The major civil works missions of the Corps of Engineers include flood damage reduction (water control) and navigation. Other important missions include the management of regulatory programs (Section 10 and Section 404 permits), management of natural resources, operation of recreational facilities and technical support to other agencies.
Water quality management is an integral part of all Corps civil works missions. Historically, the Corps' first water quality management activities resulted from problems encountered at water control projects. Reservoirs and impoundments have the ability to dramatically alter the quality of water in previously free-flowing river systems. Water quality problems encountered included oxygen depletion, nitrogen supersaturation, thermal stratification, excessive loadings of nutrients and sediments, and uncontrolled algae and aquatic plant growth.
To solve these problems, the Corps has had to apply a multi-disciplinary approach that includes limnology, chemistry, biology, hydraulic and hydrologic engineering. Some of the first water quality models were developed by the Corps for regulating water control projects on the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. The Corps has conducted considerable research into water quality management for operating and proposed water control projects. This includes programs like the Environmental and Water Quality Operational Studies, Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, Water Quality Research Program, and Water Operations Technical Support. A number of the Corps' water quality models are available online.
Many of the reservoirs and impoundments constructed primarily for flood control are now being used more intensively for recreation and as potable water supplies. Recreation usage has also increased dramatically at locks, dams and channels constructed primarily for commercial navigation. This use has intensified the need to maintain the highest possible levels of water quality. It is also drawing attention on a whole new set of water quality issues and problems, such as fecal bacteria, toxic and persistent contaminants.
Water quality management is also a major responsibility of the Corps in its navigation and regulatory missions,
particularly in regard to dredged material disposal. The testing and evaluation of dredged materials is required to assure compliance with Federal and state water quality regulations. The Corps conducts this testing and evaluation for maintenance and new work dredging at Federal navigation projects and is the lead Federal agency in the administration of the dredge and fill permit program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
A significant amount of research has been dedicated to the environmental aspects of dredging and dredged material disposal. This includes the Dredged Material Research Program, Field Verification Program, Long-Term Effects of Dredging Operations program, Environmental Effects of Dredging program, and Dredging Operations Technical Support (DOTS).
The water quality discipline within the Corps was initially developed in response to problems at operating water control projects. The first water quality sections were created within the same organizational area as water control, usually in the hydrology and hydraulics branch or division. Each district has assigned a Water Quality Coordinator, responsible for coordinating the district water quality management activities.
With the passage of Federal environmental laws during the 1970s, the Corps was required to comply with an increasing number of regulations concerning water quality at civil works projects. The Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 required the Corps to comply with Federal, state, and local requirements in the same manner as other entities. In 1978, Executive Order 12088 made it a Federal policy for the Federal Government to protect and enhance the quality of air, water, and land resources in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of its facilities.
In 1974, Corps Headquarters (HQUSACE) created Engineer Regulation ER 1130-2-334, which required all districts and divisions to report their management of water quality at Corps projects. It was in response to this reporting requirement that the water quality responsibilities of Corps districts and divisions were formalized. To meet this requirement, division-wide Water Quality Management Programs (WQMPs) were initiated with specific water quality management objectives for each project and Corps districts were required to prepare annual reports on their water quality activities. The regulation states that water quality management must be an integral part of water control management programs.
Subsequent engineering regulations related to water quality have been established specifically for laboratory quality assurance (ER 1110-1-261), chemical quality management for toxic and hazardous wastes (ER 1110-1-263), and the creation of the Corps Committee on Water Quality (ER-15-2-10). This Committee hosts a biennial seminar on water quality issues at Corps projects.
In 1995, ER 1130-2-334 was updated and merged with two other Engineer Regulations dealing with water quality (ER 1130-2-415 and ER 1110-2-1402) into the new water quality regulation, ER 1110-2-8154. The objectives of the WQMPs emphasize the importance of integrating water quality considerations into project management decisions, and the value of taking a holistic, ecosystem approach to water quality management.
The Corps' capabilities in water quality management and environmental engineering have been utilized by the USEPA and other Federal agencies on a reimbursable basis for water quality monitoring and modeling, restoration of surface and groundwater quality, design and construction of wastewater treatment facilities, and ecosystem management planning. For more information on these activities, check out the Support for Others page. The Corps also conducts environmental cleanup actions at former Department of Defense sites through its support to the military.
Congress has provided the Corps a number of authorities to restore and enhance water quality and aquatic ecosystems in partnership with state and local governments. These environmental authorities have enabled the Corps to partner with state and local resource agencies on a cost-shared basis for monitoring and evaluations of surface and groundwater quality, water quality and sediment transport modeling, resource mapping with GIS, evaluations of non-point source pollution, design of water quality restoration features, and watershed planning.
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