All of them.

You may need a permit from the Corps of Engineers to work on your own land. If your work is in a water area, or where water lays or runs just part of the year, your activity may be regulated by federal law.

While it is easy to recognize lakes and rivers, and most people can identify a dry streambed, wetlands are not always as obvious. Some wetlands have trees and appear to be dry most of the year. Most people don't understand or recognize the limits of a wetland.

If you intend to work in one of the areas described, you need a permit. If you work without a permit, you may be in violation of federal law.

You need a permit too.

Yes it does.

You and your family, all individuals, commercial enterprises, port authorities, marinas and local, state and federal agencies: everyone needs a permit to work in the waters of the United States.

Congress enacted laws to regulate water resource development. They are enforced by the Corps of Engineers. These laws ensure that water resource development is consistent with the needs and welfare of the people.

* Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403): Under this law you will need a permit from the Corps of engineers for any structure or work that takes place in, under or over a navigable water or wetland adjacent to navigable waters of the United States.

* Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344): Under this law, you need a permit to excavate in or discharge dredged or fill material into a water of the United States. Remember, this includes wetlands.

Wetlands are defined by soil, plants, and water. Indications that a wetland exists in a seemingly dry area are:

	standing water early in the year for a week or more
	black, stained leaves on the ground
	trees with swollen trunks at ground level
	area contains water loving plants.

The shoreline of a body of water is generally defined by the ordinary high water mark. This mark on the shore or streambank is established by water level fluctuation. The Corps of Engineers has regulatory jurisdiction below this mark.

It's always a good idea to come in and talk to us. We'd like to advise you before you make plans. Please call us at (314) 331-8575, or E-Mail us. We're the Corps' Regulatory Branch in the St. Louis District.

If your project requires a permit and you work without it, you will be violating federal law. You and any contractor you hire may be subject to civil or criminal penalties and could be required to restore the area.

Call us right away. If you don't we'll probably find out about it anyway. We'll discuss the options with you.

The Possibilities are:

	a permit after-the-fact
	removal and restoration
	litigation, fines can be as high as $50,000 a day per offense.

Our Decision Are Based On:

	environmental harm
	type of work
	project size
	project location
	cooperation of the individual

Call us for guidance and application forms. We can meet with you before you apply. Talking to us beforehand may identify potential problems that could be reduced or eliminated. This can lead to a more efficient processing of your permit applications.

Department of the Army
St. Louis District, Corps of Engineers
1222 Spruce Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2833
Attn: Regulatory Branch
(314) 331-8575

First: Activities involving excavation of discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States must comply with United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Activities that fail to comply with the guidelines normally cannot be permitted.

Second: In the public interest review, the project benefits are weighed against the negative aspects of the proposal. Permits are issued when the work proposed complies with USEPA guidelines, as well as other related laws, where applicable and does not contravene the public interest.

The review includes: conservation, flood hazard, water supply and conservation, economics, mineral needs, shore erosion and accretion, navigation, floodplains, historic properties, land use, recreation, food and fiber production, safety, public welfare and property ownership consideration.

Wetlands are valuable because they:

	hold floodwaters
	serve as groundwater recharge areas
	furnish habitat for fish and wildlife
	maintain water quality
	protect shoreline from erosion
	trap sediment
	provide for education, research and recreation.

If you get a permit from us and then change your plans you must let us know. You may have to come back to us for more permits or a permit modification.

We're not the only ones who require permits. check with your stat and local agencies before you start working.

People generally request a permit to:

	excavate and/or place fill in a wetland to build on, farm, or for other purposes.
	place fill to protect or reclaim a shore line that has eroded
	extend a shoreline into the water.
	deepen a channel, the area around a dock or other dredging.
	dump dredged material into a water of the United States.
	place , temporally or permanently, fill material in a wetland
	build levees, dams, dikes, and weirs
	channel a stream
	improve drainage.
	build breakwaters, groins, and revetments to protect the shore.
	place aerial or submerged utility crossings
	install docks, piers, bulkheads, marinas, ramps, or mooring buoys.

Any person, firm or agency including federal, state and local government that is planning to work in waters of the United States must first obtain a permit from the Corps of Engineers. Permits, licenses, variances or similar authorizations may also be required by other federal, state and local statutes.

Waters of the united states

Under the Clean Water Act (404) in the St. Louis District, these are:

	all waters that are , may be, or have been used in interstate or foreign commerce.
	their tributaries.
	wetlands adjacent to these waterways and tributaries.
	isolated wetlands, water bodies, such as small lakes and ponds, intermittent streams, wet meadows and mudflats.

Wetlands

Areas inundated of saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency or duration sufficient to support and , under normal circumstances, support a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Size is not a limitation. Areas smaller than an acre are regulated.

Jurisdiction

The landward limit of our district's regulatory jurisdiction in waters of the United states is the ordinary high water mark, which may extend into tributaries and adjacent wetlands.

Ordinary high water mark

This is the limit line on the shore established by the fluctuation of the water surface. It is shown by such things as a clear line impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in soil character, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the presence of litter and debris or other features influenced by the surrounding area. In a wetland, the shoreline is shown by changes in soil, vegetation and water, and may be difficult for anyone but an expert biologist to discern.