in effect
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is issuing a final rule that renews its set of Nationwide Permits (NWPs) — standing, pre-approved authorizations under the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 that allow certain activities affecting U.S. waters and wetlands without requiring a full individual permit, provided those activities cause no more than minimal environmental harm. This is a routine reissuance; NWPs expire every five years and must be formally renewed to remain in effect.
The rule reissues 56 of the 57 existing NWPs, most with some modifications, and adds one brand-new permit — NWP A — covering activities that improve the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms through waterways. NWP 56, which previously covered finfish mariculture (ocean fish farming), is not reissued and is therefore no longer available. The renewed permits take effect March 15, 2026, and expire March 15, 2031. Projects already authorized under the expiring 2021 NWPs that have started construction or are under contract by March 14, 2026, have until March 14, 2027, to finish; projects not yet underway by that date must seek reauthorization under the 2026 NWPs or obtain a standard individual permit if they no longer qualify.
Anyone who needs federal authorization to place dredged or fill material into U.S. waters, or to build structures in navigable waterways — including developers, utilities, pipeline operators, farmers, mining companies, marina operators, and local governments — can use these permits to obtain faster approval (averaging 55 days, compared to 253 days for a full individual permit) if their project meets the applicable terms and conditions. Corps district and division offices nationwide administer the program day-to-day, reviewing project notifications, setting regional conditions, and determining whether specific activities qualify.