Federal investigations and improvements of rivers, harbors, and other waterways shall be under the jurisdiction of and shall be prosecuted by the Department of the Army under the direction of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers, except as otherwise specifically provided by Act of Congress, which said investigations and improvements shall include a due regard for wildlife conservation.

Appropriations in this title 1

There shall be organized in the office of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, by detail from time to time from the Corps of Engineers, a board of seven engineer officers, a majority of whom shall be of rank not less than lieutenant colonel, whose duties shall be fixed by the Chief of Engineers, and to whom shall be referred for consideration and recommendation, in addition to any other duties assigned, so far as in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers may be necessary, all reports upon examinations and surveys provided for by Congress, and all projects or changes in projects for works of river and harbor improvement prior to June 13, 1902, or thereafter provided for. And the board shall submit to the Chief of Engineers recommendations as to the desirability of commencing or continuing any and all improvements upon which reports are required. And in the consideration of such works and projects the board shall have in view the amount and character of commerce existing or reasonably prospective which will be benefited by the improvement, and the relation of the ultimate cost of such work, both as to cost of construction and maintenance, to the public commercial interests involved, and the public necessity for the work and propriety of its construction, continuance, or maintenance at the expense of the United States. And such consideration shall be given as time permits to such works as have, prior to June 13, 1902, been provided for by Congress, the same as in the case of new works proposed. The board shall, when it considers the same necessary, and with the sanction and under orders from the Chief of Engineers, make, as a board or through its members, personal examinations of localities. And all facts, information, and arguments which are presented to the board for its consideration in connection with any matter referred to it by the Chief of Engineers shall be reduced to and submitted in writing, and made a part of the records of the office of the Chief of Engineers. It shall further be the duty of said board, upon a request transmitted to the Chief of Engineers by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives, or the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, in the same manner to examine and report through the Chief of Engineers upon any projects adopted, prior to June 13, 1902, by the Government or upon which appropriations have been made, and report upon the desirability of continuing the same or upon any modifications thereof which may be deemed desirable. As used in this section the term “commerce” shall include the use of waterways by seasonal passenger craft, yachts, house boats, fishing boats, motor boats, and other similar water craft, whether or not operated for hire.

The board shall have authority, with the approval of the Chief of Engineers, to rent quarters, if necessary, for the proper transaction of its business, and to employ such civil employees as may, in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers, be required for properly transacting the business assigned to it, and the necessary expenses of the board shall be paid from allotments made by the Chief of Engineers from any appropriations made by Congress for the work or works to which the duties of the board pertain.

All reports on examinations and surveys authorized by law shall be reviewed by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors as provided for in section 541 of this title, and all special reports ordered by Congress shall, in the discretion of the Chief of Engineers, be reviewed in like manner by said board; and the said board shall also, on request by resolution of the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate or the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives, submitted to the Chief of Engineers, examine and review the report of any examination or survey made pursuant to any Act or resolution of Congress, and report thereon through the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, who shall submit his conclusions thereon as in other cases: Provided, That in no case shall the board, in its report thus called for by committee resolution, extend the scope of the project contemplated in the original report upon which its examination and review has been requested, or in the provision of law authorizing the original examination or survey.

The Chief of Engineers may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Army, employ such civil engineers, not exceeding five in number, for the purpose of executing the surveys and improvements of western and northwestern rivers, ordered by Congress, as may be necessary to the proper and diligent prosecution of the same; and the persons so employed may be allowed a reasonable compensation for their services, not to exceed the sum of $3,000 a year.

The Chief of Engineers may authorize the employment of physicians under agreement, to make such physical examinations of employees or prospective employees as he may consider essential, on a fee or regular employment basis, and all agreements entered into prior to March 2, 1945, for such purposes are validated, and the Comptroller General is authorized and directed to allow credit in the accounts of disbursing officers for reasonable payments made prior to March 2, 1945, for such services.

The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, is directed to make a maximum effort to assure the full participation of members of minority groups, living in the States participating in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, in the construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway project, including actions to encourage the use, wherever possible, of minority owned firms.

For preliminary examinations and surveys authorized in previous river and harbor and flood-control Acts, the Secretary of the Army is directed to cause investigations and reports for navigation and allied purposes to be prepared under the supervision of the Chief of Engineers in the form of survey reports, and that preliminary examination reports shall no longer be required to be prepared.

The surveys of navigable streams shall include such stream-flow measurements and other investigations of the watersheds as may be necessary for preparation of plans of improvement and a proper consideration of all uses of the stream affecting navigation, and whenever necessary similar investigations may be made in connection with all navigable streams under improvement. Whenever permission for the construction of dams in navigable streams is granted, or is under consideration by Congress, such surveys and investigations of the sections of the streams affected may be made as are necessary to secure conformity with rational plans for the improvement of the streams for navigation.

Every report submitted to Congress in pursuance of any provision of law for preliminary examination and survey looking to the improvement of the entrance at the mouth of any river or at any inlet, in addition to other information which the Congress has directed shall be given, shall contain information concerning the configuration of the shore line and the probable effect thereon that may be expected to result from the improvement having particular reference to erosion and/or accretion for a distance of not less than ten miles on either side of the said entrance.

Every report submitted to Congress in pursuance of any provision of law for a survey, in addition to other information which the Congress has directed shall be given, shall contain a statement of special or local benefit which will accrue to localities affected by such improvement and a statement of general or national benefits, with recommendations as to what local cooperation should be required, if any, on account of such special or local benefit.

In the case of any authorized navigation project which has been partially constructed, or is to be constructed, which is located in one or more States, and which serves regional needs, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, may include in any economic analysis which is under preparation on October 22, 1976, such regional economic development benefits as he determines to be appropriate for purposes of computing the economic justification of the project.

The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, is authorized to review the operation of projects the construction of which has been completed and which were constructed by the Corps of Engineers in the interest of navigation, flood control, water supply, and related purposes, when found advisable due 1

It is declared to be the policy of the Congress that water terminals are essential at all cities and towns located upon harbors or navigable waterways and that at least one public terminal should exist, constructed, owned, and regulated by the municipality or other public agency of the State and open to the use of all on equal terms. The Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, shall give full publicity, as far as may be practicable, to this provision.

In the collection of statistics relating to traffic, the Corps of Engineers is directed to adopt a uniform system of classification for freight, and upon rivers or inland waterways to collate ton-mileage statistics as far as practicable.

Owners, agents, masters, and clerks of vessels arriving at or departing from localities where works of river and harbor improvement are carried on shall furnish, on application of the persons in local charge of the works, a comprehensive statement of vessels, passengers, freight, and tonnage.

Every person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall, for each and every offense, be liable to a fine of $100, or imprisonment not exceeding two months, to be enforced in any district court in the United States within whose territorial jurisdiction such offense may have been committed.

Owners, agents, masters, and clerks of vessels and other craft plying upon the navigable waters of the United States, and all individuals and corporations engaged in transporting their own goods upon the navigable waters of the United States, shall furnish such statements relative to vessels, passengers, freight, and tonnage as may be required by the Secretary of the Army: Provided, That this provision shall not apply to those rafting logs except upon a direct request upon the owner to furnish specific information.

Every person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall, for each and every offense, be liable to a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment not exceeding two months, to be enforced in any district court in the United States within whose territorial jurisdiction such offense may have been committed. In addition, the Secretary may assess a civil penalty of up to $2,500, per violation, against any person or entity that fails to provide timely, accurate statements required to be submitted pursuant to this section by the Secretary.

The Secretary of the Army shall cause the manuscript of the annual report of the Chief of Engineers and subordinate engineers, relating to the improvement of rivers and harbors, and the report of the Mississippi River Commission to be placed in the hands of the Director of the Government Publishing Office on or before the 15th day of October in each year, and the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall cause said reports to be printed with an accurate and comprehensive index thereof, on or before the first Monday in December in each year, for the use of Congress.

All reports on examinations and surveys which may be prepared during the recess of Congress shall, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, be printed by the Director of the Government Publishing Office as documents of the following session of Congress.

The printing of matter relating to river and harbor works, including all reports, compilations, regulations, and so forth, whose preparation is allowable under Department of the Army regulations, shall be done and paid for out of regular annual appropriations for printing and binding for the Department of the Army.

The Chief of Engineers is authorized to publish information pamphlets, maps, brochures, and other material on river and harbor, flood control, and other civil works activities, including related public park and recreation facilities, under his jurisdiction, as he may deem to be of value to the general public.

The Chief of Engineers is authorized to provide for the sale of any of the material prepared under authority of section 557a of this title; and of publications, charts, or material prepared under his direction pursuant to other legislative authorization or appropriation, and to charge therefor a sum not less than the cost of reproduction. The money received from sales authorized by this section shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit of miscellaneous receipts, except that in any case in which the cost of reproduction has been paid from the revolving fund established pursuant to the Civil Functions Appropriation Act, 1954, the proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of such fund.

When any property which has been heretofore or may be hereafter purchased or acquired for the improvement of rivers and harbors is no longer needed, or is no longer serviceable and is transferred or sold, the proceeds thereof may be credited to the appropriation for the work for which it was acquired.

In any case in which it may be necessary or advisable in the execution of an authorized work of river and harbor improvement to exchange land or other property of the Government for private lands or property required for such project, the Secretary of the Army may, upon the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, authorize such exchange upon terms and conditions deemed appropriate by him, and any conveyance of Government land or interests therein necessary to effect such exchange may be executed by the Secretary of the Army: Provided further, That the authority granted to the Secretary of the Army shall not extend to or include lands held or acquired by the Tennessee Valley Authority pursuant to the terms of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act [16 U.S.C. 831 et seq.]. This section shall apply to any exchanges heretofore deemed advisable in connection with the construction of the Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River.

Section 558b of this title is made applicable to authorized works of flood control.

The Secretary of the Army is authorized and empowered, under such terms and conditions as are deemed advisable by him, to grant easements for rights-of-way for public roads and streets on and across lands acquired by the United States for river and harbor and flood control improvements including, whenever necessary, the privilege of occupying so much of said lands as may be necessary for the piers, abutments, and other portions of a bridge structure: Provided, That such rights-of-way shall be granted only upon a finding by the Secretary of the Army that the same will be in the public interest and will not substantially injure the interest of the United States in the property affected thereby: Provided further, That all or any part of such rights-of-way may be annulled and forfeited by the Secretary of the Army for failure to comply with the terms or conditions of any grant hereunder or for nonuse or for abandonment of rights granted under the authority hereof: Provided further, That the authority granted to the Secretary of the Army shall not extend to or include lands held or acquired by the Tennessee Valley Authority pursuant to the terms of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act [16 U.S.C. 831 et seq.].

Amounts paid after August 8, 1917, by private parties or other agencies for rental of plant owned by the Government in connection with the prosecution of river and harbor works shall be deposited in each case to the credit of the appropriation to which the plant belongs.

The Secretary of the Army is authorized to receive from private parties such funds as may be contributed by them to be expended in connection with funds appropriated by the United States for any authorized work of public improvement of rivers and harbors whenever such work and expenditure may be considered by the Chief of Engineers as advantageous to the interests of navigation: Provided, That when contributions heretofore or hereafter made by local interests for river and harbor improvements, in accordance with specific requirements or under general authority of Congress, are in excess of the actual cost of the work contemplated and properly chargeable to such contributions, such excess contributions may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Army, be returned to the proper representatives of the contributing interests, unless the provision of law under which the contribution is made requires that the entire contribution be retained by the United States.

When the authorization of a project of river and harbor improvement requires that local interests shall contribute a specific sum of money toward its cost, the Secretary of the Army, upon the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, may reduce the sum to be contributed to an amount which shall be in the same ratio to the amount of the required contribution as the actual cost of the work to which said contribution is applicable bears to its original estimated cost as set forth in the project document.

In the preparation of projects under this and subsequent river and harbor acts and after the project becomes operational, unless otherwise expressed, the channel depths referred to shall be understood to signify the depth at mean lower low water, as defined by the Department of Commerce for nautical charts and tidal predictions, in tidal waters tributary to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and at mean lower low water, as defined by the Department of Commerce for nautical charts and tidal predictions, in tidal waters tributary to the Pacific coast and the mean depth for a continuous period of fifteen days of the lowest water, as defined by the Department of Commerce for nautical charts and tidal predictions, in the navigation season of any year in rivers and nontidal channels, and and 1

The Chief of Engineers, under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, is hereby authorized to maintain authorized river and harbor projects in excess of authorized project depths where such excess depths have been provided by the United States for defense purposes and whenever the Chief of Engineers determines that such waterways also serve essential needs of general commerce.

Any person or persons, corporations, municipal or private, who desire to improve any navigable river, or any part thereof, at their or its own expense and risk may do so upon the approval of the plans and specifications of said proposed improvement by the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Engineers of the Army. The plan of said improvement must conform with the general plan of the Government improvements, must not impede navigation, and no toll shall be imposed on account thereof, and said improvement shall at all times be under the control and supervision of the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Engineers.

Authority is given to the State of New Jersey, or, through it, to any commission, individual, corporation, or municipality, singly or collectively, designated by the legislature of said State, or by a commission appointed or authorized by said legislature, to improve the channels on the New Jersey seacoast, or any portion of said coast, or the waters adjacent thereto, lying between thirty-eight degrees fifty-six minutes and forty degrees twenty minutes north latitude, by dredging, or by the construction of piers, jetties, or breakwaters, or other river and harbor work of any description or nature adapted to attain the ends now purs

Congress consents that the States of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, or any two of them, may enter into any agreement or agreements with each other to aid in improving navigation and to prevent and control floods on boundary waters of said States and the waters tributary thereto. And said States, or any two of them, may agree with each other upon any project or projects for the purpose of making such improvements, and upon the amount of money to be contributed by each to carry out such projects. The Secretary of the Army is authorized and directed to make a survey of any project proposed, as aforesaid, by said States, or any two of them, to determine the feasibility and practicability thereof and the expenses of carrying the same into effect and what share of such expenses should be borne by the respective States, local interests, or by the National Government. If the Secretary of the Army approves any such projects, he may authorize the States to make such improvements at their own expense, but under his supervision.

The consent of the Congress of the United States is given to the States of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, and Ohio, or any two or more of them, to negotiate and enter into agreements or compacts for conserving and regulating the flow, lessening flood damage, removing sources of pollution of the waters thereof, or making other public improvements on any rivers or streams whose drainage basins lie within any two or more of the said States.

No such compact or agreement shall be binding or obligatory upon any State a party thereto unless and until it has been approved by the legislatures of each of the States whose assent is contemplated by the terms of the compact or agreement and by the Congress.

The consent of Congress is given to the States of Maryland and West Virginia and the Commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia to enter into the compact to create a Potomac Valley Conservancy District and to establish an Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin: Provided, That nothing contained in such compact shall be construed as impairing or in any manner affecting any right or jurisdiction of the United States in and over the region which forms the subject of this compact.

The consent of Congress is hereby given to the States of Maryland and West Virginia and the Commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia to adopt the aforementioned amendments and enter into the amended compact hereinbefore recited and every part and article thereof: Provided, That nothing contained in such amended compact shall be construed as impairing or in any manner affecting any right or jurisdiction of the United States in and over the region which forms the subject of this compact: And provided further, That the consent herein given does not extend to section (F)(2) of article II of the amended compact.

No project shall be considered by any committee of Congress with a view to its adoption, except with a view to a survey, if five years have elapsed since a report upon a survey of such project has been submitted to Congress pursuant to law.

Funds heretofore or hereafter appropriated for rivers and harbors to be expended under the supervision of the Secretary of the Army shall be available for expenditure in the purchase of such personal equipment for employees as in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers are essential for the efficient prosecution of the works.

The Chief of Engineers is authorized to procure the temporary or intermittent services of experts or consultants or organizations thereof in connection with civil functions of the Corps of Engineers without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5: Provided, That individuals so engaged may be paid at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the rate for GS–18 for each day of their services.

Contracts for architect and engineering services, and surveying and mapping services, shall be awarded by the Chief of Engineers in accordance with title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949.1

The United States Army Chief of Engineers may accept the services of volunteers and provide for their incidental expenses, including expenses relating to uniforms, transportation, lodging, and the subsistence of those volunteers, to carry out any activity of the Army Corps of Engineers except policy-making or law or regulatory enforcement. Such volunteers shall not be employees of the United States Government except for the purposes of (1) chapter 171 of title 28, relating to tort claims, and (2) chapter 81 of title 5, relating to compensation for work injuries.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall make use of private sector resources in carrying out surveying and mapping activities in the Civil Works Program of the Corps of Engineers.

If the Secretary determines that a person has been convicted of intentionally affixing a label bearing a “Made in America” inscription to any product sold in or shipped to the United States which is not made in the United States and which is used in a civil works project of the Secretary, the Secretary shall debar the person from contracting with the Federal Government for a period of not less than 3 years and not more than 5 years. For purposes of this section, the term “debar” has the meaning that term has under section 4654(c) of title 10.

Any amounts collected from defaulting contractors or their sureties under contracts entered into in connection with river and harbor or flood-control work prosecuted by the Engineer Department, whether collected in cash or by deduction from amounts otherwise due such contractors, hereafter shall be credited in each case to the appropriation under which the contract was made.

Any amounts collected from any person, persons, or corporations as a reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged property, purchased in connection with river and harbor or flood-control work prosecuted under the direction of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers, whether collected in cash or by deduction from amounts otherwise due such person, persons, or corporations, hereafter shall be credited in each case to the appropriation that bore the cost of purchase, repair, or replacement of the lost, stolen, or damaged property.

On and after July 30, 1948, direct allotments from appropriations for the maintenance and improvement of existing river and harbor works, or from other available appropriations, may be made by the Secretary of the Army for the collection and removal of drift in Baltimore Harbor and its tributary waters, and this work shall be carried out as a separate and distinct project.

On and after July 31, 1947, no appropriation under the Corps of Engineers shall be available for any expenses incident to operating any power-driven boat or vessel on other than Government business, and that Government business shall be construed to include transportation, lodging, and subsistence on inspection trips of Federal and State officials, having a public interest in authorized or proposed improvements for river and harbor and flood control, and any expenses incurred therefor shall be chargeable to river and harbor and flood control appropriations heretofore or hereafter made under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Chief of Engineers: Provided, That such expenditures shall be certified by the Division Engineer as necessary and proper expenditures.

On and after March 4, 1933, the provisions of section 1343 of title 31 shall be construed as applying to the Corps of Engineers as to the purchase of motor-propelled passenger-carrying vehicles.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may lease space available in buildings for which funding for construction or purchase was provided from the revolving fund established by the 1st section of the Civil Functions Appropriations Act, 1954 (33 U.S.C. 576; 67 Stat. 199), under such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the Secretary. The proceeds from such leases shall be credited to the revolving fund for the purposes set forth in such Act.

The Chief of Engineers, for the purpose of determining Federal and non-Federal cost sharing, relating to proposed construction of small-boat navigation projects, shall consider charter fishing craft as commercial vessels.

The cost of operation and maintenance of the general navigation features of small boat harbor projects shall be borne by the United States. This section shall apply to any such project authorized (A) under section 201 of the Flood Control Act of 1965 [42 U.S.C. 1962d–5], (B) under section 107 of the River and Harbor Act of 1960 [33 U.S.C. 577], (C) between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 1970, under authority of this Act, and to projects heretofore authorized in accordance with the policy set forth in the preceding sentence and to such projects authorized in this Act or which are hereafter authorized.