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33 U.S.C. § 403 — Obstruction of navigable waters generally; wharves; piers, etc.; excavations and filling in

Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 403 — Obstruction of navigable waters generally; wharves; piers, etc.; excavations and filling in

The creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress, to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States is prohibited; and it shall not be lawful to build or commence the building of any wharf, pier, dolphin, boom, weir, breakwater, bulkhead, jetty, or other structures in any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, navigable river, or other water of the United States, outside established harbor lines, or where no harbor lines have been established, except on plans recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army; and it shall not be lawful to excavate or fill, or in any manner to alter or modify the course, location, condition, or capacity of, any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, lake, harbor of refuge, or inclosure within the limits of any breakwater, or of the channel of any navigable water of the United States, unless the work has been recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army prior to beginning the same.

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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_607f8b6b98ed92a9dbda3e01
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-33/section-403-obstruction-of-navigable-waters-generally-wharves-piers-etc-excavations--41af8200dd.md
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Passage SHA-256: b165fadb42482827dda6c1f3790f6311b2de7f584326961a7d313d5a26fdc4a7

Source location: Title 33, Chapter 9, § 403; chapter-009-protection-of-navigable-waters-and-of-harbor-and-river-improvements-generally.md

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The creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress, to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States is prohibited; and it shall not be lawful to build or commence the building of any wharf, pier, dolphin, boom, weir, breakwater, bulkhead, jetty, or other structures in any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, navigable river, or other water of the United States, outside established harbor lines, or where no harbor lines have been established, except on plans recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army; and it shall not be lawful to excavate or fill, or in any manner to alter or modify the course, location, condition, or capacity of, any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, lake, harbor of refuge, or inclosure within the limits of any breakwater, or of the channel of any navigable water of the United States, unless the work has been recommended by the Chief of Engineers and authorized by the Secretary of the Army prior to beginning the same.

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

16 U.S.C. § 1531 — Congressional findings and declaration of purposes and policy

**(a) Findings** The Congress finds and declares that— (1) various species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation; (2) other species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been so depleted in numbers that they are in danger of or threatened with extinction; (3) these species of fish, wildlife, and plants are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people; (4) the United States has pledged itself as a sovereign state in the international community to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction, pursuant to— (A) migratory bird treaties with Canada and Mexico; (B) the Migratory and Endangered Bird Treaty with Japan; (C) the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere; (D) the International Convention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries; (E) the International Convention for the High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean; (F) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and (G) other international agreements; and (5) encouraging the States and other interested parties, through Federal financial assistance and a system of incentives, to develop and maintain conservation programs which meet national and international standards is a key to meeting the Nation’s international commitments and to better safeguarding, for the benefit of all citizens, the Nation’s herit­age in fish, wildlife, and plants. **(b) Purposes** The purposes of this chapter are to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 16 U.S.C. § 1531

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 1251 — Congressional declaration of goals and policy

**(a) Restoration and maintenance of chemical, physical and biological integrity of Nation’s waters; national goals for achievement of objective** The objective of this chapter is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. In order to achieve this objective it is hereby declared that, consistent with the provisions of this chapter— (1) it is the national goal that the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters be eliminated by 1985; (2) it is the national goal that wherever attainable, an interim goal of water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provides for recreation in and on the water be achieved by July 1, 1983; (3) it is the national policy that the discharge of toxic pollutants in toxic amounts be prohibited; (4) it is the national policy that Federal financial assistance be provided to construct publicly owned waste treatment works; (5) it is the national policy that areawide waste treatment management planning processes be developed and implemented to assure adequate control of sources of pollutants in each State; (6) it is the national policy that a major research and demonstration effort be made to develop technology necessary to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters, waters of the contiguous zone, and the oceans; and (7) it is the national policy that programs for the control of nonpoint sources of pollution be developed and implemented in an expeditious manner so as to enable the goals of this chapter to be met through the control of both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. **(b) Congressional recognition, preservation, and protection of primary responsibilities and rights of States** It is the policy

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 1251

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

42 U.S.C. § 4321 — Repealed. Pub. L. 117–58, div. G, title VIII, § 70801(h), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1294

### Statutory Notes Section, Pub. L. 114–94, div. D, title XLI, § 41013, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1761, provided that this subchapter shall terminate 7 years after Dec. 4, 2015.

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 42 U.S.C. § 4321

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 1344 — Permits for dredged or fill material

**(a) Discharge into navigable waters at specified disposal sites** The Secretary may issue permits, after notice and opportunity for public hearings for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters at specified disposal sites. Not later than the fifteenth day after the date an applicant submits all the information required to complete an application for a permit under this subsection, the Secretary shall publish the notice required by this subsection. **(b) Specification for disposal sites** Subject to subsection (c) of this section, each such disposal site shall be specified for each such permit by the Secretary (1) through the application of guidelines developed by the Administrator, in conjunction with the Secretary, which guidelines shall be based upon criteria comparable to the criteria applicable to the territorial seas, the contiguous zone, and the ocean under [section 1343(c) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section1343/c&num=0&edition=prelim), and (2) in any case where such guidelines under clause (1) alone would prohibit the specification of a site, through the application additionally of the economic impact of the site on navigation and anchorage. **(c) Denial or restriction of use of defined areas as disposal sites** 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 municip

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 1344

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 408 — Taking possession of, use of, or injury to harbor or river improvements

**(a) Prohibitions and permissions** It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to take possession of or make use of for any purpose, or build upon, alter, deface, destroy, move, injure, obstruct by fastening vessels thereto or otherwise, or in any manner whatever impair the usefulness of any sea wall, bulkhead, jetty, dike, levee, wharf, pier, or other work built by the United States, or any piece of plant, floating or otherwise, used in the construction of such work under the control of the United States, in whole or in part, for the preservation and improvement of any of its navigable waters or to prevent floods, or as boundary marks, tide gauges, surveying stations, buoys, or other established marks, nor remove for ballast or other purposes any stone or other material composing such works: Provided, That the Secretary of the Army may, on the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, grant permission for the temporary occupation or use of any of the aforementioned public works when in his judgment such occupation or use will not be injurious to the public interest: Provided further, That the Secretary may, on the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, grant permission for the alteration or permanent occupation or use of any of the aforementioned public works when in the judgment of the Secretary such occupation or use will not be injurious to the public interest and will not impair the usefulness of such work. **(b) Concurrent review** (1) **NEPA review** (A) *In general* — In any case in which an activity subject to this section requires a review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ([42 U.S.C. 4321](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section4321&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.), review and approval of the

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 408

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 401 — Construction of bridges, causeways, dams or dikes generally; exemptions

It shall not be lawful to construct or commence the construction of any bridge, causeway, dam, or dike over or in any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, navigable river, or other navigable water of the United States until the consent of Congress to the building of such structures shall have been obtained and until the plans for (1) the bridge or causeway shall have been submitted to and approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, or (2) the dam or dike shall have been submitted to and approved by the Chief of Engineers and Secretary of the Army. However, such structures may be built under authority of the legislature of a State across rivers and other waterways the navigable portions of which lie wholly within the limits of a single State, provided the location and plans thereof are submitted to and approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or by the Chief of Engineers and Secretary of the Army before construction is commenced. When plans for any bridge or other structure have been approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or by the Chief of Engineers and Secretary of the Army, it shall not be lawful to deviate from such plans either before or after completion of the structure unless modification of said plans has previously been submitted to and received the approval of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the Army. The approval required by this section of the location and plans or any modification of plans of any bridge or causeway does not apply to any bridge or causeway over waters that are not subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and that are not used and are not

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 401

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

15 U.S.C. § 719e — Presidential decision and report

**(a) Dateline for decision; transmission to Congress, delay: notice to Congress; contents of decision; chairman, appointment; Federal inspector of construction: duties, including establishment of joint surveillance and monitoring agreement** (1) As soon as practicable after July 1, 1977, but not later than September 1, 1977, the President shall issue a decision as to whether a transportation system for delivery of Alaska natural gas should be approved under this chapter. If he determines such a system should be so approved, his decision shall designate such a system for approval pursuant to [section 719f of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section719f&num=0&edition=prelim) and shall be consistent with [section 719c(b)(1)(C) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section719c/b/1/C&num=0&edition=prelim) to assure delivery of Alaska natural gas to points both east and west of the Rocky Mountains in the continental United States. The President in making his decision shall take into consideration the Commission’s recommendation pursuant to [section 719c of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section719c&num=0&edition=prelim), the report under [section 719c(c) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section719c/c&num=0&edition=prelim), and any comments submitted under [section 719d of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section719d&num=0&edition=prelim); and his decision to designate a system for approval shall be based on his determination as to which system, if any, best serves the national interest. (2) The President, for a period of up to 90 addi

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 15 U.S.C. § 719e

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 1371 — Authority under other laws and regulations

**(a) Impairment of authority or functions of officials and agencies; treaty provisions** This chapter shall not be construed as (1) limiting the authority or functions of any officer or agency of the United States under any other law or regulation not inconsistent with this chapter; (2) affecting or impairing the authority of the Secretary of the Army (A) to maintain navigation or (B) under the Act of March 3, 1899, (30 Stat. 1112); except that any permit issued under [section 1344 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section1344&num=0&edition=prelim) shall be conclusive as to the effect on water quality of any discharge resulting from any activity subject to [section 403 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section403&num=0&edition=prelim), or (3) affecting or impairing the provisions of any treaty of the United States. **(b) Discharges of pollutants into navigable waters** Discharges of pollutants into the navigable waters subject to the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1910 (36 Stat. 593; [33 U.S.C. 421](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section421&num=0&edition=prelim)) and the Supervisory Harbors Act of 1888 (25 Stat. 209; [33 U.S.C. 441–451b](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section441–451b&num=0&edition=prelim)) shall be regulated pursuant to this chapter, and not subject to such Act of 1910 and the Act of 1888 except as to effect on navigation and anchorage. **(c) Action of the Administrator deemed major Federal action; construction of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969** (1) Except for the provision of Federal financial assistance for the purpose of assisting the construction of publicly own

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 1371

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 1503 — License for ownership, construction, and operation of deepwater port

**(a) Requirement** No person may engage in the ownership, construction, or operation of a deepwater port except in accordance with a license issued pursuant to this chapter. No person may transport or otherwise transfer any oil or natural gas between a deepwater port and the United States unless such port has been so licensed and the license is in force. **(b) Issuance, transfer, amendment, or reinstatement** The Secretary may— (1) on application, issue a license for the ownership, construction, and operation of a deepwater port; and (2) on petition of the licensee, amend, transfer, or reinstate a license issued under this chapter. **(c) Conditions for issuance** The Secretary may issue a license in accordance with the provisions of this chapter if— (1) the Secretary determines that the applicant is financially responsible and will meet the requirements of [section 2716 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section2716&num=0&edition=prelim); (2) the Secretary determines that the applicant can and will comply with applicable laws, regulations, and license conditions; (3) the Secretary determines that the construction and operation of the deepwater port will be in the national interest and consistent with national security and other national policy goals and objectives, including energy sufficiency and environmental quality; (4) the Secretary determines that the deepwater port will not unreasonably interfere with international navigation or other reasonable uses of the high seas, as defined by treaty, convention, or customary international law; (5) the Secretary determines, in accordance with the environmental review criteria established pursuant to [section 1505 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 1503

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

33 U.S.C. § 2104 — Permits for construction and management of artificial reefs

**(a) Secretarial action on permits** In issuing a permit for artificial reefs under [section 403 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section403&num=0&edition=prelim), [section 1344 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section1344&num=0&edition=prelim), or [section 1333(e) of title 43](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title43-section1333/e&num=0&edition=prelim), the Secretary of the Army (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall— (1) consult with and consider the views of appropriate Federal agencies, States, local governments, and other interested parties; (2) ensure that the provisions for siting, constructing, monitoring, and managing the artificial reef are consistent with the criteria and standards established under this chapter; (3) ensure that the title to the artificial reef construction material is unambiguous, and that responsibility for maintenance and the financial ability to assume liability for future damages are clearly established; and (4) consider the plan developed under [section 2103 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title33-section2103&num=0&edition=prelim) and notify the Secretary of Commerce of any need to deviate from that plan. **(b) Terms and conditions of permits** (1) Each permit issued by the Secretary subject to this section shall specify the design and location for construction of the artificial reef and the types and quantities of materials that may be used in constructing such artificial reef. In addition, each such permit shall specify such terms and conditions for the construction, operation, maintenance, monitoring, and managing the use of the

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 33 U.S.C. § 2104

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