Effective Friday, December 5, 2025, the Wilmington District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will no longer accept electronic permit/JD submittal requests through our internal email inboxes (i.e., CharlotteNCREG1@usace.army.mil) or via the DWR Laserfiche website.

All electronic submittals must be made through the Regulatory Request System (RRS):  https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs

The RRS is a secure, web-based platform designed to provide a consistent application experience across the USACE Regulatory Program, streamline data collection, and improve customer service and response times. The system allows users to submit requests, upload supporting documentation, comment on public notices, report potential violations, and track the status of their projects in one centralized location.

If you have questions or require assistance with your RRS submittal, please reach out to your respective county project manager or visit the support weblink:  https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs/support

DWR Submittals:  At this time, RRS does not provide the joint 401/404 permit application (hereafter JPA) to the DWR. You will need to follow the directions below in order to submit your JPA to DWR; but please know, the Corps is working diligently with our state partners to transfer data from the RRS to both parties.   

After you have completed your JPA and submitted through RRS, you will need to click on the documents folder icon in the RRS dashboard under the first column (actions). A box will pop up with a download all button on the bottom right. This button will download a zip file with all the documents the state needs. You DO NOT have to fill out the complete Laserfiche PCN form. You will navigate to the following weblink and fill out an abbreviated form to upload the documents for distribution to the DWR: https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/Supplemental-Information-Form.

 Corps “courtesy copy/notification only” w/individual 401 WQC:  You will follow the same process as outlined above. You will navigate to RRS and fill out the JPA. Given there is no easy way to decipher if the JPA is being submitted as a courtesy copy to the Corps; when you get to 19. of the PCN form “Description of Proposed Nationwide Permit Activity” – Please be sure to state “courtesy copy/notification only” at the top of this section so we/the Corps can easily decipher this is being submitted as a courtesy copy with an individual 401 WQC. Once you complete the JPA through RRS and submit, you will follow the same process for DWR as outlined in the aforementioned paragraph. 

The NC Division of Water Resources wetland science team is proud to announce the availability of their new online common wetland plant guide. The online guide includes all information in our printed plant guide, with the addition of 24 more species and a greatly expanded "Common Confusions" species comparison page. The landing page has a variety of live filters to narrow down choices, with species profile pages and photo galleries available for every species. Check it out!

Published Document: 2025-11190 (90 FR 26100)

Summary:

Nationwide Permits (NWPs) are issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to authorize categories of activities under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 that have no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. The Corps is proposing to reissue its existing NWPs and associated general conditions and definitions, with some modifications. The Corps is proposing to issue one new NWP. The proposed new NWP would authorize activities to improve the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms through aquatic ecosystems. In addition, the Corps is proposing to modify some other NWPs to simplify and clarify those NWPs. The proposed modifications to the NWPs general conditions, and definitions are intended to reduce burdens on the regulated public and continue to comply with the statutory requirement that NWPs authorize only activities with no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. The Corps is proposing to modify two of the 2021 NWPs ( i.e., NWP 48 for commercial shellfish mariculture activities and NWP 56 for finfish mariculture activities) to address litigation on those NWPs. The Corps is requesting comment on all aspects of these proposed NWPs.

Submit public comments on or before 07/18/2025.

The Supreme Court issued an 8-0 ruling this morning in favor of Seven County Infrastructure. The SCOTUS ruling is significant because it addresses an agency’s responsibility under NEPA to consider “upstream” and “downstream” environmental effects.

The 36-page decision can be accessed via the SCOTUS Blog, or at: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-975_m648.pdf

Or you may search “SEVEN COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE COALITION ET AL. v. EAGLE COUNTY, COLORADO, ET AL.” and find the decision.

If you would like to hear more from leaders in the industry, consider registering for the NAEP’s Quick Hit Reactions to Supreme Court’s Ruling in Seven County Infrastructure webinar.

Currently, the Wilmington District and the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) have a Joint Permit Application (JPA) procedure for Nationwide or Regional Permit Applications or Pre-Construction Notifications (PCNs) within the Wilmington District.  The USACE and DWR are working to develop a JPA procedure through the RRS system. At this time, JPA processes are not available via the RRS.  Applicants can submit JPAs through the NCDWR link below: 

Joint Permit Application (JPA) link

8 May 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.

Stay tuned - NCAEP will be hosting USACE Lunch and Learn events in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington to explain the benefits, demonstrate how to use the system, and answer questions about it.

Click here for a preview presentation RRS Presentation_20250507 and here for FAQs RRS FAQs_20250507.

Another technical resource update!

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, version 9.0 is now available for download. Developed by NRCS soil scientists in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Environmental Protection Agency; various regional, state, and local agencies; universities; and the private sector. Included in this publication are the hydric soil indicators approved by the NRCS and the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS) for use in identifying, delineating, and verifying hydric soils in the field. 

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR FREE

On January 8, 2025, The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) published the final National Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams. The National OHWM Manual is a non-mandatory resource that provides technical guidance for identifying aquatic resources that may be subject to regulatory jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act or Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (RHA). 

This manual presents a methodology for the identification and delineation of an OHWM. The manual describes regional differences, as well as addresses challenges in identifying an OHWM in a human-altered environment. Accompanied by a data sheet and field procedure, the manual is intended to guide users through a step-by-step process of identifying an OHWM to provide consistency, reliability, and defensibility in assessing surface water resources. Updates from the draft publication, which was first published in December 2022, include:

• An updated data sheet to improve clarity and efficiency,
• An added executive summary on the purpose of the manual,
• An Updated list of definitions,
• Added sections for indicators not discussed thoroughly in the draft manual,
• Reorganized sections to follow the data sheet more closely, and 
• Updated figures to reflect the changes in the manual and data sheet.

The final manual can be downloaded here and more information can be found on the USACE website .

On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Army (the agencies) issued a final rule to amend the final “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” rule, published in the Federal Register on January 18, 2023. This final rule conforms the definition of “waters of the United States” to the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 25, 2023, decision in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. Parts of the January 2023 Rule are invalid under the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Clean Water Act in the Sackett decision. Therefore, the agencies have amended key aspects of the regulatory text to conform it to the Court’s decision. Read more about the conforming rule.

The conforming rule will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. Where the January 2023 Rule is not enjoined, the agencies will implement the January 2023 Rule, as amended by the conforming rule. Please visit the Rule Status page for additional information about the status of the January 2023 Rule, as amended, and litigation. The information below is provided for informational purposes only. Visit the “Current Implementation” page for more information about current implementation of the definition of “waters of the United States.”

For more information: https://www.epa.gov/wotus/revising-definition-waters-united-states