January 8, 2026 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today the publication in the Federal Register of the 2026 Nationwide Permits (NWPs)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced today the publication in the Federal Register of the 2026 Nationwide Permits (NWPs). The 56 reissued and one new 2026 NWPs in the rule are necessary for work in streams, wetlands and other waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.
"Under President Trump's leadership, the Army Corps of Engineers has taken decisive action to cut bureaucratic red tape and refocus our mission on American prosperity,” said Adam Telle, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “Ensuring that American citizens and businesses can chase their dreams and build our economy without needless delays is a clear victory for our ability to compete on a global stage during the 21st Century.”
The NWPs in this final action take effect March 15, 2026. The 56 reissued NWPs replace the 2021 versions of those permits which expire March 14, 2026. The new nationwide permit is designated as NWP 60. NWP 60 authorizes the discharges of dredged or fill material and structures and work in regulated waters associated with improving the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms.
The 2026 nationwide permits have been published in today’s Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/08/2026-00121/reissuance-and-modification-of-nationwide-permits, and will be posted to the USACE website at http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits/NationwidePermits.aspx.
“The nationwide permit program offers the regulated public a streamlined path to obtain timely authorization of activities that cause no more than minimal adverse impacts to the aquatic environment.” said Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, USACE deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations. “These nationwide permits issued today authorize activities associated with a broad range of project types, while encouraging project proponents to avoid and minimize impacts to the nation’s aquatic resources.”
Nationwide permits streamline the process to obtain authorization under the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The nationwide permits also provide expedited review of projects that have no more than minimal impact on the aquatic environment. Categories of activities that may be covered under these nationwide permits include residential developments, agricultural activities, stormwater management facilities, roads and highways, commercial and institutional developments, and recreational facilities.
The nationwide permits announced today have no major changes from 2021, the last time the permits were issued.
USACE division commanders may add, after public review and consultation, regional conditions to nationwide permits to protect local jurisdictional aquatic ecosystems, or to minimize adverse effects on fish or shellfish spawning, wildlife nesting, or other ecologically critical areas.
October 1, 2025 - USACE introduces new Regulatory Request System module
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today the launch of a new “No Permit Required” module on its Regulatory Request System (RRS), an innovative online application portal designed to enhance transparency and improve public engagement with the USACE Regulatory Program.
This new module allows the public to answer a series of questions about their proposed activity to determine if authorization from USACE is required. Questions are provided in stepwise sequential order, and if the information provided through the RRS results in a response that no permit is required for the proposed activity, users will immediately be provided correspondence. If the information provided results in a response that a permit is required, the user is provided the option to apply for a permit or preapplication meeting through the appropriate RRS application module.
Questions on the new module or RRS in general should be directed to the appropriate USACE district office.
RRS is accessible at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs.
September 19, 2025 – USACE, Baltimore District publishes Sparrows Point Container Terminal Final EIS NOA in the Federal Register
The Baltimore District has published the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Final Environmental Impact Statement Notice of Availability in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/19/2025-18175/environmental-impact-statements-notice-of-availability
Final EIS | Final EIS Appendices
May 12, 2025 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers encourages use of Regulatory Request System for an improved permitting experience.
Last year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers introduced its new Regulatory Request System (RRS), an online application portal that allows the public to submit permit applications and other information when requesting permission to dredge, fill or conduct activities in jurisdictional wetlands and waters of the U.S.
RRS is accessible at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs.
RRS users can submit individual permit applications, general permit pre-construction notifications, jurisdictional determination requests, and other information needed during the permit evaluation process using easy-to-follow online submission forms. Applicants can also track the status of their requests using a user-friendly dashboard.
RRS benefits the applicant by eliminating the burden associated with the preparation and mailing of paper applications. It also reduces some of the effort associated with processing applications and data entry making the permitting process more efficient. Click here to learn more about the benefits of RRS (RRS Testimonial Video).
For more information on the USACE Regulatory Program visit https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/.
For further details or to provide feedback about the RRS, please contact USACE at rrs@usace.army.mil.
April 22, 2025 - ***Updated*** The Maryland Wetland Assessment Methodology (MDWAM) Guidebook is updated to Version 1.1 on the Baltimore District Website.
Requests for a few changes to the MDWAM Guidebook have been made and updated to the new Version 1.1. The updated MDWAM Guidebook is located at: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Mitigation/.
March 26, 2025 - The Fish Passage for Mitigation Beta Tool (Fish Passage Tool or FPBT) has been posted to the Baltimore District Webpage for use by Corps project managers and the general public. It is provided as Appendix F of the Maryland Stream Mitigation Framework V.1. Final located at: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Mitigation/.
The Fish Passage Tool provides an additional option to estimate compensatory mitigation stream crediting (functional feet) for fish barrier removal projects in Maryland.
The purpose of the Fish Passage Tool is to: (1) to encourage strategic fish passage projects as a form of compensatory mitigation for impacts under CWA Section 404; (2) to create a credit accounting system which rewards proposals based on the ecological benefits of the proposed projects; (3) to align with the Maryland Stream Mitigation Framework (MSMF) by using functional feet as the unit of credit, allowing for combination with other forms of mitigation such as stream preservation and restoration work; (4) Improve public safety through the removal of obsolete dangerous structures; (5) Increase the availability of mitigation credits for CWA Section 404 permit applicants.