CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROVIDES DIRECTION
TO THOSE FACING LOW WATER NAVIGATIONAL PROBLEMS

The Detroit District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced measures to be followed to help expedite issuance of federal permits to those waterfront property owners and marina owners facing navigational problems associated with continued expected declining lake levels. The current water level forecast for this summer indicates lake levels as much as one foot lower.

Due to low lake levels, the Corps advises those property owners, contractors, and marina operators working within the Corps jurisdictional waters to act promptly to obtain Corps permits in a timely manner. Those waters requiring a permit from the Corps include the Michigan shoreline of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie; the connecting rivers, i.e., St. Mary's, St. Clair, and Detroit; residential canals directly off these waterbodies and connecting rivers; and any coastal lake directly influenced by the above waters. The Corps has several permits in place which allow for a timely permit issuance for those in need of prompt assistance. These include: nationwide permits which allow the individual property owners to dredge up to 25 cubic yards from below the Ordinary High Water Mark elevation of their particular waterbody or watercourse; nationwide permits which allow for the maintenance dredging of existing marina basins, access channels to marina basins or boat slips, and boat slips to previously authorized depths or to controlling depths for ingress/egress, whichever is less; and regional permits which allow for the dredging of up to 300 cubic yards per lot. The regional permit allows the applicant to apply for multiple lots.

The Corps also has a letter of permission which is available for use after a relatively short coordination period with other Federal and state agencies when, in the opinion of the district engineer, the proposed work would be minor in scope, would not have significant individual or cumulative impacts on environmental values, and should encounter no appreciable opposition. The above permits have a very quick turn-a-round time and can generally be issued within a couple weeks of receipt of a ?complete? application by the Corps office. All of the above permits require the dredging to be done by mechanical means, as opposed to hydraulic means; upland disposal of the dredged spoils, with no return to any waterbody or wetland; and that the area to be dredged is not a wetland.

The following must be provided before the application is considered "complete":

1. A completed application form, with all blanks filled in, which is signed and dated.
2. A vicinity map (County map) and location map (local city map) showing the exact location of the proposed dredge project.
3. A plan view drawing (view from above) showing all subject property lines, proposed work area including dimensions and/or a scale, a north arrow, and address of the applicant and adjacent property owners names and addresses.
4. A cross-section drawing (pie slice view) showing elevations of current water levels, distance to the bottom surface, and depth of dredging. Elevations should be reported in 1985 International Great Lakes Datum, however, in lieu of that, the applicant must reference all elevations to the time and date that the water surface elevation is recorded.
5. The volume of material (in cubic yards) to be dredged.
6. Indicate the location of the disposal location.

Homeowners and contractors are reminded of the requirement to obtain both a federal permit from the Corps, as well as a state permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Land and Water Management Division (MDEQ). Depending on the location, amount of dredging proposed, and the disposal location, sediment testing and analysis may be required, as well. Applications forms may be printed from here or by calling MDEQ's Permit Consolidation Unit at 517-373-9244. Homeowners and contractors may also contact the Corps to receive an application package by calling the Detroit District at 313-226-2218. Applicants may submit the applications to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Detroit District, Regulatory Office
(CELRE-ET-RG)
P.O. Box 1027
Detroit, Michigan 48231-1027

OR

Department of Environmental Quality
Land and Water Management Division
Box 30204
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7704

Note: A filing fee must be submitted to MDEQ.