Omaha District > Missions > Regulatory Program

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Regulatory Announcement

July 3, 2025 - USACE seeks public comments on new NEPA implementing procedures for the Corps Regulatory Program and Section 408 Program.

The Department of the Army and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced we are seeking comments on an interim final rule that establishes new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations at Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 333 for the USACE Regulatory Program and the USACE Section 408 Program. The interim final rule became effective on July 3, 2025 for Regulatory Program permit applications and Section 408 permission requests submitted to the USACE on or after July 3, 2025. The new USACE NEPA implementing procedures at 33 CFR 333 replace the Corps Regulatory Program’s previous NEPA implementing procedures at 33 CFR 325, appendix B.

A public notice soliciting comments on the interim final rule was published in the July 3, 2025, Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/03/2025-12360/procedures-for-implementing-nepa-processing-of-department-of-the-army-permits. Department of the Army and USACE will accept written comments through August 4, 2025. Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking portal at www.regulations.gov at docket number COE-2025-0006.

June 18, 2025 - USACE Seeks Public Comments on Proposal to Renew and Revise Nationwide Permits

June 16, 2025 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Announces Proposal to Renew and Revise Nationwide Permits

May 8, 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 7, 2025 - Special Public Notice for Special Emergency Processing Procedures under E.O. 14156 in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming for Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 Clean Water Action Permits.

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Northwestern Division has approved the use of special emergency processing procedures by the Omaha District in accordance with 33 CFR § 325.2(e)(4) for activities covered by the National Energy Emergency declared in Executive Order (EO) 14156. That EO was issued on January 20, 2025, under the President’s legal authorities, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq.) and 3 USC § 301. For the reasons stated in Section 1 of EO 14156, the President has found that insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to our Nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy and declared a national emergency on the basis of those findings. The President has directed agencies to use, to the fullest extent possible and consistent with applicable law, emergency USACE permitting provisions to facilitate the Nation’s energy supply.

Link to Public Notice: Special Public Notice for Special Emergency Processing Procedures under E.O. 14156 in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming for Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 Clean Water Action Permits.

Regulatory Overview

The mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regulatory Program is to protect the Nation's aquatic resources while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible and balanced permit decisions. USACE has been regulating activities in the nation's waters since 1890. The program was initially created solely to prevent obstructions to navigation. An early 20th century law gave USACE regulatory authority over the dumping of trash and sewage. The passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 greatly broadened this role by giving USACE authority over dredging and filling in the waters of the United States including many wetlands.

9307 South Wadsworth Blvd | Littleton | Colorado | 80128-6901 | Ph: 303-979-4120 | Fax: 303-979-0602

Email: DenverRegulatoryMailbox@usace.army.mil

Colorado Regulatory Pages

Fact Sheets

USACE Headquarters Links

Regulatory Program ...
Information regarding the history and development of the Regulatory Program.
Regulatory Resources ...
Regulatory Resources - Section 404 and Section 10 Regulations, Jurisdiction Issues, Guidance Letters, Recognizing Wetlands, Cultural Resources, Nationwide Permits, Fill Definition, etc.
Nationwide Permits ...
Federal Register Publications related to the Nationwide Permitting Process.
Permit Application ...
Permit Application and Instructions
National Notices ...
Links to National notices and recent program initiatives from our Washington, D.C. Headquarters Office.
Federal Regulations
Waters of the US ...
V. 80 No. 124 FR 37053 - CLEAN WATER RULE: DEFINITION OF “WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES”
Jurisdictional Information
Regulatory Guidance Letters
Customer Survey ...
Our customer survey. We value your comments and encourage you to assist us in serving you better.
Contacting the Corps ...
Contact information for other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory offices throughout the United States.

Apply for Permits, Jurisdictional Determinations and other Requests

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The Denver Regulatory Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Omaha District has been working to be more responsive to the needs of the public. For the Regulatory Program, we know there is great interest in having us accept information associated with aquatic resource delineation verifications, permit applications, and other requests in a digital format, instead of paper. To that end, we have created a process for the public to submit their request electronically. This new process is easy to access, ensures timely delivery, and comports with Army and Department of Defense (DoD) requirements.

Effective immediately, we are asking that all new requests be submitted in digital form, which will eliminate any need to send a paper copy.

If you are submitting information associated with a new request, such as a permit application or request to verify an aquatic resources delineation, please submit it to DenverRegulatoryMailbox@usace.army.mil for initial in-processing. (NOTE: Emails including attachments cannot exceed 40Mb).

If you require assistance with an active request, we encourage you to send digital files directly to the project manager assigned to the action. If you do not know who is assigned to your action, please send your request to our general email box.

We will continue to accept paper copies of your requests if you are unable to submit them electronically.

We ask the public to submit their requests for jurisdictional determinations, permit applications, and other associated documents in digital form. This will eliminate the requirement for the public to send documents in paper form to the Corps and for the Corps to save those documents in paper form.

Contents of requests:

The preferred document file format is .pdf. We will also accept Word documents in .docx format.
The Aquatic Resource/Consolidated Upload Excel spreadsheet must be submitted in .xlsm spreadsheet format.
If transmitting via email, include all information as email attachments, and avoid transmitting information in the body of the email.
All documents (aquatic resource delineations, permit applications, endangered species biological assessment, historic properties reports, etc.) must be submitted as separate files. DO NOT combine all documents into one Adobe PDF or Word document file.
Name files based on their content. Please do not use company project numbers or acronyms as the sole basis for the file name(s).
Reduce file sizes to the maximum extent possible.

Submitting requests:

There are multiple options for submitting your request to the Corps (in order of preference):

Submit via email. Our preferred method of electronic file submittal is via email.
- Initial requests that have not been assigned a project manager and Corps project number should be sent to the Corps general email inbox: DenverRegulatoryMailbox@usace.army.mil
  - NOTE: Add to the Email Subject line the name of the applicant, name of the project, and name of the county in which the project is proposed.
- Once a project has been assigned, documents should be emailed directly to the Corps Project Manager
  - NOTE: Add to the Email Subject line the Corps project number, name of the applicant, name of the project, and name of the county in which the project is proposed.
- The Corps file limit is 40 MB for individual emails. If your email would exceed 40MB, please request an upload link or use one of the methods below.
Send a short cover letter and CD with all required information to the Denver Regulatory Office at 9307 South Wadsworth Boulevard, Littleton, Colorado 80128-6901. DO NOT SEND A USB STICK. The Corps cannot connect USB sticks to our computers.
Mail a hard copy. We will continue to accept paper copies of your requests if you are unable to submit them electronically.

Jurisdictional Determination Request

If you would like to request a jurisdictional determination only, please complete and submit this form JD Request Form. Along with the form, submit a wetlands and other waters delineation of the site and clearly indicate on drawings the area within which you are requesting a review. Delineations need to be less than five years old and follow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual (and any related supplements).