The Charleston District Office, including the Regulatory Field Offices in Conway, Columbia, and Greenville, is closed to the public.  Office visits with the Regulatory Project Manager of the Day (PMOD) can be made by appointment only. Please contact the respective office directly to schedule an appointment. Click here for office locations and contact information.

October 11, 2024

Below is a link to information intended to aid in determining what activities may/may not require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in South Carolina, following damage from Tropical Storm Helene. We strongly advise the public to contact us with any questions regarding potential permitting requirements. USACE Regulatory Office Contact Information is included at the bottom of this Fact Sheet. Additional information regarding submitting a permit application (if applicable) can be found at: Regulatory Request System (RRS) (army.mil)

Regulatory Permitting Post Storm Even Fact Sheet - Tropical Storm Helene

October 09, 2024

The USACE Antecedent Precipitation Tool (APT) is Temporarily Down

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), headquartered in Asheville, NC, has been affected by Hurricane Helene. The NCEI data center is currently shut down. NOAA NCEI’s network service provider is also currently down, and at this point, there is no definitive timeline for when it will be fully operational. Because NOAA’s precipitation data are not currently available, the USACE Antecedent Precipitation Tool (APT), which relies on the NOAA data, is not currently operational. The APT Team is aware of this issue and therefore there is no need to submit additional error reports to the APT Team.

There is currently no anticipated timeline for getting NOAA’s servers back up-and-running, and there are no alternative data sources to fill the data gaps that would provide an immediate restoration of the APT. However, practitioners may use the manual procedures described in Chapter 5 of the Regional Supplements to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual and Chapter 19 of NRCS’ Engineering Field Handbook.

USACE will continue to monitor and coordinate with NOAA. Practitioners may also check the following webpage for updates from NOAA: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/latest-on-hurricane-helenes-impacts-on-noaas-national-centers-for-environmental-information.

Our thoughts are with the people across the region and all of those who will deal with disruptions in their community for a long time.

February 13, 2024

2022 National Wetland Plant List (NWPL)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as part of an interagency effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, is announcing the availability of the final 2022 National Wetland Plant List (NWPL). The Federal Register Notice for the 2022 NWPL update can be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-02-13/pdf/2024-02903.pdf.

The NWPL provides plant species wetland indicator status ratings, which are used in determining whether the hydrophytic vegetation factor is met when conducting wetland delineations under the Clean Water Act and wetland determinations under the Wetland Conservation Provisions of the Food Security Act. Other applications of the NWPL include wetland restoration, establishment, and enhancement projects. The list is effective as of 13 February 2024 and will be used in any wetland delineations performed after this date. A summary of the 2022 NWPL is provided in the table below.

Completed wetland delineation/determination forms should reference the version of the NWPL used to complete the form. The final NWPL is available at https://wetland-plants.sec.usace.army.mil/ (preferred browsers are Chrome and Firefox). Please note that while the web address for the NWPL website has not changed with this update, the website itself has undergone updates to enhance the utility of the NWPL.

Updated versions of the Automated Wetland Determination Data Sheets (ADS), which reflect revisions to the NWPL, can be found at the following link: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/reg_supp/ within the “General Information” dropdown.  More info regarding the ADS and its utility in wetland delineation can be found at the following link: https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Announcements/Article/2989646/5-april-2022-army-corps-of-engineers-announces-the-release-of-automated-wetland/.

April 24, 2023

Join Our Team!

The Charleston District Regulatory Division is seeking dedicated, highly qualified, recent graduates and experienced professionals to join our team of regulators. If you are looking for new challenges, meaningful work, and are passionate about public service and aquatic resource management, we encourage you to apply for one of our openings.

Immediate vacancies to be filled within the Charleston District Regulatory Division include:

• GS 12 Regulatory Project Manager(s) (Permanent and Term)
• GS 12 WRDA Project Manager(s) (Permanent)
• GS 5/7/9/11 developmental project manager(s) (Term)

These positions could be filled at any of our office locations (Greenville, Conway, Columbia, or Charleston).

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their resumes and unofficial transcripts to SCRegulatoryJobs@usace.army.mil quickly!  

The first review of candidates submissions will be May 5, 2023.

Additional vacancies may become available in the future that would also be covered by this flyer.  To view the Job Announcement Flier, please select the link below:

SACRD DHA HiringFlyer 2023

April 12, 2023

Notice of Availability of the Beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Northeast or Southeast: The method, data forms, and training opportunities are available at: https://www.epa.gov/streamflow-duration-assessment/beta-streamflow-duration-assessment-method-northeast-and-southeast. For additional information on the development of regional Streamflow Duration Assessment Methods for nationwide coverage, see: https://www.epa.gov/streamflow-duration-assessment.

January 3, 2023

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) announced a final rule establishing a durable definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) to reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions, protect people’s health, and support economic opportunity. The final rule restores essential water protections that were in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters. As a result, this action will strengthen fundamental protections for waters that are sources of drinking water while supporting agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities.  Click here visit the Corps Headquarters website for the press release and to access the rule and related materials. 

December 1, 2022

Notice of Availability of the Interim Draft of the National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams - On December 1, 2022, the USACE and EPA announced the availability of the Interim Draft of the National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams (National OHWM Manual) and its accompanying data sheet.  Click here for a direct link to the announcement.

April 22, 2022
The Regulatory Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District is refining its process to emphasize review of Department of the Army (DA) permit applications and requests associated with pending DA permit applications beginning April 22, 2022. Requests not associated with a DA permit application, including standalone jurisdictional determinations (JDs) and delineation concurrences (DCs), will still be accepted, but the review and processing of such standalone requests will be based on available resources, resulting in extended timelines for processing. In-house wetland delineations conducted by the Corps will generally only be performed for small tracts (i.e., one acre or less) on a case-by-case basis and as time allows. For more, view the Public Notice and Process Refinement FAQs.

January 5, 2022
Click here for information about the Navigable Waters Protection Rule Vacatur

November 2, 2021
2 November 2021 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as part of an interagency effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, is announcing the availability of the final 2020 National Wetland Plant List (NWPL). The Federal Register Notice for the 2020 NWPL update can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/02/2021-23891/national-wetland-plant-list

The NWPL provides plant species wetland indicator status ratings, which are used in determining whether the hydrophytic vegetation factor is met when conducting wetland delineations under the Clean Water Act and wetland determinations under the Wetland Conservation Provisions of the Food Security Act. Other applications of the NWPL include wetland restoration, establishment, and enhancement projects. The list is effective as of 2 November 2021 and will be used in any wetland delineations performed after this date. Completed wetland delineation/determination forms should reference the version of the NWPL used to complete the form.  The final NWPL is available at https://wetland-plants.sec.usace.army.mil/ (preferred browsers are Chrome and Firefox). 

July 30, 2021: EPA and Army Announce Next Steps for Crafting Enduring Definition of Waters of the United States. 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) have announced plans for upcoming community engagements to inform their efforts to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). EPA and Army have stated a commitment to developing a reasonable, effective, and durable definition of WOTUS that protects public health, the environment, and downstream communities while supporting economic opportunity, agriculture, and other industries. EPA and Army are announcing a series of engagement opportunities, including an opportunity for stakeholders and the public to provide written recommendations and a series of public meetings in August to hear perspectives on the rulemaking. In addition, the agencies are initiating Federalism and Tribal consultations for the foundational rule. The agencies also intend to host a series of dialogues with state and Tribal co-regulators this fall to discuss both rulemakings. Please click here for more information that is available on the USACE website.

June 9 2021: EPA, Army Announce Intent to Revise Definition of Waters of the United States
The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army have announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” to better protect our nation’s vital water resources that support public health, environmental protection, agricultural activity, and economic growth. Please click here for more information that is available on the USACE website.

January 26, 2021 - Special Public Notice - Charleston District Regulatory Update - COVID 19 and Workload (click here)
The purpose of this notice is to provide a brief update on the current operational status of the Charleston District's Regulatory Division COVID-19 posture and Prioritization of Projects. Please click on the above link to view the public notice.