Environmental Legislation and Implementation

Waterways have always been used for water supply for cities and, in many cases, waterborne transportation. The federal objective of water and related land resources planning is to contribute to national economic development (NED) consistent with protecting the nation’s environment, in accordance with national environmental statutes, applicable executive orders, and other federal planning requirements. This chapter presents a brief description of major legislation related to environmental protection. Civil works (US Army Corps of Engineers’) studies and projects should be in compliance with all applicable federal environmental statutes and regulations and with applicable state laws and regulations where the federal government has clearly waived sovereign immunity. The Corps of Engineers incorporated ecosystem restoration as one of the environmental missions within the Civil Works program in response to the increasing national emphasis on environmental restoration and preservation.