The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is heavily involved in maintaining the nation's water supply. The Corps' first project was an aqueduct built in the 1850s to serve Washington, DC. It is still in use and maintained by the Corps today. The Corps has built many reservoirs, dams, levees, and other water projects across the United States. A 1958 law permits local governments and industries to tap into these water supplies. Today, Corps reservoirs serve over ten million people in 115 cities. The regulations the Corps imposes on such uses have much to do with maintaining the nation's water quality.
Water quality regulations: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- an intricate link in the water issues of the U.S.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been involved in regulating activities by others in navigable waterways through the granting of permits since passage of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. At first, this program was meant to prevent obstructions to navigation, although an early 20th century law gave the Corps regulatory authority over the dumping of trash and sewage, the first example of the Corps' involvement in regulations governing water quality. Passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 greatly broadened this water quality role by giving the Corps authority over dredging and filling in the "waters of the United States," including many wetlands. The Corps decides whether to designate an area as wetlands using criteria listed in the Army Corps of Engineers 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual (a PDF format).
In making decisions on whether to grant, deny or set conditions on permits, Army Corps of Engineers District commanders are required to consider "all factors in the public interest," including economic development and environmental protection. The conflict that often arises between economic development and environmental protection frequently leads to protracted hearings and litigation between the Corps and special interest groups.
The Clean Water Act, Section 404, outlines the Corps of Engineers role in setting regulations pertaining to water quality:
The Administrator is authorized to prohibit the specification (including the withdrawal of specification) of any defined area as a disposal site, and he is authorized to deny or restrict the use of any defined area for specification (including the withdrawal of specification) as a disposal site, whenever he determines, after notice and opportunity for public hearings, that the discharge of such materials into such area will have an unacceptable adverse effect on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas (including spawning and breeding areas), wildlife, or recreational areas. Before making such determination, the Administrator shall consult with the Secretary (of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers). The Administrator shall set forth in writing and make public his findings and his reasons for making any determination under this subsection.
Thus, the Army Corps of Engineers became intricately involved in the regulation of water quality throughout the United States. Today, the Army Corps of Engineers employs 1,100 people to deal with water quality regulations. About 80 percent of them are biologists and environmental scientists of various disciplines.
