects. The use of mitigation bank credits and 
in-lieu fee program credits is also beneficial to permittees because it 
reduces the amount of time needed to evaluate a PCN. If an applicant 
proposes permittee-responsible mitigation to fulfill the compensatory 
mitigation requirements in an NWP verification, more time is needed for 
Corps district staff to evaluate the proposed mitigation plan and 
ensure that it complies with all applicable requirements in 33 CFR 
332.1 through 332.7. Permittee-responsible mitigation could be used to 
fulfill the compensatory mitigation requirements for NWP activities, if 
the appropriate amount and type of mitigation bank or in-lieu fee 
program credits are not available at the time the NWP verification 
decision is being made, or if the district engineer determines, after 
applying the criteria at 33 CFR 332.3(a) and (b), that permittee-
responsible mitigation would be acceptable for offsetting the losses 
caused by a particular NWP activity.
    In addition, we are proposing to modify paragraph (i) to make it 
clear that compensatory mitigation to offset losses of specific 
functions of jurisdictional waters and wetlands should only be required 
by district engineers when those losses are caused by regulated 
activities. For example, removing vegetation in a utility line right-
of-way in jurisdictional wetlands by using techniques that do not 
result in a discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States does not require DA authorization. Consistent with the 
Corps' mitigation policy at 33 CFR 320.4(r), compensatory mitigation 
should only be required for impacts

[[Page 35211]]

directly related to the activity that requires DA authorization.
    The Corps is seeking public comment on ways to improve how 
compensatory mitigation conducted under the NWP program is implemented 
to offset direct, indirect, and cumulative effects. The Corps is 
particularly interested in factors which District Engineers would 
consider for deciding when and how much mitigation may be necessary and 
what additional information could be considered to help inform their 
mitigation decisions.
    GC 30. Compliance Certification. We are proposing to modify this 
general condition to add a timeframe for submitting the completed 
certification document. The completed certification should be sent to 
the district engineer within 30 days of completing the authorized 
activity or the completion of the implementation of any required 
compensatory mitigation. We are referring to the implementation of the 
required compensatory mitigation, instead of the successful completion 
of compensatory mitigation. For permittee-responsible mitigation, it 
may be years before the required compensatory mitigation is determined 
to be ecologically successful, because the monitoring period is a 
minimum of five years (see 33 CFR 332.6(b)). When credits from 
mitigation banks or in-lieu fee programs are used to fulfill the 
compensatory mitigation requirements of NWP activities, implementation 
refers to securing those credits from the sponsor of the mitigation 
bank or in-lieu fee program. The Corps district should be notified, 
through the compliance certification, when the required aquatic 
resources restoration, enhancement, establishment, or preservation 
activity has taken place. After the compensatory mitigation project has 
been implemented, the district engineer will review monitoring reports 
to ensure that the required compensatory mitigation is fulfilling its 
objectives and offsetting the authorized impacts.
    GC 31. Activities Affecting Structures or Works Built by the United 
States. Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 
408) authorizes the Secretary of the Army to grant permission for the 
alteration or occupation or use of structures or works built by the 
United States (i.e., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers federally authorized 
Civil Works projects) if the Secretary determines that the activity 
will not be injurious to the public interest and will not impair the 
usefulness of that project. The authority to issue these section 408 
permissions has been delegated to Corps Headquarters, Corps divisions, 
or Corps districts depending on the case-specific circumstances for a 
408 permission request. Some of these activities also require 
authorization under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 
10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and may be eligible for one 
or more NWPs.
    On July 31, 2014, the Corps issued Engineer Circular 1165-2-216, 
which provides policy and procedural guidance for evaluating requests 
for section 408 permissions. The Engineer Circular also states that 
district engineers cannot make decisions on requests for Clean Water 
Act section 404 or Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 section 10 
authorizations prior to the Corps making decisions on section 408 
requests. In addition, 33 CFR 330.4(b)(5) states that ``NWPs do not 
authorize interference with any existing or proposed Federal project.'' 
That provision of the NWP regulations means that no activity that would 
alter or temporarily or permanently occupy or use a Corps federal 
project is authorized by NWP until a required section 408 permission is 
granted.
    The text of 33 CFR part 330.4(b)(5) has been incorporated in the 
text of the NWPs since 2000 (see 65 FR 12818 at 12897, March 9, 2000). 
To provide additional clarity and ensure that no activity potentially 
authorized by NWP can go forward until the project proponent receives a 
required section 408 permission to alter or occupy structures or works 
built by the United States, we are proposing to add a new general 
condition. The new general condition states that a proposed NWP 
activity that also needs section 408 permission requires submission of 
a PCN and is not authorized by NWP until the district engineer issues a 
written NWP verification. The district engineer will not issue a 
written NWP verification until after the 408 permission has been 
granted, or the Corps determines that section 408 permission is not 
required for a particular activity.
    Additional information on the section 408 permission process and 
the timing of the issuance of authorizations by Regulatory Program 
offices is provided in Engineer Circular 1165-2-216, which is available 
at: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Section408.aspx.
    GC 32. Pre-Construction Notification. We are proposing to modify 
paragraph (b) by adding a new paragraph (b)(2) to state that the PCN 
should identify the specific NWP(s) the project proponent wants to use 
to authorize the proposed activity. Some activities that require DA 
authorization may be authorized by more than one NWP, and project 
proponents can choose to seek authorization under the NWP or NWPs that 
most readily authorizes that activity. For example, one NWP might have 
been issued WQC by the state while another NWP that could authorize the 
same activity might have WQC denied by the state and thus require an 
individual WQC. Consistent with the Corps Regulatory Program Standard 
Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in 2009, districts should evaluate 
permit applications using the least extensive and time consuming review 
process (see page 9 of the SOP). When an applicant requests 
authorization under a specific NWP, then the district should evaluate 
the PCN for that particular NWP.
    In addition, we are proposing to modify paragraph (b)(4) to require 
a description of mitigation measures the applicant intends to use to 
reduce adverse environmental effects caused by the proposed activity. 
Such mitigation measures can include on-site avoidance and minimization 
measures. This change is intended to add efficiency to the PCN review 
process. Identifying these mitigation measures up-front in the PCN can 
help reduce the amount of time district engineers take to reach 
decisions on whether to issue NWP verifications.
    For linear projects, we are proposing to change paragraph (b)(4) to 
make it clear that the PCN should identify all crossings of waters of 
the United States that require DA authorization. Since the 1991 NWPs 
were issued, the notification general condition has required the 
prospective permittee to identify in the PCN ``any other NWPs, regional 
general permit(s), or individual permit(s) used or intended to be used 
to authorize any part of the proposed project or any related activity'' 
(see 56 FR 59145). This provision has been present in the 
``notification'' general condition for all the subsequent reissuances 
of the NWPs. This requirement includes crossings of waters of the 
United States authorized by non-reporting NWPs, but does not include 
crossings of waters of the United States that do not require DA 
authorization, such as utility line crossings accomplished by 
directional drilling below section 404-only waters, where there is no 
discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. 
We are also proposing to modify paragraph (b)(4) to require, for linear 
projects, that the PCN include the quantity of proposed losses of 
waters of the United States for each single and complete crossing of 
those waters. Each separate and distance crossing of waters of the 
United States may be eligible for separate NWP authorization, subject 
to

[[Page 35212]]

the discretion of the district engineer and compliance with 33 CFR 
330.6(d).
    In paragraphs (b)(7) and (8) of this general condition, we are 
proposing to make changes consistent with the proposed changes to 
paragraph (c) of general conditions 18 and 20. These changes will also 
be consistent with 33 CFR 330.4(f)(2) and (g)(2). The requirement to 
submit PCNs for proposed NWP activities that might affect listed 
species or critical habitat under the ESA or have the potential to 
cause effects to historic properties is limited to non-federal 
permittees. Federal permittees are responsible for following their own 
procedures for complying with ESA section 7 and NHPA section 106 (see 
33 CFR 330.4(f)(1) and (g)(1), respectively).
    We are proposing to add paragraph (b)(9) to require the PCN to 
include a statement from the project proponent confirming that he or 
she has submitted a written request for a section 408 permission, if 
the proposed NWP activity will alter or occupy structures or works 
built by the United States. This proposed new paragraph will help 
implement the proposed new general condition 31.
    To provide flexibility in the submittal of PCNs and supporting 
information, we are proposing to modify paragraph (c) of this general 
condition to state that applicants may submit PCNs and supporting 
information as electronic files. Corps districts should make it clear 
on their Regulatory home pages how prospective users of the NWPs can 
submit electronic files of PCNs and supporting information.
    In paragraph (d), agency coordination, we are proposing to 
restructure the text so that there are separate subparagraphs 
explaining when agency coordination is required and the procedures for 
agency coordination. We are proposing to require agency coordination 
for PCNs for proposed NWP 13 activities where the applicants request 
waivers for one or more of limits of NWP 13 that can be waived with a 
written activity-specific determination of no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects. In paragraph (d)(2), we are also proposing to 
remove the requirement for agency coordination for all NWP 48 
activities that require pre-construction notification. The majority of 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities authorized by NWP 48 are 
on-going operations. We do not believe it is necessary to do agency 
coordination each time these on-going activities are re-authorized by 
NWP 48. Since NWP 48 has been used for almost 10 years, we do not 
believe it is necessary to require agency coordination for other 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities authorized by NWP 48. Corps 
districts can work out agreements with regional or local offices of the 
resource agencies if they determine that agency coordination would help 
provide them with information to help make the no more than minimal 
adverse environmental effects determination for NWP 48 activities. In 
addition, Corps districts conduct activity-specific ESA section 7 or 
Essential Fish Habitat consultations when proposed NWP 48 activities 
may affect listed species or critical habitat, or may adversely affect 
Essential Fish Habitat, unless there are regional programmatic 
consultations that apply to these activities. These section 7 and EFH 
consultations can also result in exchanges of information from the FWS 
and/or NMFS that district engineers can use to make their decisions on 
NWP 48 PCNs.

Discussion of Proposed Modifications to Section D, ``District 
Engineer's Decision''

    We are proposing to modify paragraph 1 to state that if an 
applicant requests authorization under one or more specific NWPs, the 
district engineer should issue the verification letter for those NWPs, 
unless he or she exercises discretionary authority to require an 
individual permit. The district engineer would exercise discretionary 
authority in cases where the adverse environmental effects would be 
more than minimal after considering options for appropriate and 
practicable avoidance, minimization, and compensatory mitigation. The 
revised text in paragraph 1 refers to the terms of the NWPs. That is, 
the text of the specific NWP. The word ``terms'' is defined at 33 CFR 
330.2(h) as: ``the limitations and provisions included in the 
description of the NWP itself.'' The general conditions are the same 
for all NWPs, so it is the text of the NWP that usually determines 
eligibility for NWP authorization. An exception is when the division 
engineer has imposed regional conditions that further restrict a 
particular NWP so that a proposed activity does not qualify for 
authorization by that NWP.
    We are proposing to modify paragraph 2 to clarify that a condition 
assessment can also be used to help determine whether a proposed 
activity will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. In the second sentence of paragraph 3, we are proposing to 
change the text to state that applicants may also propose compensatory 
mitigation to offset impacts to other types of waters, such as streams. 
In the following sentence, we are proposing to clarify that mitigation 
measures other than compensatory mitigation may also be used to ensure 
that a proposed NWP activity results in no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects.
    In paragraph 4, we are proposing to clarify that the 45-day PCN 
review period may be extended if general conditions 18, 20, and/or 31 
apply and additional time is needed to complete ESA section 7 
consultation, NHPA section 106 consultation, or for the Corps to make a 
decision on a request for section 408 permission. The proposed change 
to this sentence also includes NWPs 21, 49, and 50, because regulated 
activities are not authorized by these NWPs until written verifications 
are issued by district engineers.

Further Information

    In item 5, we are proposing to add a cross-reference to proposed 
new general condition 31. If the Corps issues a section 408 permission, 
then the NWP activity would not be considered as interfering with the 
federal project.

Discussion of Proposed Modifications to Existing Nationwide Permit 
Definitions

    We are proposing changes to some of the NWP definitions. If a 
definition is not discussed below, we are not proposing any substantive 
changes to that definition.
    We received one suggestion to define ``temporary.'' We believe that 
district engineers should have the discretion to determine on a case-
by-case basis what constitutes a temporary impact versus a permanent 
impact. The length of time to consider an impact to be ``temporary'' 
depends on a variety of factors, including how soon the temporary 
structures and fills need to be removed after construction has been 
completed. In some cases they might need to be removed shortly after 
construction is completed. In other cases more time might be necessary 
to allow the completed structures and fills to stabilize prior to 
removing any temporary structures or fills. The appropriate length of 
time would depend on various factors, such as resource type, 
hydrodynamics, soils, geology, plant communities, and season. Providing 
a national definition of ``temporary'' would be less protective of the 
environment because it would constrain local decision making. For 
example, if the authorized structure or fill is not allowed sufficient 
time to stabilize, it may collapse or be washed away after the 
temporary structures or fills are removed.

[[Page 35213]]

    Discharge. We are proposing to modify this definition to make it 
clear that the use of the term ``discharge'' in the NWPs refers to 
``discharges of dredged or fill material'' and not to discharges of 
other types of pollutants. Point source discharges of other types of 
pollutants are regulated under section 402 of the Clean Water Act.
    Loss of waters of the United States. We are proposing to modify 
this definition to clarify that loss of stream bed can be measured by 
area (e.g., acres, square feet) or by linear feet. For the NWPs that 
authorize discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States that result in the loss of stream bed through filling or 
excavation, specified limits may be expressed in acres, linear feet, or 
both. For example, NWP 12 has a \1/2\-acre limit. NWPs 21, 29, 39, 40, 
42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52 have both \1/2\-acre limits and 300 linear 
foot limits for losses of stream bed. For those 10 NWPs, the loss of 
intermittent or ephemeral stream bed can be waived upon a written 
determination by the district engineer after he or she coordinates the 
PCN with the resource agencies, as long as the total loss of waters of 
the United States, including losses of stream bed, does not exceed \1/
2\-acre.
    The Corps Regulatory Program tracks authorized impacts and required 
compensatory mitigation for all permit actions, including NWP 
verifications, in its national database (ORM). For each individual 
permit decision and general permit verification, Corps district project 
managers are required to record in ORM the initial proposed impacts, 
the proposed impacts, and the authorized impacts to jurisdictional 
waters and wetlands. Most of the impacts are entered as acres, and 
Corps district project managers also have the option of entering 
impacts in linear feet. The amount of proposed and required 
compensatory mitigation may be entered as acres or linear feet, or as 
the number of mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program credits. The units 
of measure used for recording amounts of impacts and compensatory 
mitigation at the discretion of the Corps district project manager. In 
many cases, Corps district project managers enter both acres and linear 
feet for impacts and compensatory mitigation. Using different units of 
measure for recording impacts and compensatory mitigation makes it 
difficult to produce summary data at national and regional levels, and 
results in double counting if both acres and linear feet are recorded 
for a particular authorized impact or compensatory mitigation 
requirement. A uniform metric such as acres is a critical tool for 
clear and consistent reporting of the Corps Regulatory Program's 
contribution to protecting the Nation's waters and wetlands.
    When a discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States authorized by a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit 
occurs, or when structures or work in navigable waters of the United 
States authorized by a Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 Section 10 permit 
occur, an area of jurisdictional waters and wetlands is affected. 
Compensatory mitigation projects restore, enhance, establish, or 
preserve areas of wetlands and waters. The use of linear feet as a 
metric for quantifying impacts to wetlands and waters or gains of 
wetlands and waters through compensatory mitigation projects is 
misleading. Consider, for example, potential impacts to a 300 linear 
foot segment of a stream that has a mean width of 20 feet. If the 
project proponent requests an NWP verification to do bank stabilization 
along one of the banks of that stream segment, and the fill discharged 
into the stream has a mean width of 3 feet, then the acreage of the 
proposed impact to the stream bed is 0.02 acre. As another example, if 
the project proponent requests NWP authorization to fill the entire 300 
linear foot segment of stream, then the proposed impacts to that 20-
foot wide stream bed would be 0.14 acre, or seven times the acreage 
impact for that same 300 linear feet of stream if only a 3-foot wide 
area of that stream were to be filled along those 300 linear feet. 
Quantifying stream bed impacts as acres results in more accurate 
reporting on the impacts of activities authorized by Corps permits on 
streams and other types of waters.
    For some purposes, measuring losses of stream bed in linear feet 
provides a useful approach for ensuring no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects by limiting the length of stream bed that can be 
filled or excavated, below the acreage limit for that NWP. Some of the 
NWPs have linear foot limits (e.g., 300 linear feet) that can be waived 
for losses of intermittent and ephemeral streams if a district engineer 
makes a written determination that the proposed activity will result in 
no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects. Those NWPs that have a linear foot limit for losses of stream 
bed that can be waived are still subject to the \1/2\-acre limit for 
losses of waters of the United States. The \1/2\-acre limit cannot be 
waived.
    The \1/2\-acre limit imposes a cap on waivers of the 300 linear 
foot limit for losses of intermittent and ephemeral stream bed, to 
ensure those losses result in no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects. For example, for an ephemeral stream bed that 
has a mean width of 20 feet, no more than 1,089 linear feet of that 
ephemeral stream could be filled or excavated because of the 1/2-acre 
limit. For a waiver of the 300 linear foot limit to occur, the district 
engineer must first coordinate the PCN with the agencies, in accordance 
with the procedures in paragraph (d) of general condition 32. After 
conducting this agency coordination, the district engineer must make a 
written determination whether the proposed activity will result in no 
more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental 
effects, after considering the factors in paragraph 2 of Section D, 
District Engineer's Decision. The district engineer may require 
compensatory mitigation or other forms of mitigation to ensure no more 
than minimal adverse environmental effects. After conducting agency 
coordination, the district engineer might also determine that the 
proposed activity will result in more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects and exercise discretionary authority to require 
an individual permit, which would involve a public notice and comment 
process and the preparation of site-specific environmental 
documentation.
    We are also proposing to clarify that losses of waters of the 
United States calculated for purposes of determining NWP eligibility 
are limited to losses caused by activities that require Department of 
the Army (DA) authorization. Activities that do not require DA 
authorization, such as activities eligible for Clean Water Act section 
404(f) exemptions or the cutting of vegetation from jurisdictional 
wetlands that do not involve discharges of dredged or fill material, 
are not considered when calculating losses of waters of the United 
States.
    Ordinary high water mark. We are proposing to change the regulation 
citation in this definition to 33 CFR 328.3(c)(6) to be consistent with 
the 2015 revisions to the definition of ``waters of the United States'' 
in 33 CFR part 328, as published in the June 29, 2015 issue of the 
Federal Register.
    Riparian areas. We are proposing to change the word ``adjacent'' to 
``next'' in the first sentence of this definition because riparian 
areas border rivers, streams, and other bodies of water.
    Tidal wetland. We are proposing to change the regulation citations 
in this definition to 33 CFR 328.3(c)(4) (defining wetlands) and 33 CFR 
328.3(d) (defining tidal waters) to be consistent

[[Page 35214]]

with the 2015 revisions to the definition of ``waters of the United 
States'' in 33 CFR part 328, as published in the June 29, 2015 issue of 
the Federal Register.

Administrative Requirements

Plain Language

    In compliance with the principles in the President's Memorandum of 
June 1, 1998, (63 FR 31885, June 10, 1998) regarding plain language, 
this preamble is written using plain language. The use of ``we'' in 
this notice refers to the Corps. We have also used the active voice, 
short sentences, and common everyday terms except for necessary 
technical terms.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The paperwork burden associated with the NWP relates exclusively to 
the preparation of the PCN. While different NWPs require that different 
information be included in a PCN, the Corps estimates that a PCN takes, 
on average, 11 hours to complete. The proposed NWPs would increase the 
total paperwork burden associated with this program but decrease the 
net burden on the public. This is due to the fact that there is new 
paperwork burden associated with the inclusion of two new NWP (both of 
which have PCN requirements). Since, however, this time would otherwise 
be spent on completing an individual permit application, which we 
estimate also takes, on average, 11 hours to complete, the net effect 
on the public is zero.
    The only real change to the public's paperwork burden from this 
proposal is a decrease due primarily to a modification to the PCN 
requirements for NWPs 33 and 48 and, to a lesser extent, a minor 
increase associated with the minor changes we are proposing to the 
content required for a complete PCN (see paragraph (b) of general 
condition 32).
    Specifically, we anticipate a reduction in paperwork burden from 
the proposal to require PCNs only for NWP 33 activities in section 10 
waters. There will also be a paperwork reduction because of the 
proposed change to the PCN thresholds for NWP 48, by eliminating the 
requirement to submit a PCN for dredged harvesting, tilling, or 
harrowing in areas inhabited by submerged aquatic vegetation. We 
estimate that the proposed changes to NWP 33 would result in 210 fewer 
PCNs, with an estimated reduction of paperwork burden of 2,310 hours. 
The proposed changes to the PCN thresholds for NWP 48 are expected to 
result in a reduction of 50 PCNs per year in waters where there are no 
listed species or critical habitat that would otherwise trigger the 
requirement to submit PCNs because of general condition 18. We estimate 
that 50 fewer PCNs will be required for NWP 48 activities, with a 
reduction of paperwork burden of 550 hours. Therefore, the estimated 
net change in paperwork burden for this proposed rule is an increase of 
385 hours per year. Prospective permittees who are required to submit a 
PCN for a particular NWP, or who are requesting verification that a 
particular activity qualifies for NWP authorization, may use the 
current standard Department of the Army permit application form.
    The following table summarizes the projected changes in paperwork 
burden for two alternatives relative to the paperwork burden under the 
2012 NWPs. The first alternative is this proposal to reissue 50 NWPs 
and issue two new NWPs. The second alternative would result if NWPs are 
not issued and reissued and regulated entities would have to obtain 
standard individual permits to comply with the permit requirements of 
section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899. The 286 standard individual permits included in 
the row for the 2012 NWPs represent the standard individual permits 
that would be required for activities that would be authorized by the 
proposed changes to NWPs 3, 13, 45, and 51 and the two proposed NWPs 
(NWPs A and B). The estimated five activities that would require 
authorization by standard individual permit under the proposed 2017 
NWPs represent surface coal mining activities that were authorized by 
paragraph (a) of the 2012 NWP 21 that will not be completed before the 
2012 NWP expires and would thus require standard individual permits to 
complete the surface coal mining activity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                             Estimated
                                                                           Number of NWP                                    changes in       Estimated
                                                           Number of NWP  activities not  Number of SIPs     Estimated     number of NWP    changes in
                                                           PCNs per year  requiring PCNs     per year     changes in NWP  activities not  number of SIPs
                                                                             per year                      PCNs per year  requiring PCNs     per year
                                                                                                                             per year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 NWPs...............................................          31,555          31,415             281  ..............  ..............  ..............
Proposed 2017 NWPs......................................          31,490          31,636               5             -60            +246            -281
SIPs required if NWPs not reissued......................               0               0          49,556  ..............  ..............  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. 
For the Corps Regulatory Program under section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and section 
103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, the 
current OMB approval number for information collection requirements is 
maintained by the Corps of Engineers (OMB approval number 0710-0003, 
which is currently under review by OMB).
    We request comments on the following subjects:
     Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper functioning of the Corps, including whether the information will 
have practical utility;
     The accuracy of the Corps' estimate of the burden of 
collecting the information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
     The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
     How to minimize the information collection burden on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology.
    We are also seeking comment on the standard form PCN, including its 
quality, utility, clarity, and ways to minimize its burden. There will 
be a separate Federal Register notice soliciting comment on that NWP 
PCN form.
    If you want to comment on the information collection requirements 
of this proposed rule, please send your comments directly to OMB, with 
a copy to the Corps, as directed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
preamble. Please identify your comments with ``OMB Control Number 0710-
XXXX.''

[[Page 35215]]

OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information contained in this proposed rule between 30 to 60 days after 
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a 
comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it by July 1, 2016.

Executive Order 12866

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), we must 
determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant'' and 
therefore subject to review by OMB and the requirements of the 
Executive Order. The Executive Order defines ``significant regulatory 
action'' as one that is likely to result in a rule that may:
    (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the 
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public 
health or safety, or State, local, or Tribal governments or 
communities;
    (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, 
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    Pursuant to the terms of Executive Order 12866, we have determined 
under item (4) that the proposed rule is a ``significant regulatory 
action'' and the draft proposed rule was submitted to OMB for review.

Executive Order 13132

    Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August 
10, 1999), requires the Corps to develop an accountable process to 
ensure ``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in 
the development of regulatory policies that have federalism 
implications.'' The proposed issuance and modification of NWPs does not 
have federalism implications. We do not believe that the proposed NWPs 
will have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship 
between the federal government and the States, or on the distribution 
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. 
The proposed NWPs will not impose any additional substantive 
obligations on State or local governments. Therefore, Executive Order 
13132 does not apply to this proposal.

Regulatory Flexibility Act, as Amended by the Small Business Regulatory 
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act generally requires an agency to 
prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to 
notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative 
Procedure Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies that the 
proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Small entities include small 
businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
    For purposes of assessing the impacts of the proposed issuance and 
modification of NWPs on small entities, a small entity is defined as: 
(1) A small business based on Small Business Administration size 
standards; (2) a small governmental jurisdiction that is a government 
of a city, county, town, school district, or special district with a 
population of less than 50,000; or (3) a small organization that is any 
not-for-profit enterprise which is independently owned and operated and 
is not dominant in its field.
    The statues under which the Corps issues, reissues, or modifies 
nationwide permits are Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 
1344(e)) and section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 
U.S.C. 403). Under section 404, Department of the Army (DA) permits are 
required for discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States. Under section 10, DA permits are required for any 
structures or other work that affect the course, location, or condition 
of navigable waters of the United States. Small entities proposing to 
discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States 
and/or conduct work in navigable waters of the United States must 
obtain DA permits to conduct those activities, unless a particular 
activity is exempt from those permit requirements. Individual permits 
and general permits can be issued by the Corps to satisfy the permit 
requirements of these two statutes. Nationwide permits are a form of 
general permit issued by the Chief of Engineers.
    Nationwide permits automatically expire and become null and void if 
they are not modified or reissued within five years of their effective 
date (see 33 CFR 330.6(b)). Furthermore, section 404(e) of the Clean 
Water Act states that general permits, including NWPs, can be issued 
for no more than five years. If the current NWPs are not reissued, they 
will expire on March 18, 2017, and small entities and other project 
proponents would be required to obtain alternative forms of DA permits 
(i.e., standard permits, letters of permission, or regional general 
permits) for activities involving discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States or structures or work in 
navigable waters of the United States. Regional general permits that 
authorize similar activities as the NWPs may be available in some 
geographic areas, but small entities conducting regulated activities 
outside those geographic areas would have to obtain individual permits 
for activities that require DA permits.
    When compared to the compliance costs for individual permits, most 
of the terms and conditions of the proposed NWPs are expected to result 
in decreases in the costs of complying with the permit requirements of 
sections 10 and 404. The anticipated decrease in compliance cost 
results from the lower cost of obtaining NWP authorization instead of 
standard permits. Unlike standard permits, NWPs authorize activities 
without the requirement for public notice and comment on each proposed 
activity.
    Another requirement of section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act is 
that general permits, including nationwide permits, authorize only 
those activities that result in no more than minimal adverse 
environmental effects, individually and cumulatively. The terms and 
conditions of the NWPs, such as acreage or linear foot limits, are 
imposed to ensure that the NWPs authorize only those activities that 
result in no more than minimal adverse effects on the aquatic 
environment and other public interest review factors.
    After considering the economic impacts of the proposed nationwide 
permits on small entities, I certify that this action will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small 
entities may obtain required DA authorizations through the NWPs, in 
cases where there are applicable NWPs authorizing those activities and 
the proposed work will result in only minimal adverse effects on the 
aquatic environment and other public interest review factors. The terms 
and conditions of the revised NWPs will not impose substantially higher 
costs on small entities than those of the existing NWPs. If an NWP is 
not available to authorize a particular activity, then another form of 
DA authorization, such as an individual permit or regional general 
permit, must be secured. However, as noted above, we expect a slight to 
moderate increase in the number of activities than can be authorized 
through NWPs, because we

[[Page 35216]]

are proposing to issue two new NWPs. Because those activities required 
authorization through other forms of DA authorization (e.g., individual 
permits or regional general permits) we expect a concurrent decrease in 
the numbers of individual permit and regional general permit 
authorizations required for these activities.
    We are interested in the potential impacts of the proposed NWPs on 
small entities and welcome comments on issues related to such impacts.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public 
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, the 
agencies generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-
benefit analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``federal 
mandates'' that may result in expenditures to State, local, and Tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year. Before promulgating a rule for which a 
written statement is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires 
the agencies to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory 
alternatives and adopt the least costly, most cost-effective, or least 
burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule. The 
provisions of section 205 do not apply when they are inconsistent with 
applicable law. Moreover, section 205 allows an agency to adopt an 
alternative other than the least costly, most cost-effective, or least 
burdensome alternative if the agency publishes with the final rule an 
explanation why that alternative was not adopted. Before an agency 
establishes any regulatory requirements that may significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments, including Tribal governments, it 
must have developed, under section 203 of the UMRA, a small government 
agency plan. The plan must provide for notifying potentially affected 
small governments, enabling officials of affected small governments to 
have meaningful and timely input in the development of regulatory 
proposals with significant federal intergovernmental mandates, and 
informing, educating, and advising small governments on compliance with 
the regulatory requirements.
    We have determined that the proposed NWPs do not contain a federal 
mandate that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more for 
State, local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or the private 
sector in any one year. The proposed NWPs are generally consistent with 
current agency practice, do not impose new substantive requirements and 
therefore do not contain a federal mandate that may result in 
expenditures of $100 million or more for State, local, and Tribal 
governments, in the aggregate, or the private sector in any one year. 
Therefore, this proposal is not subject to the requirements of sections 
202 and 205 of the UMRA. For the same reasons, we have determined that 
the proposed NWPs contain no regulatory requirements that might 
significantly or uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, the 
proposed issuance and modification of NWPs is not subject to the 
requirements of section 203 of UMRA.

Executive Order 13045

    Executive Order 13045, ``Protection of Children from Environmental 
Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies 
to any rule that: (1) Is determined to be ``economically significant'' 
as defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an 
environmental health or safety risk that we have reason to believe may 
have a disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action 
meets both criteria, we must evaluate the environmental health or 
safety effects of the proposed rule on children, and explain why the 
regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and reasonably 
feasible alternatives.
    The proposed NWPs are not subject to this Executive Order because 
they are not economically significant as defined in Executive Order 
12866. In addition, the proposed NWPs do not concern an environmental 
health or safety risk that we have reason to believe may have a 
disproportionate effect on children.

Executive Order 13175

    Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination 
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 6, 2000), 
requires agencies to develop an accountable process to ensure 
``meaningful and timely input by tribal officials in the development of 
regulatory policies that have tribal implications.'' The phrase 
``policies that have tribal implications'' is defined in the Executive 
Order to include regulations that have ``substantial direct effects on 
one or more Tribes, on the relationship between the federal government 
and the Tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities 
between the federal government and Tribes.''
    The proposal to issue NWPs does not have tribal implications. It is 
generally consistent with current agency practice and will not have 
substantial direct effects on tribal governments, on the relationship 
between the federal government and the Tribes, or on the distribution 
of power and responsibilities between the federal government and 
Tribes. Therefore, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this 
proposal. However, in the spirit of Executive Order 13175, we 
specifically request comment from Tribal officials on the proposed 
rule. Each Corps district will be conducting government-to-government 
consultation with Tribes, to identify regional conditions or other 
local NWP modifications that may be necessary to protect aquatic 
resources of interest to Tribes, as part of the Corps' responsibility 
to protect trust resources.

Environmental Documentation

    A draft decision document, which includes a draft environmental 
assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been 
prepared for each proposed NWP. These draft decision documents are 
available at: www.regulations.gov (docket ID number COE-2015-0017). 
They are also available by contacting Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Operations and Regulatory Community of Practice, 441 G 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20314-1000.

Congressional Review Act

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. We will submit a report containing the final NWPs and 
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States. A 
major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in 
the Federal Register. The proposed NWPs are not a ``major rule'' as 
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

Executive Order 12898

    Executive Order 12898 requires that, to the greatest extent 
practicable and permitted by law, each federal agency must make 
achieving environmental justice part of its mission. Executive Order 
12898 provides that each federal agency conduct its programs, policies,

[[Page 35217]]

and activities that substantially affect human health or the 
environment in a manner that ensures that such programs, policies, and 
activities do not have the effect of excluding persons (including 
populations) from participation in, denying persons (including 
populations) the benefits of, or subjecting persons (including 
populations) to discrimination under such programs, policies, and 
activities because of their race, color, or national origin.
    The proposed NWPs are not expected to negatively impact any 
community, and therefore are not expected to cause any 
disproportionately high and adverse impacts to minority or low-income 
communities.

Executive Order 13211

    The proposed NWPs are not a ``significant energy action'' as 
defined in Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 
28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not likely to have a significant 
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy.

Authority

    We are proposing to issue new NWPs, modify existing NWPs, and 
reissue NWPs without change under the authority of section 404(e) of 
the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).

    Dated: May 18, 2016.
Donald E. Jackson,
Major General, U.S. Army, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and 
Emergency Operations.

Nationwide Permits, Conditions, Further Information, and Definitions

A. Index of Nationwide Permits, Conditions, District Engineer's 
Decision, Further Information, and Definitions

Nationwide Permits
1. Aids to Navigation
2. Structures in Artificial Canals
3. Maintenance
4. Fish and Wildlife Harvesting, Enhancement, and Attraction Devices 
and Activities
5. Scientific Measurement Devices
6. Survey Activities
7. Outfall Structures and Associated Intake Structures
8. Oil and Gas Structures on the Outer Continental Shelf
9. Structures in Fleeting and Anchorage Areas
10. Mooring Buoys
11. Temporary Recreational Structures
12. Utility Line Activities
13. Bank Stabilization
14. Linear Transportation Projects
15. U.S. Coast Guard Approved Bridges
16. Return Water From Upland Contained Disposal Areas
17. Hydropower Projects
18. Minor Discharges
19. Minor Dredging
20. Response Operations for Oil or Hazardous Substances
21. Surface Coal Mining Activities
22. Removal of Vessels
23. Approved Categorical Exclusions
24. Indian Tribe or State Administered Section 404 Programs
25. Structural Discharges
26. [Reserved]
27. Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Establishment, and Enhancement 
Activities
28. Modifications of Existing Marinas
29. Residential Developments
30. Moist Soil Management for Wildlife
31. Maintenance of Existing Flood Control Facilities
32. Completed Enforcement Actions
33. Temporary Construction, Access, and Dewatering
34. Cranberry Production Activities
35. Maintenance Dredging of Existing Basins
36. Boat Ramps
37. Emergency Watershed Protection and Rehabilitation
38. Cleanup of Hazardous and Toxic Waste
39. Commercial and Institutional Developments
40. Agricultural Activities
41. Reshaping Existing Drainage Ditches
42. Recreational Facilities
43. Stormwater Management Facilities
44. Mining Activities
45. Repair of Uplands Damaged by Discrete Events
46. Discharges in Ditches
47. [Reserved]
48. Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Activities
49. Coal Remining Activities
50. Underground Coal Mining Activities
51. Land-Based Renewable Energy Generation Facilities
52. Water-Based Renewable Energy Generation Pilot Projects
A. Removal of Low-Head Dams
B. Living Shorelines
Nationwide Permit General Conditions
1. Navigation
2. Aquatic Life Movements
3. Spawning Areas
4. Migratory Bird Breeding Areas
5. Shellfish Beds
6. Suitable Material
7. Water Supply Intakes
8. Adverse Effects from Impoundments
9. Management of Water Flows
10. Fills Within 100-Year Floodplains
11. Equipment
12. Soil Erosion and Sediment Controls
13. Removal of Temporary Fills
14. Proper Maintenance
15. Single and Complete Project
16. Wild and Scenic Rivers
17. Tribal Rights
18. Endangered Species
19. Migratory Bird and Bald and Golden Eagle Permits
20. Historic Properties
21. Discovery of Previously Unknown Remains and Artifacts
22. Designated Critical Resource Waters
23. Mitigation
24. Safety of Impoundment Structures
25. Water Quality
26. Coastal Zone Management
27. Regional and Case-by-Case Conditions
28. Use of Multiple Nationwide Permits
29. Transfer of Nationwide Permit Verifications
30. Compliance Certification
31. Activities Affecting Structures or Works Built by the United States
32. Pre-Construction Notification
District Engineer's Decision
Further Information
Definitions
Best management practices (BMPs)
Compensatory mitigation
Currently serviceable
Direct effects
Discharge
Enhancement
Ephemeral stream
Establishment (creation)
High Tide Line
Historic property
Independent utility
Indirect effects
Intermittent stream
Loss of waters of the United States
Non-tidal wetland
Open water
Ordinary high water mark
Perennial stream
Practicable
Pre-construction notification
Preservation
Re-establishment
Rehabilitation
Restoration
Riffle and pool complex
Riparian areas
Shellfish seeding
Single and complete linear project
Single and complete non-linear project
Stormwater management
Stormwater management facilities
Stream bed
Stream channelization
Structure
Tidal wetland
Vegetated shallows
Waterbody

[[Page 35218]]

B. Nationwide Permits

    1. Aids to Navigation. The placement of aids to navigation and 
regulatory markers that are approved by and installed in accordance 
with the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard (see 33 CFR, chapter I, 
subchapter C, part 66). (Section 10)
    2. Structures in Artificial Canals. Structures constructed in 
artificial canals within principally residential developments where the 
connection of the canal to a navigable water of the United States has 
been previously authorized (see 33 CFR 322.5(g)). (Section 10)
    3. Maintenance. (a) The repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of 
any previously authorized, currently serviceable structure or fill, or 
of any currently serviceable structure or fill authorized by 33 CFR 
330.3, provided that the structure or fill is not to be put to uses 
differing from those uses specified or contemplated for it in the 
original permit or the most recently authorized modification. Minor 
deviations in the structure's configuration or filled area, including 
those due to changes in materials, construction techniques, 
requirements of other regulatory agencies, or current construction 
codes or safety standards that are necessary to make the repair, 
rehabilitation, or replacement are authorized. This NWP also authorizes 
the removal of previously authorized structures or fills. Any stream 
channel modification is limited to the minimum necessary for the 
repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of the structure or fill; such 
modifications, including the removal of material from the stream 
channel, must be immediately adjacent to the project or within the 
boundaries of the structure or fill. This NWP also authorizes the 
repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of those structures or fills 
destroyed or damaged by storms, floods, fire or other discrete events, 
provided the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement is commenced, or is 
under contract to commence, within two years of the date of their 
destruction or damage. In cases of catastrophic events, such as 
hurricanes or tornadoes, this two-year limit may be waived by the 
district engineer, provided the permittee can demonstrate funding, 
contract, or other similar delays.
    (b) This NWP also authorizes the removal of accumulated sediments 
and debris in the vicinity of existing structures (e.g., bridges, 
culverted road crossings, water intake structures, etc.) and/or the 
placement of new or additional riprap to protect the structure. The 
removal of sediment is limited to the minimum necessary to restore the 
waterway in the vicinity of the structure to the approximate dimensions 
that existed when the structure was built, but cannot extend farther 
than 200 feet in any direction from the structure. This 200 foot limit 
does not apply to maintenance dredging to remove accumulated sediments 
blocking or restricting outfall and intake structures or to maintenance 
dredging to remove accumulated sediments from canals associated with 
outfall and intake structures. All dredged or excavated materials must 
be deposited and retained in an area that has no waters of the United 
States unless otherwise specifically approved by the district engineer 
under separate authorization. The placement of new or additional riprap 
must be the minimum necessary to protect the structure or to ensure the 
safety of the structure. Any bank stabilization measures not directly 
associated with the structure will require a separate authorization 
from the district engineer.
    (c) This NWP also authorizes temporary structures, fills, and work, 
including the use of temporary mats, necessary to conduct the 
maintenance activity. Appropriate measures must be taken to maintain 
normal downstream flows and minimize flooding to the maximum extent 
practicable, when temporary structures, work, and discharges, including 
cofferdams, are necessary for construction activities, access fills, or 
dewatering of construction sites. Temporary fills must consist of 
materials, and be placed in a manner, that will not be eroded by 
expected high flows. After conducting the maintenance activity, 
temporary fills must be removed in their entirety and the affected 
areas returned to pre-construction elevations. The areas affected by 
temporary fills must be revegetated, as appropriate.
    (d) This NWP does not authorize maintenance dredging for the 
primary purpose of navigation. This NWP does not authorize beach 
restoration. This NWP does not authorize new stream channelization or 
stream relocation projects.
    Notification: For activities authorized by paragraph (b) of this 
NWP, the permittee must submit a pre-construction notification to the 
district engineer prior to commencing the activity (see general 
condition 32). The pre-construction notification must include 
information regarding the original design capacities and configurations 
of the outfalls, intakes, small impoundments, and canals. (Sections 10 
and 404)

    Note: This NWP authorizes the repair, rehabilitation, or 
replacement of any previously authorized structure or fill that does 
not qualify for the Clean Water Act section 404(f) exemption for 
maintenance.

    4. Fish and Wildlife Harvesting, Enhancement, and Attraction 
Devices and Activities. Fish and wildlife harvesting devices and 
activities such as pound nets, crab traps, crab dredging, eel pots, 
lobster traps, duck blinds, and clam and oyster digging, fish 
aggregating devices, and small fish attraction devices such as open 
water fish concentrators (sea kites, etc.). This NWP does not authorize 
artificial reefs or impoundments and semi-impoundments of waters of the 
United States for the culture or holding of motile species such as 
lobster, or the use of covered oyster trays or clam racks. (Sections 10 
and 404)
    5. Scientific Measurement Devices. Devices, whose purpose is to 
measure and record scientific data, such as staff gages, tide and 
current gages, meteorological stations, water recording and biological 
observation devices, water quality testing and improvement devices, and 
similar structures. Small weirs and flumes constructed primarily to 
record water quantity and velocity are also authorized provided the 
discharge is limited to 25 cubic yards. Upon completion of the use of 
the device to measure and record scientific data, the measuring device 
and any other structures or fills associated with that device (e.g., 
foundations, anchors, buoys, lines, etc.) must be removed to the 
maximum extent practicable and the site restored to pre-construction 
elevations. (Sections 10 and 404)
    6. Survey Activities. Survey activities, such as core sampling, 
seismic exploratory operations, plugging of seismic shot holes and 
other exploratory-type bore holes, exploratory trenching, soil surveys, 
sampling, sample plots or transects for wetland delineations, and 
historic resources surveys. For the purposes of this NWP, the term 
``exploratory trenching'' means mechanical land clearing of the upper 
soil profile to expose bedrock or substrate, for the purpose of mapping 
or sampling the exposed material. The area in which the exploratory 
trench is dug must be restored to its pre-construction elevation upon 
completion of the work and must not drain a water of the United States. 
In wetlands, the top 6 to 12 inches of the trench should normally be 
backfilled with topsoil from the trench. This NWP authorizes the 
construction of temporary pads, provided the discharge does not exceed 
\1/10\-acre in waters of the U.S. Discharges and structures associated 
with the

[[Page 35219]]

recovery of historic resources are not authorized by this NWP. Drilling 
and the discharge of excavated material from test wells for oil and gas 
exploration are not authorized by this NWP; the plugging of such wells 
is authorized. Fill placed for roads and other similar activities is 
not authorized by this NWP. The NWP does not authorize any permanent 
structures. The discharge of drilling mud and cuttings may require a 
permit under section 402 of the Clean Water Act. (Sections 10 and 404)
    7. Outfall Structures and Associated Intake Structures. Activities 
related to the construction or modification of outfall structures and 
associated intake structures, where the effluent from the outfall is 
authorized, conditionally authorized, or specifically exempted by, or 
otherwise in compliance with regulations issued under the National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program (section 402 of the 
Clean Water Act). The construction of intake structures is not 
authorized by this NWP, unless they are directly associated with an 
authorized outfall structure.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    8. Oil and Gas Structures on the Outer Continental Shelf. 
Structures for the exploration, production, and transportation of oil, 
gas, and minerals on the outer continental shelf within areas leased 
for such purposes by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management. Such structures shall not be placed within the 
limits of any designated shipping safety fairway or traffic separation 
scheme, except temporary anchors that comply with the fairway 
regulations in 33 CFR 322.5(l). The district engineer will review such 
proposals to ensure compliance with the provisions of the fairway 
regulations in 33 CFR 322.5(l). Any Corps review under this NWP will be 
limited to the effects on navigation and national security in 
accordance with 33 CFR 322.5(f), as well as 33 CFR 322.5(l) and 33 CFR 
part 334. Such structures will not be placed in established danger 
zones or restricted areas as designated in 33 CFR part 334, nor will 
such structures be permitted in EPA or Corps-designated dredged 
material disposal areas.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Section 10)
    9. Structures in Fleeting and Anchorage Areas. Structures, buoys, 
floats and other devices placed within anchorage or fleeting areas to 
facilitate moorage of vessels where the U.S. Coast Guard has 
established such areas for that purpose. (Section 10)
    10. Mooring Buoys. Non-commercial, single-boat, mooring buoys. 
(Section 10)
    11. Temporary Recreational Structures. Temporary buoys, markers, 
small floating docks, and similar structures placed for recreational 
use during specific events such as water skiing competitions and boat 
races or seasonal use, provided that such structures are removed within 
30 days after use has been discontinued. At Corps of Engineers 
reservoirs, the reservoir manager must approve each buoy or marker 
individually. (Section 10)
    12. Utility Line Activities. Activities required for the 
construction, maintenance, repair, and removal of utility lines and 
associated facilities in waters of the United States, provided the 
activity does not result in the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
waters of the United States for each single and complete project.
    Utility lines: This NWP authorizes discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States and structures or work in 
navigable waters of the United States (i.e., section 10 waters) for 
crossings of those waters associated with the construction, 
maintenance, or repair of utility lines, including outfall and intake 
structures. There must be no change in pre-construction contours of 
waters of the United States. A ``utility line'' is defined as any pipe 
or pipeline for the transportation of any gaseous, liquid, liquescent, 
or slurry substance, for any purpose, and any cable, line, or wire for 
the transmission for any purpose of electrical energy, telephone, and 
telegraph messages, and internet, radio, and television communication. 
The term ``utility line'' does not include activities that drain a 
water of the United States, such as drainage tile or french drains, but 
it does apply to pipes conveying drainage from another area.
    Material resulting from trench excavation may be temporarily 
sidecast into waters of the United States for no more than three 
months, provided the material is not placed in such a manner that it is 
dispersed by currents or other forces. The district engineer may extend 
the period of temporary side casting for no more than a total of 180 
days, where appropriate. In wetlands, the top 6 to 12 inches of the 
trench should normally be backfilled with topsoil from the trench. The 
trench cannot be constructed or backfilled in such a manner as to drain 
waters of the United States (e.g., backfilling with extensive gravel 
layers, creating a french drain effect). Any exposed slopes and stream 
banks must be stabilized immediately upon completion of the utility 
line crossing of each waterbody.
    Utility line substations: This NWP authorizes the construction, 
maintenance, or expansion of substation facilities associated with a 
power line or utility line in non-tidal waters of the United States, 
provided the activity, in combination with all other activities 
included in one single and complete project, does not result in the 
loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of waters of the United States. This 
NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands adjacent to 
tidal waters of the United States to construct, maintain, or expand 
substation facilities.
    Foundations for overhead utility line towers, poles, and anchors: 
This NWP authorizes the construction or maintenance of foundations for 
overhead utility line towers, poles, and anchors in all waters of the 
United States, provided the foundations are the minimum size necessary 
and separate footings for each tower leg (rather than a larger single 
pad) are used where feasible.
    Access roads: This NWP authorizes the construction of access roads 
for the construction and maintenance of utility lines, including 
overhead power lines and utility line substations, in non-tidal waters 
of the United States, provided the activity, in combination with all 
other activities included in one single and complete project, does not 
cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of non-tidal waters of the 
United States. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal 
wetlands adjacent to tidal waters for access roads. Access roads must 
be the minimum width necessary (see Note 2, below). Access roads must 
be constructed so that the length of the road minimizes any adverse 
effects on waters of the United States and must be as near as possible 
to pre-construction contours and elevations (e.g., at grade corduroy 
roads or geotextile/gravel roads). Access roads constructed above pre-
construction contours and elevations in waters of the United States 
must be properly bridged or culverted to maintain surface flows.
    This NWP may authorize utility lines in or affecting navigable 
waters of the United States even if there is no associated discharge of 
dredged or fill material (See 33 CFR part 322). Overhead utility lines 
constructed over section 10 waters and utility lines that are routed in 
or under section 10 waters without a discharge of dredged or fill 
material require a section 10 permit.

[[Page 35220]]

    This NWP authorizes, to the extent that DA authorization is 
required, temporary structures, fills, and work necessary for the 
remediation of inadvertent returns of drilling muds to waters of the 
United States through sub-soil fissures or fractures (i.e., frac-outs) 
that might occur during horizontal directional drilling activities to 
install or replace utility lines. These remediation activities must be 
done as soon as practicable, to restore the affected waterbody. 
District engineers may add special conditions to this NWP to require a 
remediation plan for addressing inadvertent returns of drilling muds to 
waters of the United States during horizontal directional drilling 
activities for the installation or replacement of utility lines.
    This NWP also authorizes temporary structures, fills, and work, 
including the use of temporary mats, necessary to conduct the utility 
line activity. Appropriate measures must be taken to maintain normal 
downstream flows and minimize flooding to the maximum extent 
practicable, when temporary structures, work, and discharges, including 
cofferdams, are necessary for construction activities, access fills, or 
dewatering of construction sites. Temporary fills must consist of 
materials, and be placed in a manner, that will not be eroded by 
expected high flows. After construction, temporary fills must be 
removed in their entirety and the affected areas returned to pre-
construction elevations. The areas affected by temporary fills must be 
revegetated, as appropriate.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if any of the following criteria are met: (1) The activity involves 
mechanized land clearing in a forested wetland for the utility line 
right-of-way; (2) a section 10 permit is required; (3) the utility line 
in waters of the United States, excluding overhead lines, exceeds 500 
feet; (4) the utility line is placed within a jurisdictional area 
(i.e., water of the United States), and it runs parallel to or along a 
stream bed that is within that jurisdictional area; (5) discharges that 
result in the loss of greater than \1/10\-acre of waters of the United 
States; (6) permanent access roads are constructed above grade in 
waters of the United States for a distance of more than 500 feet; or 
(7) permanent access roads are constructed in waters of the United 
States with impervious materials. (See general condition 32.) (Sections 
10 and 404)

    Note 1: Where the utility line is constructed or installed in 
navigable waters of the United States (i.e., section 10 waters) 
within the coastal United States, the Great Lakes, and United States 
territories, a copy of the NWP verification will be sent by the 
Corps to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
National Ocean Service (NOS), for charting the utility line to 
protect navigation.


    Note 2: For utility line activities crossing a single waterbody 
more than one time at separate and distant locations, or multiple 
waterbodies at separate and distant locations, each crossing is 
considered a single and complete project for purposes of NWP 
authorization. Utility lines with independent utility must comply 
with 33 CFR 330.6(d).


    Note 3: Utility lines consisting of aerial electric power 
transmission lines crossing navigable waters of the United States 
must comply with the applicable minimum clearances specified in 33 
CFR 322.5(i).


    Note 4: Access roads used for both construction and maintenance 
may be authorized, provided they meet the terms and conditions of 
this NWP. Access roads used solely for construction of the utility 
line must be removed upon completion of the work, in accordance with 
the requirements for temporary fills.


    Note 5: Pipes or pipelines used to transport gaseous, liquid, 
liquescent, or slurry substances over navigable waters of the United 
States are considered to be bridges, not utility lines, and may 
require a permit from the U.S. Coast Guard pursuant to Section 9 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. However, any discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States associated 
with such pipelines will require a section 404 permit (see NWP 15).


    Note 6: This NWP authorizes utility line maintenance and repair 
activities do not qualify for the Clean Water Act section 404(f) 
exemption for maintenance of currently serviceable fills or fill 
structures.


    Note 7: For overhead utility lines authorized by this NWP, a 
copy of the PCN and NWP verification will be provided to the 
Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse, which will evaluate 
potential effects on military activities.


    Note 8: For NWP 12 activities that require pre-construction 
notification, the PCN must include any other NWP(s), regional 
general permit(s), or individual permit(s) used or intended to be 
used to authorize any part of the proposed project or any related 
activity, including other separate and distant crossings that 
require Department of the Army authorization but do not require pre-
construction notification (see paragraph (b) of general condition 
32). The district engineer will evaluate the PCN in accordance with 
Section D, ``District Engineer's Decision.'' The district engineer 
may require mitigation to ensure that the authorized activity 
results in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects (see general condition 23).

    13. Bank Stabilization. Bank stabilization activities necessary for 
erosion control or prevention, such as vegetative stabilization, sills, 
rip rap, revetment, gabion baskets, stream barbs, and bulkheads, or 
combinations of bank stabilization techniques, provided the activity 
meets all of the following criteria:
    (a) No material is placed in excess of the minimum needed for 
erosion protection;
    (b) The activity is no more than 500 feet in length along the bank, 
unless the district engineer waives this criterion by making a written 
determination concluding that the discharge will result in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects;
    (c) The activity will not exceed an average of one cubic yard per 
running foot, as measured along the bank, below the plane of the 
ordinary high water mark or the high tide line, unless the district 
engineer waives this criterion by making a written determination 
concluding that the discharge will result in no more than minimal 
adverse environmental effects;
    (d) The activity does not involve discharges of dredged or fill 
material into special aquatic sites, unless the district engineer 
waives this criterion by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects;
    (e) No material is of a type, or is placed in any location, or in 
any manner, that will impair surface water flow into or out of any 
waters of the United States;
    (f) No material is placed in a manner that will be eroded by normal 
or expected high flows (properly anchored native trees and treetops may 
be used in low energy areas);
    (g) The activity is not a stream channelization activity; and
    (h) The activity must be properly maintained, which may require 
repairing after severe storms or erosion events. This NWP authorizes 
those maintenance and repair activities.
    This NWP also authorizes temporary structures, fills, and work 
necessary to construct the bank stabilization activity. Appropriate 
measures must be taken to maintain normal downstream flows and minimize 
flooding to the maximum extent practicable, when temporary structures, 
work, and discharges, including cofferdams, are necessary for 
construction activities, access fills, or dewatering of construction 
sites. Temporary fills must consist of materials, and be placed in a 
manner, that will not be eroded by expected high flows. After 
construction, temporary

[[Page 35221]]

fills must be removed in their entirety and the affected areas returned 
to pre-construction elevations. The areas affected by temporary fills 
must be revegetated, as appropriate.
    Native plants appropriate for current site conditions, including 
salinity, must be used for bioengineering or vegetative bank 
stabilization.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if the bank stabilization activity: (1) Involves discharges into 
special aquatic sites; or (2) is in excess of 500 feet in length; or 
(3) will involve the discharge of greater than an average of one cubic 
yard per running foot along the bank below the plane of the ordinary 
high water mark or the high tide line. (See general condition 32.) 
(Sections 10 and 404)
    14. Linear Transportation Projects. Activities required for the 
construction, expansion, modification, or improvement of linear 
transportation projects (e.g., roads, highways, railways, trails, 
airport runways, and taxiways) in waters of the United States. For 
linear transportation projects in non-tidal waters, the discharge 
cannot cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of waters of the 
United States. For linear transportation projects in tidal waters, the 
discharge cannot cause the loss of greater than \1/3\-acre of waters of 
the United States. Any stream channel modification, including bank 
stabilization, is limited to the minimum necessary to construct or 
protect the linear transportation project; such modifications must be 
in the immediate vicinity of the project.
    This NWP also authorizes temporary structures, fills, and work 
necessary to construct the linear transportation project. Appropriate 
measures must be taken to maintain normal downstream flows and minimize 
flooding to the maximum extent practicable, when temporary structures, 
work, and discharges, including cofferdams, are necessary for 
construction activities, access fills, or dewatering of construction 
sites. Temporary fills must consist of materials, and be placed in a 
manner, that will not be eroded by expected high flows. Temporary fills 
must be removed in their entirety and the affected areas returned to 
pre-construction elevations. The areas affected by temporary fills must 
be revegetated, as appropriate.
    This NWP cannot be used to authorize non-linear features commonly 
associated with transportation projects, such as vehicle maintenance or 
storage buildings, parking lots, train stations, or aircraft hangars.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if: (1) The loss of waters of the United States exceeds \1/10\-acre; or 
(2) there is a discharge in a special aquatic site, including wetlands. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note 1: For linear transportation projects crossing a single 
waterbody more than one time at separate and distant locations, or 
multiple waterbodies at separate and distant locations, each 
crossing is considered a single and complete project for purposes of 
NWP authorization. Linear transportation projects with independent 
utility must comply with 33 CFR 330.6(d).


    Note 2: Some discharges for the construction of farm roads or 
forest roads, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment, may 
qualify for an exemption under section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act 
(see 33 CFR 323.4).


    Note 3: For NWP 14 activities that require pre-construction 
notification, the PCN must include any other NWP(s), regional 
general permit(s), or individual permit(s) used or intended to be 
used to authorize any part of the proposed project or any related 
activity, including other separate and distant crossings that 
require Department of the Army authorization but do not require pre-
construction notification (see paragraph (b) of general condition 
32). The district engineer will evaluate the PCN in accordance with 
Section D, ``District Engineer's Decision.'' The district engineer 
may require mitigation to ensure that the authorized activity 
results in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects (see general condition 23).

    15. U.S. Coast Guard Approved Bridges. Discharges of dredged or 
fill material incidental to the construction of a bridge across 
navigable waters of the United States, including cofferdams, abutments, 
foundation seals, piers, and temporary construction and access fills, 
provided the construction of the bridge structure has been authorized 
by the U.S. Coast Guard under section 9 of the Rivers and Harbors Act 
of 1899 or other applicable laws. Causeways and approach fills are not 
included in this NWP and will require a separate section 404 permit. 
(Section 404)
    16. Return Water From Upland Contained Disposal Areas. Return water 
from an upland contained dredged material disposal area. The return 
water from a contained disposal area is administratively defined as a 
discharge of dredged material by 33 CFR 323.2(d), even though the 
disposal itself occurs in an area that has no waters of the United 
States and does not require a section 404 permit. This NWP satisfies 
the technical requirement for a section 404 permit for the return water 
where the quality of the return water is controlled by the state 
through the section 401 certification procedures. The dredging activity 
may require a section 404 permit (33 CFR 323.2(d)), and will require a 
section 10 permit if located in navigable waters of the United States. 
(Section 404)
    17. Hydropower Projects. Discharges of dredged or fill material 
associated with hydropower projects having: (a) Less than 5000 kW of 
total generating capacity at existing reservoirs, where the project, 
including the fill, is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (FERC) under the Federal Power Act of 1920, as amended; or 
(b) a licensing exemption granted by the FERC pursuant to section 408 
of the Energy Security Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2705 and 2708) and 
section 30 of the Federal Power Act, as amended.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Section 404)
    18. Minor Discharges. Minor discharges of dredged or fill material 
into all waters of the United States, provided the activity meets all 
of the following criteria:
    (a) The quantity of discharged material and the volume of area 
excavated do not exceed 25 cubic yards below the plane of the ordinary 
high water mark or the high tide line;
    (b) The discharge will not cause the loss of more than \1/10\-acre 
of waters of the United States; and
    (c) The discharge is not placed for the purpose of a stream 
diversion.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if: (1) The discharge or the volume of area excavated exceeds 10 cubic 
yards below the plane of the ordinary high water mark or the high tide 
line, or (2) the discharge is in a special aquatic site, including 
wetlands. (See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    19. Minor Dredging. Dredging of no more than 25 cubic yards below 
the plane of the ordinary high water mark or the mean high water mark 
from navigable waters of the United States (i.e., section 10 waters). 
This NWP does not authorize the dredging or degradation through 
siltation of coral reefs, sites that support submerged aquatic 
vegetation (including sites where submerged aquatic vegetation is 
documented to exist but may not be present in a given year), anadromous 
fish spawning areas, or wetlands, or the connection of canals or other 
artificial waterways to navigable waters of the

[[Page 35222]]

United States (see 33 CFR 322.5(g)). All dredged material must be 
deposited and retained in an area that has no waters of the United 
States unless otherwise specifically approved by the district engineer 
under separate authorization. (Sections 10 and 404)
    20. Response Operations for Oil or Hazardous Substances. Activities 
conducted in response to a discharge or release of oil or hazardous 
substances that are subject to the National Oil and Hazardous 
Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (40 CFR part 300) including 
containment, cleanup, and mitigation efforts, provided that the 
activities are done under either: (1) The Spill Control and 
Countermeasure Plan required by 40 CFR 112.3; (2) the direction or 
oversight of the federal on-scene coordinator designated by 40 CFR part 
300; or (3) any approved existing state, regional or local contingency 
plan provided that the Regional Response Team (if one exists in the 
area) concurs with the proposed response efforts. This NWP also 
authorizes activities required for the cleanup of oil releases in 
waters of the United States from electrical equipment that are governed 
by EPA's polychlorinated biphenyl spill response regulations at 40 CFR 
part 761. This NWP also authorizes the use of temporary structures and 
fills in waters of the U.S. for spill response training exercises. 
(Sections 10 and 404)
    21. Surface Coal Mining Activities. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States associated with surface coal 
mining and reclamation operations, provided the following criteria are 
met:
    (1) The activities are already authorized, or are currently being 
processed by states with approved programs under Title V of the Surface 
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 or as part of an integrated 
permit processing procedure by the Department of the Interior, Office 
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement;
    (2) The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-
acre of non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not 
cause the loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal individual and 
cumulative adverse environmental effects. The loss of stream bed plus 
any other losses of jurisdictional wetlands and waters caused by the 
NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-acre. This NWP does not authorize 
discharges into tidal waters or non-tidal wetlands adjacent to tidal 
waters; and
    (3) The discharge is not associated with the construction of valley 
fills. A ``valley fill'' is a fill structure that is typically 
constructed within valleys associated with steep, mountainous terrain, 
associated with surface coal mining activities.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer and receive written authorization 
prior to commencing the activity. (See general condition 32.) (Sections 
10 and 404)
    22. Removal of Vessels. Temporary structures or minor discharges of 
dredged or fill material required for the removal of wrecked, 
abandoned, or disabled vessels, or the removal of man-made obstructions 
to navigation. This NWP does not authorize maintenance dredging, shoal 
removal, or riverbank snagging.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if: (1) The vessel is listed or eligible for listing in the National 
Register of Historic Places; or (2) the activity is conducted in a 
special aquatic site, including coral reefs and wetlands. (See general 
condition 32.) If condition 1 above is triggered, the permittee cannot 
commence the activity until informed by the district engineer that 
compliance with the ``Historic Properties'' general condition is 
completed. (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note 1:  If a removed vessel is disposed of in waters of the 
United States, a permit from the U.S. EPA may be required (see 40 
CFR 229.3). If a Department of the Army permit is required for 
vessel disposal in waters of the United States, separate 
authorization will be required.


    Note 2:  Compliance with general condition 18, Endangered 
Species, and general condition 20, Historic Properties, is required 
for all NWPs. The concern with historic properties is emphasized in 
the notification requirements for this NWP because of the 
possibility that shipwrecks may be historic properties.

    23. Approved Categorical Exclusions. Activities undertaken, 
assisted, authorized, regulated, funded, or financed, in whole or in 
part, by another Federal agency or department where:
    (a) That agency or department has determined, pursuant to the 
Council on Environmental Quality's implementing regulations for the 
National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR part 1500 et seq.), that the 
activity is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an 
environmental impact statement or environmental assessment analysis, 
because it is included within a category of actions which neither 
individually nor cumulatively have a significant effect on the human 
environment; and
    (b) The Office of the Chief of Engineers (Attn: CECW-CO) has 
concurred with that agency's or department's determination that the 
activity is categorically excluded and approved the activity for 
authorization under NWP 23.
    The Office of the Chief of Engineers may require additional 
conditions, including pre-construction notification, for authorization 
of an agency's categorical exclusions under this NWP.
    Notification: Certain categorical exclusions approved for 
authorization under this NWP require the permittee to submit a pre-
construction notification to the district engineer prior to commencing 
the activity (see general condition 32). The activities that require 
pre-construction notification are listed in the appropriate Regulatory 
Guidance Letters. (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note:  The agency or department may submit an application for an 
activity believed to be categorically excluded to the Office of the 
Chief of Engineers (Attn: CECW-CO). Prior to approval for 
authorization under this NWP of any agency's activity, the Office of 
the Chief of Engineers will solicit public comment. As of the date 
of issuance of this NWP, agencies with approved categorical 
exclusions are the: Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Highway 
Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard. Activities approved for 
authorization under this NWP as of the date of this notice are found 
in Corps Regulatory Guidance Letter 05-07, which is available at: 
https://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/RGLS/rgl05-07.pdf. Any future approved categorical exclusions will be announced 
in Regulatory Guidance Letters and posted on this same Web site.

    24. Indian Tribe or State Administered Section 404 Programs. Any 
activity permitted by a state or Indian Tribe administering its own 
section 404 permit program pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1344(g)-(l) is 
permitted pursuant to section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. 
(Section 10)

    Note 1:  As of the date of the promulgation of this NWP, only 
New Jersey and Michigan administer their own section 404 permit 
programs.


    Note 2:  Those activities that do not involve an Indian Tribe or 
State section 404 permit are not included in this NWP, but certain 
structures will be exempted by Section 154 of Public Law 94-587, 90 
Stat. 2917 (33 U.S.C. 591) (see 33 CFR 322.4(b)).

    25. Structural Discharges. Discharges of material such as concrete, 
sand, rock, etc., into tightly sealed forms or cells where the material 
will be used as a

[[Page 35223]]

structural member for standard pile supported structures, such as 
bridges, transmission line footings, and walkways, or for general 
navigation, such as mooring cells, including the excavation of bottom 
material from within the form prior to the discharge of concrete, sand, 
rock, etc. This NWP does not authorize filled structural members that 
would support buildings, building pads, homes, house pads, parking 
areas, storage areas and other such structures. The structure itself 
may require a separate section 10 permit if located in navigable waters 
of the United States. (Section 404)
    26. [Reserved]
    27. Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Establishment, and Enhancement 
Activities. Activities in waters of the United States associated with 
the restoration, enhancement, and establishment of tidal and non-tidal 
wetlands and riparian areas, the restoration and enhancement of non-
tidal streams and other non-tidal open waters, and the rehabilitation 
or enhancement of tidal streams, tidal wetlands, and tidal open waters, 
provided those activities result in net increases in aquatic resource 
functions and services.
    To the extent that a Corps permit is required, activities 
authorized by this NWP include, but are not limited to: The removal of 
accumulated sediments; the installation, removal, and maintenance of 
small water control structures, dikes, and berms, as well as discharges 
of dredged or fill material to restore appropriate stream channel 
configurations after small water control structures, dikes, and berms, 
are removed; the installation of current deflectors; the enhancement, 
restoration, or establishment of riffle and pool stream structure; the 
placement of in-stream habitat structures; modifications of the stream 
bed and/or banks to restore or establish stream meanders; the 
backfilling of artificial channels; the removal of existing drainage 
structures, such as drain tiles, and the filling, blocking, or 
reshaping of drainage ditches to restore wetland hydrology; the 
installation of structures or fills necessary to establish or re-
establish wetland or stream hydrology; the construction of small 
nesting islands; the construction of open water areas; the construction 
of oyster habitat over unvegetated bottom in tidal waters; shellfish 
seeding; activities needed to reestablish vegetation, including plowing 
or discing for seed bed preparation and the planting of appropriate 
wetland species; re-establishment of submerged aquatic vegetation in 
areas where those plant communities previously existed; re-
establishment of tidal wetlands in tidal waters where those wetlands 
previously existed; mechanized land clearing to remove non-native 
invasive, exotic, or nuisance vegetation; and other related activities. 
Only native plant species should be planted at the site.
    This NWP authorizes the relocation of non-tidal waters, including 
non-tidal wetlands and streams, on the project site provided there are 
net increases in aquatic resource functions and services.
    Except for the relocation of non-tidal waters on the project site, 
this NWP does not authorize the conversion of a stream or natural 
wetlands to another aquatic habitat type (e.g., the conversion of a 
stream to wetland or vice versa) or uplands. Changes in wetland plant 
communities that occur when wetland hydrology is more fully restored 
during wetland rehabilitation activities are not considered a 
conversion to another aquatic habitat type. This NWP does not authorize 
stream channelization. This NWP does not authorize the relocation of 
tidal waters or the conversion of tidal waters, including tidal 
wetlands, to other aquatic uses, such as the conversion of tidal 
wetlands into open water impoundments.
    Compensatory mitigation is not required for activities authorized 
by this NWP since these activities must result in net increases in 
aquatic resource functions and services.
    Reversion. For enhancement, restoration, and establishment 
activities conducted: (1) In accordance with the terms and conditions 
of a binding stream or wetland enhancement or restoration agreement, or 
a wetland establishment agreement, between the landowner and the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), the National Ocean Service (NOS), U.S. Forest 
Service (USFS), or their designated state cooperating agencies; (2) as 
voluntary wetland restoration, enhancement, and establishment actions 
documented by the NRCS or USDA Technical Service Provider pursuant to 
NRCS Field Office Technical Guide standards; or (3) on reclaimed 
surface coal mine lands, in accordance with a Surface Mining Control 
and Reclamation Act permit issued by the Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) or the applicable state agency, 
this NWP also authorizes any future discharge of dredged or fill 
material associated with the reversion of the area to its documented 
prior condition and use (i.e., prior to the restoration, enhancement, 
or establishment activities). The reversion must occur within five 
years after expiration of a limited term wetland restoration or 
establishment agreement or permit, and is authorized in these 
circumstances even if the discharge occurs after this NWP expires. The 
five-year reversion limit does not apply to agreements without time 
limits reached between the landowner and the FWS, NRCS, FSA, NMFS, NOS, 
USFS, or an appropriate state cooperating agency. This NWP also 
authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material in waters of the 
United States for the reversion of wetlands that were restored, 
enhanced, or established on prior-converted cropland or on uplands, in 
accordance with a binding agreement between the landowner and NRCS, 
FSA, FWS, or their designated state cooperating agencies (even though 
the restoration, enhancement, or establishment activity did not require 
a section 404 permit). The prior condition will be documented in the 
original agreement or permit, and the determination of return to prior 
conditions will be made by the Federal agency or appropriate state 
agency executing the agreement or permit. Before conducting any 
reversion activity the permittee or the appropriate Federal or state 
agency must notify the district engineer and include the documentation 
of the prior condition. Once an area has reverted to its prior physical 
condition, it will be subject to whatever the Corps Regulatory 
requirements are applicable to that type of land at the time. The 
requirement that the activity results in a net increase in aquatic 
resource functions and services does not apply to reversion activities 
meeting the above conditions. Except for the activities described 
above, this NWP does not authorize any future discharge of dredged or 
fill material associated with the reversion of the area to its prior 
condition. In such cases a separate permit would be required for any 
reversion.
    Reporting. For those activities that do not require pre-
construction notification, the permittee must submit to the district 
engineer a copy of: (1) The binding stream enhancement or restoration 
agreement or wetland enhancement, restoration, or establishment 
agreement, or a project description, including project plans and 
location map; (2) the NRCS or USDA Technical Service Provider 
documentation for the voluntary stream enhancement or restoration 
action or wetland restoration, enhancement, or establishment action; or 
(3) the SMCRA permit issued by OSMRE or the

[[Page 35224]]

applicable state agency. The report must also include information on 
baseline ecological conditions on the project site, such as a 
delineation of wetlands, streams, and/or other aquatic habitats. These 
documents must be submitted to the district engineer at least 30 days 
prior to commencing activities in waters of the United States 
authorized by this NWP.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing any activity 
(see general condition 32), except for the following activities:
    (1) Activities conducted on non-Federal public lands and private 
lands, in accordance with the terms and conditions of a binding stream 
enhancement or restoration agreement or wetland enhancement, 
restoration, or establishment agreement between the landowner and the 
FWS, NRCS, FSA, NMFS, NOS, USFS or their designated state cooperating 
agencies;
    (2) Voluntary stream or wetland restoration or enhancement action, 
or wetland establishment action, documented by the NRCS or USDA 
Technical Service Provider pursuant to NRCS Field Office Technical 
Guide standards; or
    (3) The reclamation of surface coal mine lands, in accordance with 
an SMCRA permit issued by the OSMRE or the applicable state agency.
    However, the permittee must submit a copy of the appropriate 
documentation to the district engineer to fulfill the reporting 
requirement. (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note:  This NWP can be used to authorize compensatory mitigation 
projects, including mitigation banks and in-lieu fee projects. 
However, this NWP does not authorize the reversion of an area used 
for a compensatory mitigation project to its prior condition, since 
compensatory mitigation is generally intended to be permanent.

    28. Modifications of Existing Marinas. Reconfiguration of existing 
docking facilities within an authorized marina area. No dredging, 
additional slips, dock spaces, or expansion of any kind within waters 
of the United States is authorized by this NWP. (Section 10)
    29. Residential Developments. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material into non-tidal waters of the United States for the 
construction or expansion of a single residence, a multiple unit 
residential development, or a residential subdivision. This NWP 
authorizes the construction of building foundations and building pads 
and attendant features that are necessary for the use of the residence 
or residential development. Attendant features may include but are not 
limited to roads, parking lots, garages, yards, utility lines, storm 
water management facilities, septic fields, and recreation facilities 
such as playgrounds, playing fields, and golf courses (provided the 
golf course is an integral part of the residential development).
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses 
of jurisdictional wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot 
exceed \1/2\-acre.
    Subdivisions: For residential subdivisions, the aggregate total 
loss of waters of United States authorized by this NWP cannot exceed 
\1/2\-acre. This includes any loss of waters of the United States 
associated with development of individual subdivision lots.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    30. Moist Soil Management for Wildlife. Discharges of dredged or 
fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States and 
maintenance activities that are associated with moist soil management 
for wildlife for the purpose of continuing ongoing, site-specific, 
wildlife management activities where soil manipulation is used to 
manage habitat and feeding areas for wildlife. Such activities include, 
but are not limited to, plowing or discing to impede succession, 
preparing seed beds, or establishing fire breaks. Sufficient riparian 
areas must be maintained adjacent to all open water bodies, including 
streams, to preclude water quality degradation due to erosion and 
sedimentation. This NWP does not authorize the construction of new 
dikes, roads, water control structures, or similar features associated 
with the management areas. The activity must not result in a net loss 
of aquatic resource functions and services. This NWP does not authorize 
the conversion of wetlands to uplands, impoundments, or other open 
water bodies. (Section 404)

    Note:  The repair, maintenance, or replacement of existing water 
control structures or the repair or maintenance of dikes may be 
authorized by NWP 3. Some such activities may qualify for an 
exemption under section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act (see 33 CFR 
323.4).

    31. Maintenance of Existing Flood Control Facilities. Discharges of 
dredged or fill material resulting from activities associated with the 
maintenance of existing flood control facilities, including debris 
basins, retention/detention basins, levees, and channels that: (i) Were 
previously authorized by the Corps by individual permit, general 
permit, or 33 CFR 330.3, or did not require a permit at the time they 
were constructed, or (ii) were constructed by the Corps and transferred 
to a non-Federal sponsor for operation and maintenance. Activities 
authorized by this NWP are limited to those resulting from maintenance 
activities that are conducted within the ``maintenance baseline,'' as 
described in the definition below. Discharges of dredged or fill 
materials associated with maintenance activities in flood control 
facilities in any watercourse that have previously been determined to 
be within the maintenance baseline are authorized under this NWP. To 
the extent that a Corps permit is required, this NWP authorizes the 
removal of vegetation from levees associated with the flood control 
project. This NWP does not authorize the removal of sediment and 
associated vegetation from natural water courses except when these 
activities have been included in the maintenance baseline. All dredged 
material must be placed in an area that has no waters of the United 
States or a separately authorized disposal site in waters of the United 
States, and proper siltation controls must be used.
    Maintenance Baseline: The maintenance baseline is a description of 
the physical characteristics (e.g., depth, width, length, location, 
configuration, or design flood capacity, etc.) of a flood control 
project within which maintenance activities are normally authorized by 
NWP 31, subject to any case-specific conditions required by the 
district engineer. The district engineer will approve the maintenance 
baseline based on the approved or constructed capacity of the flood 
control facility, whichever is smaller, including any areas where there 
are no constructed channels but which are part of the facility. The 
prospective permittee will provide documentation of the physical 
characteristics of the flood control facility (which will normally 
consist of as-built or approved drawings) and documentation of the 
approved and

[[Page 35225]]

constructed design capacities of the flood control facility. If no 
evidence of the constructed capacity exists, the approved capacity will 
be used. The documentation will also include best management practices 
to ensure that the adverse environmental impacts are no more than 
minimal, especially in maintenance areas where there are no constructed 
channels. (The Corps may request maintenance records in areas where 
there has not been recent maintenance.) Revocation or modification of 
the final determination of the maintenance baseline can only be done in 
accordance with 33 CFR 330.5. Except in emergencies as described below, 
this NWP cannot be used until the district engineer approves the 
maintenance baseline and determines the need for mitigation and any 
regional or activity-specific conditions. Once determined, the 
maintenance baseline will remain valid for any subsequent reissuance of 
this NWP. This NWP does not authorize maintenance of a flood control 
facility that has been abandoned. A flood control facility will be 
considered abandoned if it has operated at a significantly reduced 
capacity without needed maintenance being accomplished in a timely 
manner.
    Mitigation: The district engineer will determine any required 
mitigation one-time only for impacts associated with maintenance work 
at the same time that the maintenance baseline is approved. Such one-
time mitigation will be required when necessary to ensure that adverse 
environmental impacts are no more than minimal, both individually and 
cumulatively. Such mitigation will only be required once for any 
specific reach of a flood control project. However, if one-time 
mitigation is required for impacts associated with maintenance 
activities, the district engineer will not delay needed maintenance, 
provided the district engineer and the permittee establish a schedule 
for identification, approval, development, construction and completion 
of any such required mitigation. Once the one-time mitigation described 
above has been completed, or a determination made that mitigation is 
not required, no further mitigation will be required for maintenance 
activities within the maintenance baseline. In determining appropriate 
mitigation, the district engineer will give special consideration to 
natural water courses that have been included in the maintenance 
baseline and require compensatory mitigation and/or best management 
practices as appropriate.
    Emergency Situations: In emergency situations, this NWP may be used 
to authorize maintenance activities in flood control facilities for 
which no maintenance baseline has been approved. Emergency situations 
are those which would result in an unacceptable hazard to life, a 
significant loss of property, or an immediate, unforeseen, and 
significant economic hardship if action is not taken before a 
maintenance baseline can be approved. In such situations, the 
determination of mitigation requirements, if any, may be deferred until 
the emergency has been resolved. Once the emergency has ended, a 
maintenance baseline must be established expeditiously, and mitigation, 
including mitigation for maintenance conducted during the emergency, 
must be required as appropriate.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer before any maintenance work is 
conducted (see general condition 32). The pre-construction notification 
may be for activity-specific maintenance or for maintenance of the 
entire flood control facility by submitting a five-year (or less) 
maintenance plan. The pre-construction notification must include a 
description of the maintenance baseline and the dredged material 
disposal site. (Sections 10 and 404)
    32. Completed Enforcement Actions. Any structure, work, or 
discharge of dredged or fill material remaining in place or undertaken 
for mitigation, restoration, or environmental benefit in compliance 
with either:
    (i) The terms of a final written Corps non-judicial settlement 
agreement resolving a violation of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
and/or section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899; or the terms 
of an EPA 309(a) order on consent resolving a violation of section 404 
of the Clean Water Act, provided that:
    (a) The activities authorized by this NWP cannot adversely affect 
more than 5 acres of non-tidal waters or 1 acre of tidal waters;
    (b) The settlement agreement provides for environmental benefits, 
to an equal or greater degree, than the environmental detriments caused 
by the unauthorized activity that is authorized by this NWP; and
    (c) The district engineer issues a verification letter authorizing 
the activity subject to the terms and conditions of this NWP and the 
settlement agreement, including a specified completion date; or
    (ii) The terms of a final Federal court decision, consent decree, 
or settlement agreement resulting from an enforcement action brought by 
the United States under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or 
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899; or
    (iii) The terms of a final court decision, consent decree, 
settlement agreement, or non-judicial settlement agreement resulting 
from a natural resource damage claim brought by a trustee or trustees 
for natural resources (as defined by the National Contingency Plan at 
40 CFR subpart G) under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, Section 107 
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act, Section 312 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, section 1002 
of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or the Park System Resource 
Protection Act at 16 U.S.C. 19jj, to the extent that a Corps permit is 
required.
    Compliance is a condition of the NWP itself. Any authorization 
under this NWP is automatically revoked if the permittee does not 
comply with the terms of this NWP or the terms of the court decision, 
consent decree, or judicial/non-judicial settlement agreement. This NWP 
does not apply to any activities occurring after the date of the 
decision, decree, or agreement that are not for the purpose of 
mitigation, restoration, or environmental benefit. Before reaching any 
settlement agreement, the Corps will ensure compliance with the 
provisions of 33 CFR part 326 and 33 CFR 330.6(d)(2) and (e). (Sections 
10 and 404)
    33. Temporary Construction, Access, and Dewatering. Temporary 
structures, work, and discharges, including cofferdams, necessary for 
construction activities or access fills or dewatering of construction 
sites, provided that the associated primary activity is authorized by 
the Corps of Engineers or the U.S. Coast Guard. This NWP also 
authorizes temporary structures, work, and discharges, including 
cofferdams, necessary for construction activities not otherwise subject 
to the Corps or U.S. Coast Guard permit requirements. Appropriate 
measures must be taken to maintain near normal downstream flows and to 
minimize flooding. Fill must consist of materials, and be placed in a 
manner, that will not be eroded by expected high flows. The use of 
dredged material may be allowed if the district engineer determines 
that it will not cause more than minimal adverse environmental effects. 
Following completion of construction, temporary fill must be entirely 
removed to an area that has no waters of the United States, dredged 
material must be returned to its original location, and the affected 
areas must be restored to pre-construction elevations. The affected 
areas must also be revegetated, as appropriate. This

[[Page 35226]]

permit does not authorize the use of cofferdams to dewater wetlands or 
other aquatic areas to change their use. Structures left in place after 
construction is completed require a separate section 10 permit if 
located in navigable waters of the United States. (See 33 CFR part 
322.)
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if the activity is conducted in navigable waters of the United States 
(i.e., section 10 waters) (see general condition 32). The pre-
construction notification must include a restoration plan showing how 
all temporary fills and structures will be removed and the area 
restored to pre-project conditions. (Sections 10 and 404)
    34. Cranberry Production Activities. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material for dikes, berms, pumps, water control structures or leveling 
of cranberry beds associated with expansion, enhancement, or 
modification activities at existing cranberry production operations. 
The cumulative total acreage of disturbance per cranberry production 
operation, including but not limited to, filling, flooding, ditching, 
or clearing, must not exceed 10 acres of waters of the United States, 
including wetlands. The activity must not result in a net loss of 
wetland acreage. This NWP does not authorize any discharge of dredged 
or fill material related to other cranberry production activities such 
as warehouses, processing facilities, or parking areas. For the 
purposes of this NWP, the cumulative total of 10 acres will be measured 
over the period that this NWP is valid.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer once during the period that this 
NWP is valid, and the NWP will then authorize discharges of dredge or 
fill material at an existing operation for the permit term, provided 
the 10-acre limit is not exceeded. (See general condition 32.) (Section 
404)
    35. Maintenance Dredging of Existing Basins. The removal of 
accumulated sediment for maintenance of existing marina basins, access 
channels to marinas or boat slips, and boat slips to previously 
authorized depths or controlling depths for ingress/egress, whichever 
is less. All dredged material must be placed in an area that has no 
waters of the United States or in a separately authorized disposal site 
in waters of the United States. Proper siltation controls must be used 
for the disposal site. (Section 10)
    36. Boat Ramps. Activities required for the construction of boat 
ramps, provided the activity meets all of the following criteria:
    (a) The discharge into waters of the United States does not exceed 
50 cubic yards of concrete, rock, crushed stone or gravel into forms, 
or in the form of pre-cast concrete planks or slabs, unless the 
district engineer waives the 50 cubic yard limit by making a written 
determination concluding that the discharge will result in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects;
    (b) The boat ramp does not exceed 20 feet in width, unless the 
district engineer waives this criterion by making a written 
determination concluding that the discharge will result in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects;
    (c) The base material is crushed stone, gravel or other suitable 
material;
    (d) The excavation is limited to the area necessary for site 
preparation and all excavated material is removed to an area that has 
no waters of the United States; and,
    (e) No material is placed in special aquatic sites, including 
wetlands.
    The use of unsuitable material that is structurally unstable is not 
authorized. If dredging in navigable waters of the United States is 
necessary to provide access to the boat ramp, the dredging must be 
authorized by another NWP, a regional general permit, or an individual 
permit.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity 
if: (1) The discharge into waters of the United States exceeds 50 cubic 
yards, or (2) the boat ramp exceeds 20 feet in width. (See general 
condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    37. Emergency Watershed Protection and Rehabilitation. Work done by 
or funded by:
    (a) The Natural Resources Conservation Service for a situation 
requiring immediate action under its emergency Watershed Protection 
Program (7 CFR part 624);
    (b) The U.S. Forest Service under its Burned-Area Emergency 
Rehabilitation Handbook (FSH 2509.13);
    (c) The Department of the Interior for wildland fire management 
burned area emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (DOI Manual part 
620, Ch. 3);
    (d) The Office of Surface Mining, or states with approved programs, 
for abandoned mine land reclamation activities under Title IV of the 
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (30 CFR subchapter R), where 
the activity does not involve coal extraction; or
    (e) The Farm Service Agency under its Emergency Conservation 
Program (7 CFR part 701).
    In general, the prospective permittee should wait until the 
district engineer issues an NWP verification or 45 calendar days have 
passed before proceeding with the watershed protection and 
rehabilitation activity. However, in cases where there is an 
unacceptable hazard to life or a significant loss of property or 
economic hardship will occur, the emergency watershed protection and 
rehabilitation activity may proceed immediately and the district 
engineer will consider the information in the pre-construction 
notification and any comments received as a result of agency 
coordination to decide whether the NWP 37 authorization should be 
modified, suspended, or revoked in accordance with the procedures at 33 
CFR 330.5.
    Notification: Except in cases where there is an unacceptable hazard 
to life or a significant loss of property or economic hardship will 
occur, the permittee must submit a pre-construction notification to the 
district engineer prior to commencing the activity (see general 
condition 32). (Sections 10 and 404)
    38. Cleanup of Hazardous and Toxic Waste. Specific activities 
required to effect the containment, stabilization, or removal of 
hazardous or toxic waste materials that are performed, ordered, or 
sponsored by a government agency with established legal or regulatory 
authority. Court ordered remedial action plans or related settlements 
are also authorized by this NWP. This NWP does not authorize the 
establishment of new disposal sites or the expansion of existing sites 
used for the disposal of hazardous or toxic waste.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note: Activities undertaken entirely on a Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 
site by authority of CERCLA as approved or required by EPA, are not 
required to obtain permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act.

    39. Commercial and Institutional Developments. Discharges of 
dredged or fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States for 
the construction or expansion of commercial and institutional building 
foundations and building pads and attendant features that are necessary 
for the use and maintenance of the structures. Attendant features may 
include, but are

[[Page 35227]]

not limited to, roads, parking lots, garages, yards, utility lines, 
storm water management facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, and 
recreation facilities such as playgrounds and playing fields. Examples 
of commercial developments include retail stores, industrial 
facilities, restaurants, business parks, and shopping centers. Examples 
of institutional developments include schools, fire stations, 
government office buildings, judicial buildings, public works 
buildings, libraries, hospitals, and places of worship. The 
construction of new golf courses and new ski areas is not authorized by 
this NWP.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in only minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note: For any activity that involves the construction of a wind 
energy generating structure, solar tower, or overhead transmission 
line, a copy of the PCN and NWP verification will be provided to the 
Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse, which will evaluate 
potential effects on military activities.

    40. Agricultural Activities. Discharges of dredged or fill material 
into non-tidal waters of the United States for agricultural activities, 
including the construction of building pads for farm buildings. 
Authorized activities include the installation, placement, or 
construction of drainage tiles, ditches, or levees; mechanized land 
clearing; land leveling; the relocation of existing serviceable 
drainage ditches constructed in waters of the United States; and 
similar activities.
    This NWP also authorizes the construction of farm ponds in non-
tidal waters of the United States, excluding perennial streams, 
provided the farm pond is used solely for agricultural purposes. This 
NWP does not authorize the construction of aquaculture ponds.
    This NWP also authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material 
into non-tidal waters of the United States to relocate existing 
serviceable drainage ditches constructed in non-tidal streams.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Section 404)

    Note: Some discharges for agricultural activities may qualify 
for an exemption under Section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act (see 33 
CFR 323.4). This NWP authorizes the construction of farm ponds that 
do not qualify for the Clean Water Act section 404(f)(1)(C) 
exemption because of the recapture provision at section 404(f)(2).

    41. Reshaping Existing Drainage Ditches. Discharges of dredged or 
fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States, excluding 
non-tidal wetlands adjacent to tidal waters, to modify the cross-
sectional configuration of currently serviceable drainage ditches 
constructed in waters of the United States, for the purpose of 
improving water quality by regrading the drainage ditch with gentler 
slopes, which can reduce erosion, increase growth of vegetation, and 
increase uptake of nutrients and other substances by vegetation. The 
reshaping of the ditch cannot increase drainage capacity beyond the 
original as-built capacity nor can it expand the area drained by the 
ditch as originally constructed (i.e., the capacity of the ditch must 
be the same as originally constructed and it cannot drain additional 
wetlands or other waters of the United States). Compensatory mitigation 
is not required because the work is designed to improve water quality.
    This NWP does not authorize the relocation of drainage ditches 
constructed in waters of the United States; the location of the 
centerline of the reshaped drainage ditch must be approximately the 
same as the location of the centerline of the original drainage ditch. 
This NWP does not authorize stream channelization or stream relocation 
projects. (Section 404)
    42. Recreational Facilities. Discharges of dredged or fill material 
into non-tidal waters of the United States for the construction or 
expansion of recreational facilities. Examples of recreational 
facilities that may be authorized by this NWP include playing fields 
(e.g., football fields, baseball fields), basketball courts, tennis 
courts, hiking trails, bike paths, golf courses, ski areas, horse 
paths, nature centers, and campgrounds (excluding recreational vehicle 
parks). This NWP also authorizes the construction or expansion of small 
support facilities, such as maintenance and storage buildings and 
stables that are directly related to the recreational activity, but it 
does not authorize the construction of hotels, restaurants, racetracks, 
stadiums, arenas, or similar facilities.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Section 404)
    43. Stormwater Management Facilities. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material into non-tidal waters of the United States for the 
construction of stormwater management facilities, including stormwater 
detention basins and retention basins and other stormwater management 
facilities; the construction of water control structures, outfall 
structures and emergency spillways; and the construction of low impact 
development integrated management features such as bioretention 
facilities (e.g., rain gardens), vegetated filter strips, grassed 
swales, and infiltration trenches. This NWP also authorizes, to the 
extent that a section 404 permit is required, discharges of dredged or 
fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States for the 
maintenance of stormwater management facilities. Note that stormwater 
management facilities that meet the criteria at 33 CFR part 328.3(b)(6) 
are not waters of the United States, and maintenance of these waste

[[Page 35228]]

treatment systems does not require a section 404 permit.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses 
of jurisdictional wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot 
exceed \1/2\-acre. This NWP does not authorize discharges of dredged or 
fill material for the construction of new stormwater management 
facilities in perennial streams.
    Notification: For the construction of new stormwater management 
facilities, or the expansion of existing stormwater management 
facilities, the permittee must submit a pre-construction notification 
to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. (See general 
condition 32.) Maintenance activities do not require pre-construction 
notification if they are limited to restoring the original design 
capacities of the stormwater management facility. (Section 404)
    44. Mining Activities. Discharges of dredged or fill material into 
non-tidal waters of the United States for mining activities, except for 
coal mining activities, provided the activity meets all of the 
following criteria:
    (a) For mining activities involving discharges of dredged or fill 
material into non-tidal wetlands, the discharge must not cause the loss 
of greater than \1/2\-acre of non-tidal wetlands;
    (b) For mining activities involving discharges of dredged or fill 
material in non-tidal open waters (e.g., rivers, streams, lakes, and 
ponds) the mined area, including permanent and temporary impacts due to 
discharges of dredged or fill material into jurisdictional waters, must 
not exceed \1/2\-acre; and
    (c) The acreage loss under paragraph (a) plus the acreage impact 
under paragraph (b) does not exceed \1/2\-acre.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of more than 300 linear feet 
of stream bed, unless for intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the 
district engineer waives the 300 linear foot limit by making a written 
determination concluding that the discharge will result in minimal 
adverse effects.
    The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre.
    This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction-
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) If reclamation is required by other 
statutes, then a copy of the final reclamation plan must be submitted 
with the pre-construction notification. (Sections 10 and 404)
    45. Repair of Uplands Damaged by Discrete Events. This NWP 
authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material, including dredging 
or excavation, into all waters of the United States for activities 
associated with the restoration of upland areas damaged by storms, 
floods, or other discrete events. This NWP authorizes bank 
stabilization to protect the restored uplands. The restoration of the 
damaged areas, including any bank stabilization, must not exceed the 
contours, or ordinary high water mark, that existed before the damage 
occurred. The district engineer retains the right to determine the 
extent of the pre-existing conditions and the extent of any restoration 
work authorized by this NWP. The work must commence, or be under 
contract to commence, within two years of the date of damage, unless 
this condition is waived in writing by the district engineer. This NWP 
cannot be used to reclaim lands lost to normal erosion processes over 
an extended period.
    This NWP does not authorize beach restoration or nourishment.
    Minor dredging is limited to the amount necessary to restore the 
damaged upland area and should not significantly alter the pre-existing 
bottom contours of the waterbody.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer (see general condition 32) within 
12 months of the date of the damage; for major storms, floods, or other 
discrete events, the district engineer may waive the 12-month limit for 
submitting a pre-construction notification if the permittee can 
demonstrate funding, contract, or other similar delays. The pre-
construction notification must include documentation, such as a recent 
topographic survey or photographs, to justify the extent of the 
proposed restoration. (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note: The uplands themselves that are lost as a result of a 
storm, flood, or other discrete event can be replaced without a 
section 404 permit, if the uplands are restored to the ordinary high 
water mark (in non-tidal waters) or high tide line (in tidal 
waters). (See also 33 CFR 328.5.) This NWP authorizes discharges of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States associated 
with the restoration of uplands.

    46. Discharges in Ditches. Discharges of dredged or fill material 
into non-tidal ditches that are: (1) constructed in uplands, (2) 
receive water from an area determined to be a water of the United 
States prior to the construction of the ditch, (3) divert water to an 
area determined to be a water of the United States prior to the 
construction of the ditch, and (4) determined to be waters of the 
United States. The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than 
one acre of waters of the United States.
    This NWP does not authorize discharges of dredged or fill material 
into ditches constructed in streams or other waters of the United 
States, or in streams that have been relocated in uplands. This NWP 
does not authorize discharges of dredged or fill material that increase 
the capacity of the ditch and drain those areas determined to be waters 
of the United States prior to construction of the ditch.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Section 404)
    47. [Reserved]
    48. Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Activities. Discharges of 
dredged or fill material in waters of the United States or structures 
or work in navigable waters of the United States necessary for new and 
continuing commercial shellfish aquaculture operations in authorized 
project areas. For the purposes of this NWP, the project area is the 
area in which the operator is authorized to conduct commercial 
shellfish aquaculture activities, as identified through a lease or 
permit issued by an appropriate state or local government agency, a 
treaty, or any easement, lease, deed, contract, or other legally 
binding agreement that establishes an enforceable property interest for 
the operator. A ``new commercial shellfish aquaculture operation'' is 
an operation in an area where commercial shellfish aquaculture 
activities have not been conducted during the past 100 years.
    This NWP authorizes the installation of buoys, floats, racks, 
trays, nets, lines, tubes, containers, and other structures into 
navigable waters of the United States. This NWP also authorizes 
discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States 
necessary for shellfish seeding, rearing, cultivating, transplanting, 
and

[[Page 35229]]

harvesting activities. Rafts and other floating structures must be 
securely anchored and clearly marked.
    This NWP does not authorize:
    (a) The cultivation of a nonindigenous species unless that species 
has been previously cultivated in the waterbody;
    (b) The cultivation of an aquatic nuisance species as defined in 
the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990;
    (c) Attendant features such as docks, piers, boat ramps, 
stockpiles, or staging areas, or the deposition of shell material back 
into waters of the United States as waste; or
    (d) Activities that directly affect more than \1/2\-acre of 
submerged aquatic vegetation beds in areas that have not been used for 
commercial shellfish aquaculture activities during the past 100 years.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer if: (1) The activity will include 
a species that has never been cultivated in the waterbody; or (2) the 
activity occurs in an area that has not been used for commercial 
shellfish aquaculture activities during the past 100 years. (See 
general condition 32.)
    In addition to the information required by paragraph (b) of general 
condition 32, the pre-construction notification must also include the 
following information: (1) A map showing the boundaries of the project 
area, with latitude and longitude coordinates for each corner of the 
project area; (2) the name(s) of the species that will be cultivated 
during the period this NWP is in effect; (3) whether canopy predator 
nets will be used; (4) whether suspended cultivation techniques will be 
used; and (5) general water depths in the project area (a detailed 
survey is not required). (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note 1: The permittee should notify the applicable U.S. Coast 
Guard office regarding the project.


    Note 2: To prevent introduction of aquatic nuisance species, no 
material that has been taken from a different waterbody may be 
reused in the current project area, unless it has been treated in 
accordance with the applicable regional aquatic nuisance species 
management plan.


    Note 3: The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and 
Control Act of 1990 defines ``aquatic nuisance species'' as ``a 
nonindigenous species that threatens the diversity or abundance of 
native species or the ecological stability of infested waters, or 
commercial, agricultural, aquacultural, or recreational activities 
dependent on such waters.''

    49. Coal Remining Activities. Discharges of dredged or fill 
material into non-tidal waters of the United States associated with the 
remining and reclamation of lands that were previously mined for coal. 
The activities must already be authorized, or they must currently be in 
process as part of an integrated permit processing procedure, by the 
Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement, or by states with approved programs under Title IV or 
Title V of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 
(SMCRA). Areas previously mined include reclaimed mine sites, abandoned 
mine land areas, or lands under bond forfeiture contracts.
    As part of the project, the permittee may conduct new coal mining 
activities in conjunction with the remining activities when he or she 
clearly demonstrates to the district engineer that the overall mining 
plan will result in a net increase in aquatic resource functions. The 
Corps will consider the SMCRA agency's decision regarding the amount of 
currently undisturbed adjacent lands needed to facilitate the remining 
and reclamation of the previously mined area. The total area disturbed 
by new mining must not exceed 40 percent of the total acreage covered 
by both the remined area and the additional area necessary to carry out 
the reclamation of the previously mined area.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification and a document describing how the overall mining plan will 
result in a net increase in aquatic resource functions to the district 
engineer and receive written authorization prior to commencing the 
activity. (See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    50. Underground Coal Mining Activities. Discharges of dredged or 
fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States associated 
with underground coal mining and reclamation operations provided the 
activities are authorized, or are currently being processed as part of 
an integrated permit processing procedure, by the Department of the 
Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, or by 
states with approved programs under Title V of the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre. This NWP does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters. This NWP does not authorize coal preparation 
and processing activities outside of the mine site.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer and receive written authorization 
prior to commencing the activity. (See general condition 32.) If 
reclamation is required by other statutes, then a copy of the 
reclamation plan must be submitted with the pre-construction 
notification. (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note: Coal preparation and processing activities outside of the 
mine site may be authorized by NWP 21.

    51. Land-Based Renewable Energy Generation Facilities. Discharges 
of dredged or fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States 
for the construction, expansion, or modification of land-based 
renewable energy production facilities, including attendant features. 
Such facilities include infrastructure to collect solar (concentrating 
solar power and photovoltaic), wind, biomass, or geothermal energy. 
Attendant features may include, but are not limited to roads, parking 
lots, and stormwater management facilities within the land-based 
renewable energy generation facility.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
non-tidal waters of the United States. The discharge must not cause the 
loss of more than 300 linear feet of stream bed, unless for 
intermittent and ephemeral stream beds the district engineer waives the 
300 linear foot limit by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects. The loss of stream bed plus any other losses of jurisdictional 
wetlands and waters caused by the NWP activity cannot exceed \1/2\-
acre. This permit does not authorize discharges into non-tidal wetlands 
adjacent to tidal waters.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note 1: Utility lines constructed to transfer the energy from 
the land-based renewable energy generation facility to a 
distribution system, regional grid, or other facility are generally 
considered to be linear projects and

[[Page 35230]]

each separate and distant crossing of a waterbody is eligible for 
treatment as a separate single and complete linear project. Those 
utility lines may be authorized by NWP 12 or another Department of 
the Army authorization.


    Note 2: If the only activities associated with the construction, 
expansion, or modification of a land-based renewable energy 
generation facility that require Department of the Army 
authorization are discharges of dredged or fill material into waters 
of the United States to construct, maintain, repair, and/or remove 
utility lines and/or road crossings, then NWP 12 and/or NWP 14 shall 
be used if those activities meet the terms and conditions of NWPs 12 
and 14, including any applicable regional conditions and any case-
specific conditions imposed by the district engineer.


    Note 3: For any activity that involves the construction of a 
wind energy generating structure, solar tower, or overhead 
transmission line, a copy of the PCN and NWP verification will be 
provided to the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse, which 
will evaluate potential effects on military activities.

    52. Water-Based Renewable Energy Generation Pilot Projects. 
Structures and work in navigable waters of the United States and 
discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States 
for the construction, expansion, modification, or removal of water-
based wind, water-based solar, or hydrokinetic renewable energy 
generation projects and their attendant features. Attendant features 
may include, but are not limited to, land-based collection and 
distribution facilities, control facilities, roads, parking lots, and 
stormwater management facilities.
    For the purposes of this NWP, the term ``pilot project'' means an 
experimental project where the renewable energy generation units will 
be monitored to collect information on their performance and 
environmental effects at the project site.
    The discharge must not cause the loss of greater than \1/2\-acre of 
waters of the United States, including the loss of more than 300 linear 
feet of stream bed, unless for intermittent and ephemeral stream beds 
the district engineer waives the 300 linear foot limit by making a 
written determination concluding that the discharge will result in no 
more than minimal adverse environmental effects. The placement of a 
transmission line on the bed of a navigable water of the United States 
from the renewable energy generation unit(s) to a land-based collection 
and distribution facility is considered a structure under Section 10 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (see 33 CFR 322.2(b)), and the 
placement of the transmission line on the bed of a navigable water of 
the United States is not a loss of waters of the United States for the 
purposes of applying the \1/2\-acre or 300 linear foot limits.
    For each single and complete project, no more than 10 generation 
units (e.g., wind turbines or hydrokinetic devices) are authorized. For 
floating solar panels in navigable waters of the United States, each 
single and complete project cannot exceed \1/2\-acre in water surface 
area covered by the floating solar panels.
    This NWP does not authorize activities in coral reefs. Structures 
in an anchorage area established by the U.S. Coast Guard must comply 
with the requirements in 33 CFR 322.5(l)(2). Structures may not be 
placed in established danger zones or restricted areas as designated in 
33 CFR part 334, Federal navigation channels, shipping safety fairways 
or traffic separation schemes established by the U.S. Coast Guard (see 
33 CFR 322.5(l)(1)), or EPA or Corps designated open water dredged 
material disposal areas.
    Upon completion of the pilot project, the generation units, 
transmission lines, and other structures or fills associated with the 
pilot project must be removed to the maximum extent practicable unless 
they are authorized by a separate Department of the Army authorization, 
such as another NWP, an individual permit, or a regional general 
permit. Completion of the pilot project will be identified as the date 
of expiration of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
license, or the expiration date of the NWP authorization if no FERC 
license is issued.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)

    Note 1: Utility lines constructed to transfer the energy from 
the land-based collection facility to a distribution system, 
regional grid, or other facility are generally considered to be 
linear projects and each separate and distant crossing of a 
waterbody is eligible for treatment as a separate single and 
complete linear project. Those utility lines may be authorized by 
NWP 12 or another Department of the Army authorization.


    Note 2: An activity that is located on an existing locally or 
federally maintained U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project requires 
separate approval from the Chief of Engineers or District Engineer 
under 33 U.S.C. 408.


    Note 3: If the pilot project, including any transmission lines, 
are placed in navigable waters of the United States (i.e., section 
10 waters) within the coastal United States, the Great Lakes, and 
United States territories, copies of the pre-construction 
notification and NWP verification will be sent by the Corps to the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean 
Service, for charting the generation units and associated 
transmission line(s) to protect navigation.


    Note 4: Hydrokinetic renewable energy generation projects that 
require authorization by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
under the Federal Power Act of 1920 do not require separate 
authorization from the Corps under section 10 of the Rivers and 
Harbors Act of 1899.


    Note 5: For any activity that involves the construction of a 
wind energy generating structure, solar tower, or overhead 
transmission line, a copy of the PCN and NWP verification will be 
provided to the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse, which 
will evaluate potential effects on military activities.

    Proposed NWP A. Removal of Low-Head Dams. Structures and work in 
navigable waters of the United States and discharges of dredged or fill 
material into waters of the United States associated with the removal 
of low head dams. For the purposes of this NWP, the term ``low-head 
dam'' is defined as a dam built across a stream to pass flows from 
upstream over the entire width of the dam crest on an uncontrolled 
basis.
    All of the removed dam structures must be deposited and retained in 
an area that has no waters of the United States unless otherwise 
specifically approved by the district engineer under separate 
authorization.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the activity. 
(See general condition 32.) (Sections 10 and 404)
    Proposed NWP B. Living Shorelines. Living shoreline bank 
stabilization activities in navigable waters of the United States and 
discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States 
for the construction and maintenance of living shorelines to stabilize 
banks and shores in low- to mid-energy coastal waters and lakes. 
``Living shoreline'' is a broad term that encompasses a range of 
shoreline stabilization techniques along estuarine coasts, bays, 
sheltered coastlines, and tributaries. A living shoreline has a 
footprint that is made up mostly of native material. It incorporates 
vegetation or other living, natural ``soft'' elements alone or in 
combination with some type of harder shoreline structure (e.g., oyster 
reefs or rock sills) for added stability. Living shorelines should 
maintain the natural continuity of the land-water interface, and retain 
or enhance shoreline ecological processes. Living shorelines must have 
a substantial biological component, either

[[Page 35231]]

tidal or lacustrine fringe wetlands or reef structures. The following 
conditions must be met:
    (a) The structures and fill area, including sills, breakwaters, or 
reefs, cannot extend into the waterbody more than 30 feet from the mean 
high water line or ordinary high water mark, unless the district 
engineer waives this criterion by making a written determination 
concluding that the activity will result in no more than minimal 
adverse environmental effects;
    (b) The activity is no more than 500 feet in length along the bank, 
unless the district engineer waives this criterion by making a written 
determination concluding that the activity will result in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects;
    (c) Coir logs, coir mats, stone, native oyster shell, native wood 
debris and other structural materials must be adequately anchored, of 
sufficient weight, or installed in a manner that prevents relocation in 
most wave action or water flow conditions, except for extremely severe 
storms;
    (d) For living shorelines consisting of tidal or lacustrine fringe 
wetlands, native plants appropriate for current site conditions, 
including salinity, must be used;
    (e) Discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States, and reef structures in navigable waters, must be the 
minimum necessary for the establishment and maintenance of the living 
shoreline;
    (f) The activity must be designed, constructed, and maintained so 
that it has no more than minimal adverse effects on water movement 
between the waterbody and the shore and the movement of aquatic 
organisms between the waterbody and the shore;
    (g) The activity does not involve discharges of dredged or fill 
material into special aquatic sites, unless the district engineer 
waives this criterion by making a written determination concluding that 
the discharge will result in no more than minimal adverse environmental 
effects; and
    (h) The living shoreline must be properly maintained as a living 
shoreline, which may require repairing sills, breakwaters, and reefs, 
replacing sand fills, and replanting vegetation after severe storms or 
erosion events. This NWP authorizes those maintenance and repair 
activities to the original permitted conditions.
    This NWP does not authorize beach nourishment or land reclamation 
activities.
    Notification: The permittee must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer prior to commencing the 
construction of the living shoreline. (See general condition 32.) The 
pre-construction notification must include a delineation of special 
aquatic sites (see paragraph (b)(4) of general condition 32). Pre-
construction notification is not required for maintenance and repair 
activities for living shorelines unless required by applicable NWP 
general conditions or regional conditions. (Sections 10 and 404)

C. Nationwide Permit General Conditions

    Note: To qualify for NWP authorization, the prospective 
permittee must comply with the following general conditions, as 
applicable, in addition to any regional or case-specific conditions 
imposed by the division engineer or district engineer. Prospective 
permittees should contact the appropriate Corps district office to 
determine if regional conditions have been imposed on an NWP. 
Prospective permittees should also contact the appropriate Corps 
district office to determine the status of Clean Water Act Section 
401 water quality certification and/or Coastal Zone Management Act 
consistency for an NWP. Every person who may wish to obtain permit 
authorization under one or more NWPs, or who is currently relying on 
an existing or prior permit authorization under one or more NWPs, 
has been and is on notice that all of the provisions of 33 CFR 330.1 
through 330.6 apply to every NWP authorization. Note especially 33 
CFR 330.5 relating to the modification, suspension, or revocation of 
any NWP authorization.

    1. Navigation. (a) No activity may cause more than a minimal 
adverse effect on navigation.
    (b) Any safety lights and signals prescribed by the U.S. Coast 
Guard, through regulations or otherwise, must be installed and 
maintained at the permittee's expense on authorized facilities in 
navigable waters of the United States.
    (c) The permittee understands and agrees that, if future operations 
by the United States require the removal, relocation, or other 
alteration, of the structure or work herein authorized, or if, in the 
opinion of the Secretary of the Army or his authorized representative, 
said structure or work shall cause unreasonable obstruction to the free 
navigation of the navigable waters, the permittee will be required, 
upon due notice from the Corps of Engineers, to remove, relocate, or 
alter the structural work or obstructions caused thereby, without 
expense to the United States. No claim shall be made against the United 
States on account of any such removal or alteration.
    2. Aquatic Life Movements. No activity may substantially disrupt 
the necessary life cycle movements of those species of aquatic life 
indigenous to the waterbody, including those species that normally 
migrate through the area, unless the activity's primary purpose is to 
impound water. All permanent and temporary crossings of waterbodies 
shall be suitably culverted, bridged, or otherwise designed and 
constructed to maintain low flows to sustain the movement of those 
aquatic species.
    3. Spawning Areas. Activities in spawning areas during spawning 
seasons must be avoided to the maximum extent practicable. Activities 
that result in the physical destruction (e.g., through excavation, 
fill, or downstream smothering by substantial turbidity) of an 
important spawning area are not authorized.
    4. Migratory Bird Breeding Areas. Activities in waters of the 
United States that serve as breeding areas for migratory birds must be 
avoided to the maximum extent practicable.
    5. Shellfish Beds. No activity may occur in areas of concentrated 
shellfish populations, unless the activity is directly related to a 
shellfish harvesting activity authorized by NWPs 4 and 48, or is a 
shellfish seeding or habitat restoration activity authorized by NWP 27.
    6. Suitable Material. No activity may use unsuitable material 
(e.g., trash, debris, car bodies, asphalt, etc.). Material used for 
construction or discharged must be free from toxic pollutants in toxic 
amounts (see section 307 of the Clean Water Act).
    7. Water Supply Intakes. No activity may occur in the proximity of 
a public water supply intake, except where the activity is for the 
repair or improvement of public water supply intake structures or 
adjacent bank stabilization.
    8. Adverse Effects From Impoundments. If the activity creates an 
impoundment of water, adverse effects to the aquatic system due to 
accelerating the passage of water, and/or restricting its flow must be 
minimized to the maximum extent practicable.
    9. Management of Water Flows. To the maximum extent practicable, 
the pre-construction course, condition, capacity, and location of open 
waters must be maintained for each activity, including stream 
channelization and storm water management activities, except as 
provided below. The activity must be constructed to withstand expected 
high flows. The activity must not restrict or impede the passage of 
normal or high flows, unless the primary purpose of the activity is to 
impound water or manage high flows. The activity may alter the pre-
construction course, condition, capacity, and location of open waters 
if

[[Page 35232]]

it benefits the aquatic environment (e.g., stream restoration or 
relocation activities).
    10. Fills Within 100-Year Floodplains. The activity must comply 
with applicable FEMA-approved state or local floodplain management 
requirements.
    11. Equipment. Heavy equipment working in wetlands or mudflats must 
be placed on mats, or other measures must be taken to minimize soil 
disturbance.
    12. Soil Erosion and Sediment Controls. Appropriate soil erosion 
and sediment controls must be used and maintained in effective 
operating condition during construction, and all exposed soil and other 
fills, as well as any work below the ordinary high water mark or high 
tide line, must be permanently stabilized at the earliest practicable 
date. Permittees are encouraged to perform work within waters of the 
United States during periods of low-flow or no-flow, or during low 
tides.
    13. Removal of Temporary Fills. Temporary fills must be removed in 
their entirety and the affected areas returned to pre-construction 
elevations. The affected areas must be revegetated, as appropriate.
    14. Proper Maintenance. Any authorized structure or fill shall be 
properly maintained, including maintenance to ensure public safety and 
compliance with applicable NWP general conditions, as well as any 
activity-specific conditions added by the district engineer to an NWP 
authorization.
    15. Single and Complete Project. The activity must be a single and 
complete project. The same NWP cannot be used more than once for the 
same single and complete project.
    16. Wild and Scenic Rivers. (a) No activity may occur in a 
component of the National Wild and Scenic River System, or in a river 
officially designated by Congress as a ``study river'' for possible 
inclusion in the system while the river is in an official study status, 
unless the appropriate Federal agency with direct management 
responsibility for such river, has determined in writing that the 
proposed activity will not adversely affect the Wild and Scenic River 
designation or study status.
    (b) If a proposed NWP activity will occur in a component of the 
National Wild and Scenic River System, or in a river officially 
designated by Congress as a ``study river'' for possible inclusion in 
the system while the river is in an official study status, the 
permittee must submit a pre-construction notification (see general 
condition 32). The district engineer will coordinate the PCN with the 
Federal agency with direct management responsibility for that river. 
The permittee shall not begin the NWP activity until notified by the 
district engineer that the Federal agency with direct management 
responsibility for that river has determined in writing that the 
proposed NWP activity will not adversely affect the Wild and Scenic 
River designation or study status.
    (c) Information on Wild and Scenic Rivers may be obtained from the 
appropriate Federal land management agency responsible for the 
designated Wild and Scenic River or study river (e.g., National Park 
Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service). Information on these rivers is also available at: 
https://www.rivers.gov/.
    17. Tribal Rights. No activity or its operation may impair reserved 
tribal rights, including, but not limited to, reserved water rights and 
treaty fishing and hunting rights.
    18. Endangered Species. (a) No activity is authorized under any NWP 
which is likely to directly or indirectly jeopardize the continued 
existence of a threatened or endangered species or a species proposed 
for such designation, as identified under the Federal Endangered 
Species Act (ESA), or which will directly or indirectly destroy or 
adversely modify the critical habitat of such species. No activity is 
authorized under any NWP which ``may affect'' a listed species or 
critical habitat, unless section 7 consultation addressing the effects 
of the proposed activity has been completed. Direct effects are the 
immediate effects on listed species and critical habitat caused by the 
NWP activity. Indirect effects are those effects on listed species and 
critical habitat that are caused by the NWP activity and are later in 
time, but still are reasonably certain to occur.
    (b) Federal agencies should follow their own procedures for 
complying with the requirements of the ESA. If pre-construction 
notification is required for the proposed activity, Federal permittees 
must provide the district engineer with the appropriate documentation 
to demonstrate compliance with those requirements. The district 
engineer will verify that the appropriate documentation has been 
submitted. If the appropriate documentation has not been submitted, 
additional ESA section 7 consultation may be necessary for the activity 
and the respective federal agency would be responsible for fulfilling 
its obligation under section 7 of the ESA.
    (c) Non-federal permittees must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer if any listed species or 
designated critical habitat might be affected or is in the vicinity of 
the activity, or if the activity is located in designated critical 
habitat, and shall not begin work on the activity until notified by the 
district engineer that the requirements of the ESA have been satisfied 
and that the activity is authorized. For activities that might affect 
Federally-listed endangered or threatened species or designated 
critical habitat, the pre-construction notification must include the 
name(s) of the endangered or threatened species that might be affected 
by the proposed activity or that utilize the designated critical 
habitat that might be affected by the proposed work. The district 
engineer will determine whether the proposed activity ``may affect'' or 
will have ``no effect'' to listed species and designated critical 
habitat and will notify the non-Federal applicant of the Corps' 
determination within 45 days of receipt of a complete pre-construction 
notification. In cases where the non-Federal applicant has identified 
listed species or critical habitat that might be affected or is in the 
vicinity of the activity, and has so notified the Corps, the applicant 
shall not begin work until the Corps has provided notification the 
proposed activities will have ``no effect'' on listed species or 
critical habitat, or until section 7 consultation has been completed. 
If the non-Federal applicant has not heard back from the Corps within 
45 days, the applicant must still wait for notification from the Corps.
    (d) As a result of formal or informal consultation with the FWS or 
NMFS the district engineer may add species-specific permit conditions 
to the NWPs.
    (e) Authorization of an activity by a NWP does not authorize the 
``take'' of a threatened or endangered species as defined under the 
ESA. In the absence of separate authorization (e.g., an ESA Section 10 
Permit, a Biological Opinion with ``incidental take'' provisions, etc.) 
from the FWS or the NMFS, the Endangered Species Act prohibits any 
person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to take a 
listed species, where ``take'' means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, 
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage 
in any such conduct. The word ``harm'' in the definition of ``take'' 
means an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. Such an act may 
include significant habitat modification or degradation where it 
actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential 
behavioral patterns,

[[Page 35233]]

including breeding, feeding or sheltering.
    (f) Information on the location of threatened and endangered 
species and their critical habitat can be obtained directly from the 
offices of the FWS and NMFS or their world wide Web pages at https://www.fws.gov/ or https://www.fws.gov/ipac and https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/esa/ respectively.
    19. Migratory Birds and Bald and Golden Eagles. The permittee is 
responsible for ensuring their action complies with the Migratory Bird 
Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The permittee 
is responsible for contacting appropriate local office of the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service to determine applicable measures to reduce impacts 
to migratory birds or eagles, including whether ``incidental take'' 
permits are necessary and available under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 
or Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act for a particular activity.
    20. Historic Properties. (a) In cases where the district engineer 
determines that the activity may affect properties listed, or eligible 
for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places, the activity 
is not authorized, until the requirements of Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) have been satisfied.
    (b) Federal permittees should follow their own procedures for 
complying with the requirements of section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act. If pre-construction notification is required for the 
proposed NWP activity, Federal permittees must provide the district 
engineer with the appropriate documentation to demonstrate compliance 
with those requirements. The district engineer will verify that the 
appropriate documentation has been submitted. If the appropriate 
documentation is not submitted, then additional consultation under 
section 106 may be necessary. The respective federal agency is 
responsible for fulfilling its obligation to comply with section 106.
    (c) Non-federal permittees must submit a pre-construction 
notification to the district engineer if the activity may have the 
potential to cause effects to any historic properties listed on, 
determined to be eligible for listing on, or potentially eligible for 
listing on the National Register of Historic Places, including 
previously unidentified properties. For such activities, the pre-
construction notification must state which historic properties may be 
affected by the proposed work or include a vicinity map indicating the 
location of the historic properties or the potential for the presence 
of historic properties. Assistance regarding information on the 
location of or potential for the presence of historic resources can be 
sought from the State Historic Preservation Officer or Tribal Historic 
Preservation Officer, as appropriate, and the National Register of 
Historic Places (see 33 CFR 330.4(g)). When reviewing pre-construction 
notifications, district engineers will comply with the current 
procedures for addressing the requirements of Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act. The district engineer shall make a 
reasonable and good faith effort to carry out appropriate 
identification efforts, which may include background research, 
consultation, oral history interviews, sample field investigation, and 
field survey. Based on the information submitted and these efforts, the 
district engineer shall determine whether the proposed activity has the 
potential to cause an effect on the historic properties. Where the non-
Federal applicant has identified historic properties on which the 
activity may have the potential to cause effects and so notified the 
Corps, the non-Federal applicant shall not begin the activity until 
notified by the district engineer either that the activity has no 
potential to cause effects or that consultation under Section 106 of 
the NHPA has been completed.
    (d) The district engineer will notify the prospective permittee 
within 45 days of receipt of a complete pre-construction notification 
whether NHPA section 106 consultation is required. Section 106 
consultation is not required when the Corps determines that the 
activity does not have the potential to cause effects on historic 
properties (see 36 CFR 800.3(a)). If NHPA section 106 consultation is 
required and will occur, the district engineer will notify the non-
Federal applicant that he or she cannot begin work until section 106 
consultation is completed. If the non-Federal applicant has not heard 
back from the Corps within 45 days, the applicant must still wait for 
notification from the Corps.
    (e) Prospective permittees should be aware that section 110k of the 
NHPA (16 U.S.C. 470h-2(k)) prevents the Corps from granting a permit or 
other assistance to an applicant who, with intent to avoid the 
requirements of Section 106 of the NHPA, has intentionally 
significantly adversely affected a historic property to which the 
permit would relate, or having legal power to prevent it, allowed such 
significant adverse effect to occur, unless the Corps, after 
consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), 
determines that circumstances justify granting such assistance despite 
the adverse effect created or permitted by the applicant. If 
circumstances justify granting the assistance, the Corps is required to 
notify the ACHP and provide documentation specifying the circumstances, 
the degree of damage to the integrity of any historic properties 
affected, and proposed mitigation. This documentation must include any 
views obtained from the applicant, SHPO/THPO, appropriate Indian tribes 
if the undertaking occurs on or affects historic properties on tribal 
lands or affects properties of interest to those tribes, and other 
parties known to have a legitimate interest in the impacts to the 
permitted activity on historic properties.
    21. Discovery of Previously Unknown Remains and Artifacts. If you 
discover any previously unknown historic, cultural or archeological 
remains and artifacts while accomplishing the activity authorized by 
this permit, you must immediately notify the district engineer of what 
you have found, and to the maximum extent practicable, avoid 
construction activities that may affect the remains and artifacts until 
the required coordination has been completed. The district engineer 
will initiate the Federal, Tribal and state coordination required to 
determine if the items or remains warrant a recovery effort or if the 
site is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
    22. Designated Critical Resource Waters. Critical resource waters 
include, NOAA-managed marine sanctuaries and marine monuments, and 
National Estuarine Research Reserves. The district engineer may 
designate, after notice and opportunity for public comment, additional 
waters officially designated by a state as having particular 
environmental or ecological significance, such as outstanding national 
resource waters or state natural heritage sites. The district engineer 
may also designate additional critical resource waters after notice and 
opportunity for public comment.
    (a) Discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the 
United States are not authorized by NWPs 7, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21, 29, 31, 
35, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 49, 50, 51, and 52 for any activity within, or 
directly affecting, critical resource waters, including wetlands 
adjacent to such waters.
    (b) For NWPs 3, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 33, 
34, 36, 37, 38, and proposed NWP B, notification is required in 
accordance with general condition 32, for any activity proposed

[[Page 35234]]

in the designated critical resource waters including wetlands adjacent 
to those waters. The district engineer may authorize activities under 
these NWPs only after it is determined that the impacts to the critical 
resource waters will be no more than minimal.
    23. Mitigation. The district engineer will consider the following 
factors when determining appropriate and practicable mitigation 
necessary to ensure that the individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects are no more than minimal:
    (a) The activity must be designed and constructed to avoid and 
minimize adverse effects, both temporary and permanent, to waters of 
the United States to the maximum extent practicable at the project site 
(i.e., on site).
    (b) Mitigation in all its forms (avoiding, minimizing, rectifying, 
reducing, or compensating for resource losses) will be required to the 
extent necessary to ensure that the individual and cumulative adverse 
environmental effects are no more than minimal.
    (c) Compensatory mitigation at a minimum one-for-one ratio will be 
required for all wetland losses that exceed \1/10\-acre and require 
pre-construction notification, unless the district engineer determines 
in writing that either some other form of mitigation would be more 
environmentally appropriate or the adverse environmental effects of the 
proposed activity are no more than minimal, and provides an activity-
specific waiver of this requirement. For wetland losses of \1/10\-acre 
or less that require pre-construction notification, the district 
engineer may determine on a case-by-case basis that compensatory 
mitigation is required to ensure that the activity results in only 
minimal adverse environmental effects.
    (d) For losses of streams or other open waters that require pre-
construction notification, the district engineer may require 
compensatory mitigation to ensure that the activity results in no more 
than minimal adverse environmental effects. Compensatory mitigation for 
losses of streams should be provided through stream rehabilitation, 
enhancement, or preservation, since streams are difficult-to-replace 
resources (see 33 CFR 332.3(e)(3)).
    (e) Compensatory mitigation plans for NWP activities in or near 
streams or other open waters will normally include a requirement for 
the restoration or enhancement, maintenance, and legal protection 
(e.g., conservation easements) of riparian areas next to open waters. 
In some cases, the restoration of riparian areas may be the only 
compensatory mitigation required. Restored riparian areas should 
consist of native species. The width of the required riparian area will 
address documented water quality or aquatic habitat loss concerns. 
Normally, the riparian area will be 25 to 50 feet wide on each side of 
the stream, but the district engineer may require slightly wider 
riparian areas to address documented water quality or habitat loss 
concerns. If it is not possible to establish a riparian area on both 
sides of a stream, or if the waterbody is a lake or coastal waters, 
then restoring or establishing a riparian area along a single bank or 
shoreline may be sufficient. Where both wetlands and open waters exist 
on the project site, the district engineer will determine the 
appropriate compensatory mitigation (e.g., riparian areas and/or 
wetlands compensation) based on what is best for the aquatic 
environment on a watershed basis. In cases where riparian areas are 
determined to be the most appropriate form of compensatory mitigation, 
the district engineer may waive or reduce the requirement to provide 
wetland compensatory mitigation for wetland losses.
    (f) Compensatory mitigation projects provided to offset losses of 
aquatic resources must comply with the applicable provisions of 33 CFR 
part 332.
    (1) The prospective permittee is responsible for proposing an 
appropriate compensatory mitigation option if compensatory mitigation 
is necessary to ensure that the activity results in no more than 
minimal adverse environmental effects. For the NWPs, the preferred 
mechanism for providing compensatory mitigation is mitigation bank 
credits or in-lieu fee program credits (see 33 CFR 332.3(b)(2) and 
(3)).
    (2) Since the likelihood of success is greater and the impacts to 
potentially valuable uplands are reduced, restoration of these areas 
should be the first compensatory mitigation option considered.
    (3) If permittee-responsible mitigation is the proposed option, the 
prospective permittee is responsible for submitting a mitigation plan. 
A conceptual or detailed mitigation plan may be used by the district 
engineer to make the decision on the NWP verification request, but a 
final mitigation plan that addresses the applicable requirements of 33 
CFR 332.4(c)(2) through (14) must be approved by the district engineer 
before the permittee begins work in waters of the United States, unless 
the district engineer determines that prior approval of the final 
mitigation plan is not practicable or not necessary to ensure timely 
completion of the required compensatory mitigation (see 33 CFR 
332.3(k)(3)).
    (4) If mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program credits are the 
proposed option, the mitigation plan only needs to address the baseline 
conditions at the impact site and the number of credits to be provided.
    (5) Compensatory mitigation requirements (e.g., resource type and 
amount to be provided as compensatory mitigation, site protection, 
ecological performance standards, monitoring requirements) may be 
addressed through conditions added to the NWP authorization, instead of 
components of a compensatory mitigation plan.
    (g) Compensatory mitigation will not be used to increase the 
acreage losses allowed by the acreage limits of the NWPs. For example, 
if an NWP has an acreage limit of \1/2\-acre, it cannot be used to 
authorize any NWP activity resulting in the loss of greater than \1/2\-
acre of waters of the United States, even if compensatory mitigation is 
provided that replaces or restores some of the lost waters. However, 
compensatory mitigation can and should be used, as necessary, to ensure 
that an NWP activity already meeting the established acreage limits 
also satisfies the no more than minimal impact requirement for the 
NWPs.
    (h) Permittees may propose the use of mitigation banks, in-lieu fee 
programs, or permittee-responsible mitigation. For activities resulting 
in the loss of marine or estuarine resources, permittee-responsible 
mitigation may be environmentally preferable if there are no mitigation 
banks or in-lieu fee programs in the area that have marine or estuarine 
credits available for sale or transfer to the permittee. For permittee-
responsible mitigation, the special conditions of the NWP verification 
must clearly indicate the party or parties responsible for the 
implementation and performance of the compensatory mitigation project, 
and, if required, its long-term management.
    (i) Where certain functions and services of waters of the United 
States are permanently adversely affected by a regulated activity, such 
as discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United 
States that will convert a forested or scrub-shrub wetland to a 
herbaceous wetland in a permanently maintained utility line right-of-
way, mitigation may be required to reduce the adverse environmental 
effects of the activity to the no more than minimal level.
    24. Safety of Impoundment Structures. To ensure that all 
impoundment structures are safely

[[Page 35235]]

designed, the district engineer may require non-Federal applicants to 
demonstrate that the structures comply with established state dam 
safety criteria or have been designed by qualified persons. The 
district engineer may also require documentation that the design has 
been independently reviewed by similarly qualified persons, and 
appropriate modifications made to ensure safety.
    25. Water Quality. Where States and authorized Tribes, or EPA where 
applicable, have not previously certified compliance of an NWP with CWA 
section 401, individual 401 Water Quality Certification must be 
obtained or waived (see 33 CFR 330.4(c)). The district engineer or 
State or Tribe may require additional water quality management measures 
to ensure that the authorized activity does not result in more than 
minimal degradation of water quality.
    26. Coastal Zone Management. In coastal states where an NWP has not 
previously received a state coastal zone management consistency 
concurrence, an individual state coastal zone management consistency 
concurrence must be obtained, or a presumption of concurrence must 
occur (see 33 CFR 330.4(d)). The district engineer or a State may 
require additional measures to ensure that the authorized activity is 
consistent with state coastal zone management requirements.
    27. Regional and Case-By-Case Conditions. The activity must comply 
with any regional conditions that may have been added by the Division 
Engineer (see 33 CFR 330.4(e)) and with any case specific conditions 
added by the Corps or by the state, Indian Tribe, or U.S. EPA in its 
section 401 Water Quality Certification, or by the state in its Coastal 
Zone Management Act consistency determination.
    28. Use of Multiple Nationwide Permits. The use of more than one 
NWP for a single and complete project is prohibited, except when the 
acreage loss of waters of the United States authorized by the NWPs does 
not exceed the acreage limit of the NWP with the highest specified 
acreage limit. For example, if a road crossing over tidal waters is 
constructed under NWP 14, with associated bank stabilization authorized 
by NWP 13, the maximum acreage loss of waters of the United States for 
the total project cannot exceed \1/3\-acre.
    29. Transfer of Nationwide Permit Verifications. If the permittee 
sells the property associated with a nationwide permit verification, 
the permittee may transfer the nationwide permit verification to the 
new owner by submitting a letter to the appropriate Corps district 
office to validate the transfer. A copy of the nationwide permit 
verification must be attached to the letter, and the letter must 
contain the following statement and signature:
    ``When the structures or work authorized by this nationwide permit 
are still in existence at the time the property is transferred, the 
terms and conditions of this nationwide permit, including any special 
conditions, will continue to be binding on the new owner(s) of the 
property. To validate the transfer of this nationwide permit and the 
associated liabilities associated with compliance with its terms and 
conditions, have the transferee sign and date below.''

    _________
    (Transferee)

    _________
    (Date)

    30. Compliance Certification. Each permittee who receives an NWP 
verification letter from the Corps must provide a signed certification 
documenting completion of the authorized activity and implementation of 
any required compensatory mitigation. The success of any required 
permittee-responsible mitigation, including the achievement of 
ecological performance standards, will be addressed separately by the 
district engineer. The Corps will provide the permittee the 
certification document with the NWP verification letter. The 
certification document will include:
    (a) A statement that the authorized activity was done in accordance 
with the NWP authorization, including any general, regional, or 
activity-specific conditions;
    (b) A statement that the implementation of any required 
compensatory mitigation was completed in accordance with the permit 
conditions. If credits from a mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program 
are used to satisfy the compensatory mitigation requirements, the 
certification must include the documentation required by 33 CFR 
332.3(l)(3) to confirm that the permittee secured the appropriate 
number and resource type of credits; and
    (c) The signature of the permittee certifying the completion of the 
activity and mitigation.
    The completed certification document must be submitted to the 
district engineer within 30 days of completion of the authorized 
activity or the implementation of any required compensatory mitigation.
    31. Activities Affecting Structures or Works Built by the United 
States. If an NWP activity also requires permission from the Corps 
pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 408 because it will alter or temporarily or 
permanently occupy or use a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
federally authorized Civil Works project (a ``USACE project''), the 
prospective permittee must submit a pre-construction notification. See 
paragraph (b)(10) of general condition 32. An activity that requires 
section 408 permission is not authorized by NWP until the appropriate 
Corps district office issues the section 408 permission to alter, 
occupy, or use the USACE project, and the district engineer issues a 
written NWP verification.
    32. Pre-Construction Notification. (a) Timing. Where required by 
the terms of the NWP, the prospective permittee must notify the 
district engineer by submitting a pre-construction notification (PCN) 
as early as possible. The district engineer must determine if the PCN 
is complete within 30 calendar days of the date of receipt and, if the 
PCN is determined to be incomplete, notify the prospective permittee 
within that 30 day period to request the additional information 
necessary to make the PCN complete. The request must specify the 
information needed to make the PCN complete. As a general rule, 
district engineers will request additional information necessary to 
make the PCN complete only once. However, if the prospective permittee 
does not provide all of the requested information, then the district 
engineer will notify the prospective permittee that the PCN is still 
incomplete and the PCN review process will not commence until all of 
the requested information has been received by the district engineer. 
The prospective permittee shall not begin the activity until either:
    (1) He or she is notified in writing by the district engineer that 
the activity may proceed under the NWP with any special conditions 
imposed by the district or division engineer; or
    (2) 45 calendar days have passed from the district engineer's 
receipt of the complete PCN and the prospective permittee has not 
received written notice from the district or division engineer. 
However, if the permittee was required to notify the Corps pursuant to 
general condition 18 that listed species or critical habitat might be 
affected or in the vicinity of the activity, or to notify the Corps 
pursuant to general condition 20 that the activity may have the 
potential to cause effects to historic properties, the permittee cannot 
begin the activity until receiving written notification from the Corps 
that there is

[[Page 35236]]

``no effect'' on listed species or ``no potential to cause effects'' on 
historic properties, or that any consultation required under Section 7 
of the Endangered Species Act (see 33 CFR 330.4(f)) and/or section 106 
of the National Historic Preservation (see 33 CFR 330.4(g)) has been 
completed. Also, work cannot begin under NWPs 21, 49, or 50 until the 
permittee has received written approval from the Corps. If the proposed 
activity requires a written waiver to exceed specified limits of an 
NWP, the permittee may not begin the activity until the district 
engineer issues the waiver. If the district or division engineer 
notifies the permittee in writing that an individual permit is required 
within 45 calendar days of receipt of a complete PCN, the permittee 
cannot begin the activity until an individual permit has been obtained. 
Subsequently, the permittee's right to proceed under the NWP may be 
modified, suspended, or revoked only in accordance with the procedure 
set forth in 33 CFR 330.5(d)(2).
    (b) Contents of Pre-Construction Notification: The PCN must be in 
writing and include the following information:
    (1) Name, address and telephone numbers of the prospective 
permittee;
    (2) Location of the proposed activity;
    (3) Identify the specific NWP or NWP(s) the prospective permittee 
wants to use to authorize the proposed activity;
    (4) A description of the proposed activity; the activity's purpose; 
direct and indirect adverse environmental effects the activity would 
cause, including the anticipated amount of loss of water of the United 
States expected to result from the NWP activity, in acres, linear feet, 
or other appropriate unit of measure; a description of any proposed 
mitigation measures intended to reduce the adverse environmental 
effects caused by the proposed activity; any other NWP(s), regional 
general permit(s), or individual permit(s) used or intended to be used 
to authorize any part of the proposed project or any related activity, 
including other separate and distant crossings for linear projects that 
require Department of the Army authorization but do not require pre-
construction notification. The description of the proposed activity and 
any proposed mitigation measures should be sufficiently detailed to 
allow the district engineer to determine that the adverse environmental 
effects of the activity will be no more than minimal and to determine 
the need for compensatory mitigation or other mitigation measures. For 
single and complete linear projects, the PCN must include the quantity 
of proposed losses of waters of the United States for each single and 
complete crossing of waters of the United States. Sketches should be 
provided when necessary to show that the activity complies with the 
terms of the NWP. (Sketches usually clarify the activity and when 
provided results in a quicker decision. Sketches should contain 
sufficient detail to provide an illustrative description of the 
proposed activity (e.g., a conceptual plan), but do not need to be 
detailed engineering plans);
    (5) The PCN must include a delineation of wetlands, other special 
aquatic sites, and other waters, such as lakes and ponds, and 
perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams, on the project site. 
Wetland delineations must be prepared in accordance with the current 
method required by the Corps. The permittee may ask the Corps to 
delineate the special aquatic sites and other waters on the project 
site, but there may be a delay if the Corps does the delineation, 
especially if the project site is large or contains many waters of the 
United States. Furthermore, the 45 day period will not start until the 
delineation has been submitted to or completed by the Corps, as 
appropriate;
    (6) If the proposed activity will result in the loss of greater 
than \1/10\-acre of wetlands and a PCN is required, the prospective 
permittee must submit a statement describing how the mitigation 
requirement will be satisfied, or explaining why the adverse 
environmental effects are no more than minimal and why compensatory 
mitigation should not be required. As an alternative, the prospective 
permittee may submit a conceptual or detailed mitigation plan.
    (7) For non-Federal permittees, if any listed species or designated 
critical habitat might be affected or is in the vicinity of the 
activity, or if the activity is located in designated critical habitat, 
the PCN must include the name(s) of those endangered or threatened 
species that might be affected by the proposed activity or utilize the 
designated critical habitat that might be affected by the proposed 
activity. For any NWP activity that requires pre-construction 
notification, Federal permittees must provide documentation 
demonstrating compliance with the Endangered Species Act;
    (8) For non-Federal permittees, if the NWP activity may have the 
potential to cause effects to a historic property listed on, determined 
to be eligible for listing on, or potentially eligible for listing on, 
the National Register of Historic Places, the PCN must state which 
historic property may have the potential to be affected by the proposed 
activity or include a vicinity map indicating the location of the 
historic property. For NWP activities that require pre-construction 
notification, Federal permittees must provide documentation 
demonstrating compliance with section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act;
    (9) For an activity that will occur in a component of the National 
Wild and Scenic River System, or in a river officially designated by 
Congress as a ``study river'' for possible inclusion in the system 
while the river is in an official study status, the PCN must identify 
the Wild and Scenic River or the ``study river'' (see general condition 
16); and
    (10) For an activity that requires permission from the Corps 
pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 408 because it will alter or temporarily or 
permanently occupy or use a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers federally 
authorized civil works project, the pre-construction notification must 
include a statement confirming that the project proponent has submitted 
a written request for section 408 permission from the Corps district 
having jurisdiction over that USACE project.
    (c) Form of Pre-Construction Notification: The standard individual 
permit application form (Form ENG 4345) may be used, but the completed 
application form must clearly indicate that it is an NWP PCN and must 
include all of the applicable information required in paragraphs (b)(1) 
through (9) of this general condition. A letter containing the required 
information may also be used. Applicants may provide electronic files 
of PCNs and supporting materials.
    (d) Agency Coordination: (1) The district engineer will consider 
any comments from Federal and state agencies concerning the proposed 
activity's compliance with the terms and conditions of the NWPs and the 
need for mitigation to reduce the activity's adverse environmental 
effects so that they are no more than minimal.
    (2) Agency coordination is required for: (i) All NWP activities 
that require pre-construction notification and result in the loss of 
greater than \1/2\-acre of waters of the United States; (ii) NWP 21, 
29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, and 52 activities that require pre-
construction notification and will result in the loss of greater than 
300 linear feet of stream bed; (iii) NWP 13 activities in excess of 500 
linear feet, fills greater than one cubic yard per running foot, or 
involve discharges of dredged or fill material into special aquatic 
sites; and (iv) proposed NWP B activities in excess of

[[Page 35237]]

500 linear feet, that extend into the waterbody more than 30 feet from 
the mean high water line or ordinary high water mark, or involve 
discharges into special aquatic sites.
    (3) When agency coordination is required, the district engineer 
will immediately provide (e.g., via email, facsimile transmission, 
overnight mail, or other expeditious manner) a copy of the complete PCN 
to the appropriate Federal or state offices (FWS, state natural 
resource or water quality agency, EPA, State Historic Preservation 
Officer (SHPO) or Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO), and, if 
appropriate, the NMFS). With the exception of NWP 37, these agencies 
will have 10 calendar days from the date the material is transmitted to 
telephone or fax the district engineer notice that they intend to 
provide substantive, site-specific comments. The comments must explain 
why the agency believes the adverse environmental effects will be more 
than minimal. If so contacted by an agency, the district engineer will 
wait an additional 15 calendar days before making a decision on the 
pre-construction notification. The district engineer will fully 
consider agency comments received within the specified time frame 
concerning the proposed activity's compliance with the terms and 
conditions of the NWPs, including the need for mitigation to ensure the 
net adverse environmental effects of the proposed activity are no more 
than minimal. The district engineer will provide no response to the 
resource agency, except as provided below. The district engineer will 
indicate in the administrative record associated with each pre-
construction notification that the resource agencies' concerns were 
considered. For NWP 37, the emergency watershed protection and 
rehabilitation activity may proceed immediately in cases where there is 
an unacceptable hazard to life or a significant loss of property or 
economic hardship will occur. The district engineer will consider any 
comments received to decide whether the NWP 37 authorization should be 
modified, suspended, or revoked in accordance with the procedures at 33 
CFR 330.5.
    (4) In cases of where the prospective permittee is not a Federal 
agency, the district engineer will provide a response to NMFS within 30 
calendar days of receipt of any Essential Fish Habitat conservation 
recommendations, as required by section 305(b)(4)(B) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    (5) Applicants are encouraged to provide the Corps with either 
electronic files or multiple copies of pre-construction notifications 
to expedite agency coordination.

D. District Engineer's Decision

    1. In reviewing the PCN for the proposed activity, the district 
engineer will determine whether the activity authorized by the NWP will 
result in more than minimal individual or cumulative adverse 
environmental effects or may be contrary to the public interest. If a 
project proponent requests authorization by a specific NWP, the 
district engineer should issue the verification for that NWP if it 
meets the terms in the text of that NWP, unless he or she determines, 
after considering mitigation, that the proposed activity will result in 
more than minimal adverse environmental effects and exercises 
discretionary authority to require an individual permit for the 
proposed activity. For a linear project, this determination will 
include an evaluation of the individual crossings to determine whether 
they individually satisfy the terms and conditions of the NWP(s), as 
well as the cumulative effects caused by all of the crossings 
authorized by NWP. If an applicant requests a waiver of the 300 linear 
foot limit on impacts to streams or of an otherwise applicable limit, 
as provided for in NWPs 13, 21, 29, 36, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 50, 51, 52, 
or proposed NWP B, the district engineer will only grant the waiver 
upon a written determination that the NWP activity will result in only 
minimal adverse environmental effects.
    2. When making minimal adverse environmental effects determinations 
the district engineer will consider the direct and indirect effects 
caused by the NWP activity. The district engineer will also consider 
site specific factors, such as the environmental setting in the 
vicinity of the NWP activity, the type of resource that will be 
affected by the NWP activity, the functions provided by the aquatic 
resources that will be affected by the NWP activity, the degree or 
magnitude to which the aquatic resources perform those functions, the 
extent that aquatic resource functions will be lost as a result of the 
NWP activity (e.g., partial or complete loss), the duration of the 
adverse effects (temporary or permanent), the importance of the aquatic 
resource functions to the region (e.g., watershed or ecoregion), and 
mitigation required by the district engineer. If an appropriate 
functional or condition assessment method is available and practicable 
to use, that assessment method may be used by the district engineer to 
assist in the minimal adverse environmental effects determination. The 
district engineer may add case-specific special conditions to the NWP 
authorization to address site-specific environmental concerns.
    3. If the proposed activity requires a PCN and will result in a 
loss of greater than \1/10\-acre of wetlands, the prospective permittee 
should submit a mitigation proposal with the PCN. Applicants may also 
propose compensatory mitigation for NWP activities with smaller 
impacts, or for impacts to other types of waters (e.g., streams). The 
district engineer will consider any proposed compensatory mitigation or 
other mitigation measures the applicant has included in the proposal in 
determining whether the net adverse environmental effects of the 
proposed activity are no more than minimal. The compensatory mitigation 
proposal may be either conceptual or detailed. If the district engineer 
determines that the activity complies with the terms and conditions of 
the NWP and that the adverse environmental effects are no more than 
minimal, after considering mitigation, the district engineer will 
notify the permittee and include any activity-specific conditions in 
the NWP verification the district engineer deems necessary. Conditions 
for compensatory mitigation requirements must comply with the 
appropriate provisions at 33 CFR 332.3(k). The district engineer must 
approve the final mitigation plan before the permittee commences work 
in waters of the United States, unless the district engineer determines 
that prior approval of the final mitigation plan is not practicable or 
not necessary to ensure timely completion of the required compensatory 
mitigation. If the prospective permittee elects to submit a 
compensatory mitigation plan with the PCN, the district engineer will 
expeditiously review the proposed compensatory mitigation plan. The 
district engineer must review the proposed compensatory mitigation plan 
within 45 calendar days of receiving a complete PCN and determine 
whether the proposed mitigation would ensure the NWP activity results 
in no more than minimal adverse environmental effects. If the net 
adverse environmental effects of the NWP activity (after consideration 
of the mitigation proposal) are determined by the district engineer to 
be no more than minimal, the district engineer will provide a timely 
written response to the applicant. The response will state that the NWP 
activity can proceed under the terms and conditions of the NWP, 
including any activity-specific conditions added

[[Page 35238]]

to the NWP authorization by the district engineer.
    4. If the district engineer determines that the adverse effects of 
the proposed activity are more than minimal, then the district engineer 
will notify the applicant either: (a) That the activity does not 
qualify for authorization under the NWP and instruct the applicant on 
the procedures to seek authorization under an individual permit; (b) 
that the activity is authorized under the NWP subject to the 
applicant's submission of a mitigation plan that would reduce the 
adverse effects on the aquatic environment to the minimal level; or (c) 
that the activity is authorized under the NWP with specific 
modifications or conditions. Where the district engineer determines 
that mitigation is required to ensure no more than minimal adverse 
effects occur to the aquatic environment, the activity will be 
authorized within the 45-day PCN period (unless additional time is 
required to comply with general conditions 18, 20, and/or 31, or to 
evaluate PCNs for activities authorized by NWPs 21, 49, and 50), with 
activity-specific conditions that state the mitigation requirements. 
The authorization will include the necessary conceptual or detailed 
mitigation plan or a requirement that the applicant submit a mitigation 
plan that would reduce the adverse effects on the aquatic environment 
to the minimal level. When mitigation is required, no work in waters of 
the United States may occur until the district engineer has approved a 
specific mitigation plan or has determined that prior approval of a 
final mitigation plan is not practicable or not necessary to ensure 
timely completion of the required compensatory mitigation.

E. Further Information

    1. District Engineers have authority to determine if an activity 
complies with the terms and conditions of an NWP.
    2. NWPs do not obviate the need to obtain other federal, state, or 
local permits, approvals, or authorizations required by law.
    3. NWPs do not grant any property rights or exclusive privileges.
    4. NWPs do not authorize any injury to the property or rights of 
others.
    5. NWPs do not authorize interference with any existing or proposed 
Federal project (see general condition 31).

F. Definitions

    Best management practices (BMPs): Policies, practices, procedures, 
or structures implemented to mitigate the adverse environmental effects 
on surface water quality resulting from development. BMPs are 
categorized as structural or non-structural.
    Compensatory mitigation: The restoration (re-establishment or 
rehabilitation), establishment (creation), enhancement, and/or in 
certain circumstances preservation of aquatic resources for the 
purposes of offsetting unavoidable adverse impacts which remain after 
all appropriate and practicable avoidance and minimization has been 
achieved.
    Currently serviceable: Useable as is or with some maintenance, but 
not so degraded as to essentially require reconstruction.
    Direct effects: Effects that are caused by the activity and occur 
at the same time and place.
    Discharge: The term ``discharge'' means any discharge of dredged or 
fill material into waters of the United States.
    Enhancement: The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or 
biological characteristics of an aquatic resource to heighten, 
intensify, or improve a specific aquatic resource function(s). 
Enhancement results in the gain of selected aquatic resource 
function(s), but may also lead to a decline in other aquatic resource 
function(s). Enhancement does not result in a gain in aquatic resource 
area.
    Ephemeral stream: An ephemeral stream has flowing water only 
during, and for a short duration after, precipitation events in a 
typical year. Ephemeral stream beds are located above the water table 
year-round. Groundwater is not a source of water for the stream. Runoff 
from rainfall is the primary source of water for stream flow.
    Establishment (creation): The manipulation of the physical, 
chemical, or biological characteristics present to develop an aquatic 
resource that did not previously exist at an upland site. Establishment 
results in a gain in aquatic resource area.
    High Tide Line: The line of intersection of the land with the 
water's surface at the maximum height reached by a rising tide. The 
high tide line may be determined, in the absence of actual data, by a 
line of oil or scum along shore objects, a more or less continuous 
deposit of fine shell or debris on the foreshore or berm, other 
physical markings or characteristics, vegetation lines, tidal gages, or 
other suitable means that delineate the general height reached by a 
rising tide. The line encompasses spring high tides and other high 
tides that occur with periodic frequency but does not include storm 
surges in which there is a departure from the normal or predicted reach 
of the tide due to the piling up of water against a coast by strong 
winds such as those accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm.
    Historic Property: Any prehistoric or historic district, site 
(including archaeological site), building, structure, or other object 
included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of 
Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. This term 
includes artifacts, records, and remains that are related to and 
located within such properties. The term includes properties of 
traditional religious and cultural importance to an Indian tribe or 
Native Hawaiian organization and that meet the National Register 
criteria (36 CFR part 60).
    Independent utility: A test to determine what constitutes a single 
and complete non-linear project in the Corps Regulatory Program. A 
project is considered to have independent utility if it would be 
constructed absent the construction of other projects in the project 
area. Portions of a multi-phase project that depend upon other phases 
of the project do not have independent utility. Phases of a project 
that would be constructed even if the other phases were not built can 
be considered as separate single and complete projects with independent 
utility.
    Indirect effects: Effects that are caused by the activity and are 
later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still reasonably 
foreseeable.
    Intermittent stream: An intermittent stream has flowing water 
during certain times of the year, when groundwater provides water for 
stream flow. During dry periods, intermittent streams may not have 
flowing water. Runoff from rainfall is a supplemental source of water 
for stream flow.
    Loss of waters of the United States: Waters of the United States 
that are permanently adversely affected by filling, flooding, 
excavation, or drainage because of the regulated activity. Permanent 
adverse effects include permanent discharges of dredged or fill 
material that change an aquatic area to dry land, increase the bottom 
elevation of a waterbody, or change the use of a waterbody. The acreage 
of loss of waters of the United States is a threshold measurement of 
the impact to jurisdictional waters for determining whether a project 
may qualify for an NWP; it is not a net threshold that is calculated 
after considering compensatory mitigation that may be used to offset 
losses of aquatic functions and services. The loss of stream bed 
includes the acres or linear feet of stream bed that is filled or 
excavated as a result of the regulated activity. Waters of the United 
States temporarily filled,

[[Page 35239]]

flooded, excavated, or drained, but restored to pre-construction 
contours and elevations after construction, are not included in the 
measurement of loss of waters of the United States. Impacts resulting 
from activities that do not require Department of the Army 
authorization, such as activities eligible for exemptions under section 
404(f) of the Clean Water Act are not considered when calculating the 
loss of waters of the United States.
    Non-tidal wetland: A non-tidal wetland is a wetland that is not 
subject to the ebb and flow of tidal waters. The definition of a 
wetland can be found at 33 CFR 328.3(c)(4). Non-tidal wetlands 
contiguous to tidal waters are located landward of the high tide line 
(i.e., spring high tide line).
    Open water: For purposes of the NWPs, an open water is any area 
that in a year with normal patterns of precipitation has water flowing 
or standing above ground to the extent that an ordinary high water mark 
can be determined. Aquatic vegetation within the area of flowing or 
standing water is either non-emergent, sparse, or absent. Vegetated 
shallows are considered to be open waters. Examples of ``open waters'' 
include rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.
    Ordinary High Water Mark: An ordinary high water mark is a line on 
the shore established by the fluctuations of water and indicated by 
physical characteristics, or by other appropriate means that consider 
the characteristics of the surrounding areas (see 33 CFR 328.3(c)(6)).
    Perennial stream: A perennial stream has flowing water year-round 
during a typical year. The water table is located above the stream bed 
for most of the year. Groundwater is the primary source of water for 
stream flow. Runoff from rainfall is a supplemental source of water for 
stream flow.
    Practicable: Available and capable of being done after taking into 
consideration cost, existing technology, and logistics in light of 
overall project purposes.
    Pre-construction notification: A request submitted by the project 
proponent to the Corps for confirmation that a particular activity is 
authorized by nationwide permit. The request may be a permit 
application, letter, or similar document that includes information 
about the proposed work and its anticipated environmental effects. Pre-
construction notification may be required by the terms and conditions 
of a nationwide permit, or by regional conditions. A pre-construction 
notification may be voluntarily submitted in cases where pre-
construction notification is not required and the project proponent 
wants confirmation that the activity is authorized by nationwide 
permit.
    Preservation: The removal of a threat to, or preventing the decline 
of, aquatic resources by an action in or near those aquatic resources. 
This term includes activities commonly associated with the protection 
and maintenance of aquatic resources through the implementation of 
appropriate legal and physical mechanisms. Preservation does not result 
in a gain of aquatic resource area or functions.
    Re-establishment: The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or 
biological characteristics of a site with the goal of returning 
natural/historic functions to a former aquatic resource. Re-
establishment results in rebuilding a former aquatic resource and 
results in a gain in aquatic resource area and functions.
    Rehabilitation: The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or 
biological characteristics of a site with the goal of repairing 
natural/historic functions to a degraded aquatic resource. 
Rehabilitation results in a gain in aquatic resource function, but does 
not result in a gain in aquatic resource area.
    Restoration: The manipulation of the physical, chemical, or 
biological characteristics of a site with the goal of returning 
natural/historic functions to a former or degraded aquatic resource. 
For the purpose of tracking net gains in aquatic resource area, 
restoration is divided into two categories: re-establishment and 
rehabilitation.
    Riffle and pool complex: Riffle and pool complexes are special 
aquatic sites under the 404(b)(1) Guidelines. Riffle and pool complexes 
sometimes characterize steep gradient sections of streams. Such stream 
sections are recognizable by their hydraulic characteristics. The rapid 
movement of water over a course substrate in riffles results in a rough 
flow, a turbulent surface, and high dissolved oxygen levels in the 
water. Pools are deeper areas associated with riffles. A slower stream 
velocity, a streaming flow, a smooth surface, and a finer substrate 
characterize pools.
    Riparian areas: Riparian areas are lands next to streams, lakes, 
and estuarine-marine shorelines. Riparian areas are transitional 
between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, through which surface and 
subsurface hydrology connects riverine, lacustrine, estuarine, and 
marine waters with their adjacent wetlands, non-wetland waters, or 
uplands. Riparian areas provide a variety of ecological functions and 
services and help improve or maintain local water quality. (See general 
condition 23.)
    Shellfish seeding: The placement of shellfish seed and/or suitable 
substrate to increase shellfish production. Shellfish seed consists of 
immature individual shellfish or individual shellfish attached to 
shells or shell fragments (i.e., spat on shell). Suitable substrate may 
consist of shellfish shells, shell fragments, or other appropriate 
materials placed into waters for shellfish habitat.
    Single and complete linear project: A linear project is a project 
constructed for the purpose of getting people, goods, or services from 
a point of origin to a terminal point, which often involves multiple 
crossings of one or more waterbodies at separate and distant locations. 
The term ``single and complete project'' is defined as that portion of 
the total linear project proposed or accomplished by one owner/
developer or partnership or other association of owners/developers that 
includes all crossings of a single water of the United States (i.e., a 
single waterbody) at a specific location. For linear projects crossing 
a single or multiple waterbodies several times at separate and distant 
locations, each crossing is considered a single and complete project 
for purposes of NWP authorization. However, individual channels in a 
braided stream or river, or individual arms of a large, irregularly 
shaped wetland or lake, etc., are not separate waterbodies, and 
crossings of such features cannot be considered separately.
    Single and complete non-linear project: For non-linear projects, 
the term ``single and complete project'' is defined at 33 CFR 330.2(i) 
as the total project proposed or accomplished by one owner/developer or 
partnership or other association of owners/developers. A single and 
complete non-linear project must have independent utility (see 
definition of ``independent utility''). Single and complete non-linear 
projects may not be ``piecemealed'' to avoid the limits in an NWP 
authorization.
    Stormwater management: Stormwater management is the mechanism for 
controlling stormwater runoff for the purposes of reducing downstream 
erosion, water quality degradation, and flooding and mitigating the 
adverse effects of changes in land use on the aquatic environment.
    Stormwater management facilities: Stormwater management facilities 
are those facilities, including but not limited to, stormwater 
retention and detention ponds and best management practices, which 
retain water for a period of time to control runoff and/or

[[Page 35240]]

improve the quality (i.e., by reducing the concentration of nutrients, 
sediments, hazardous substances and other pollutants) of stormwater 
runoff.
    Stream bed: The substrate of the stream channel between the 
ordinary high water marks. The substrate may be bedrock or inorganic 
particles that range in size from clay to boulders. Wetlands contiguous 
to the stream bed, but outside of the ordinary high water marks, are 
not considered part of the stream bed.
    Stream channelization: The manipulation of a stream's course, 
condition, capacity, or location that causes more than minimal 
interruption of normal stream processes. A channelized stream remains a 
water of the United States.
    Structure: An object that is arranged in a definite pattern of 
organization. Examples of structures include, without limitation, any 
pier, boat dock, boat ramp, wharf, dolphin, weir, boom, breakwater, 
bulkhead, revetment, riprap, jetty, artificial island, artificial reef, 
permanent mooring structure, power transmission line, permanently 
moored floating vessel, piling, aid to navigation, or any other manmade 
obstacle or obstruction.
    Tidal wetland: A tidal wetland is a wetland (i.e., water of the 
United States) that is inundated by tidal waters. The definitions of a 
wetland and tidal waters can be found at 33 CFR 328.3(c)(4) and (d), 
respectively. Tidal waters rise and fall in a predictable and 
measurable rhythm or cycle due to the gravitational pulls of the moon 
and sun. Tidal waters end where the rise and fall of the water surface 
can no longer be practically measured in a predictable rhythm due to 
masking by other waters, wind, or other effects. Tidal wetlands are 
located channelward of the high tide line, which is defined at 33 CFR 
328.3(c)(7).
    Vegetated shallows: Vegetated shallows are special aquatic sites 
under the 404(b)(1) Guidelines. They are areas that are permanently 
inundated and under normal circumstances have rooted aquatic 
vegetation, such as seagrasses in marine and estuarine systems and a 
variety of vascular rooted plants in freshwater systems.
    Waterbody: For purposes of the NWPs, a waterbody is a 
jurisdictional water of the United States. If a wetland is adjacent to 
a waterbody determined to be a water of the United States under 33 CFR 
328.3(a)(1) through (5), that waterbody and any adjacent wetlands are 
considered together as a single aquatic unit (see 33 CFR 328.4(c)(2)). 
Examples of ``waterbodies'' include streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and 
wetlands.

[FR Doc. 2016-12083 Filed 5-31-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P