• Wilmington District Regional General Permits: The Wilmington District maintains 16 Regional General Permits for activities occurring in Waters of the United States in North Carolina. View Permits
• Wilmington District Nationwide Permit Regional Conditions: The Wilmington District has issued regional conditions that apply to activities authorized by Nationwide Permits in North Carolina. View Conditions

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, currently receives and utilizes funds from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to help expedite the review of Department of the Army (DA) permit applications for transportation projects. This arrangement is authorized under Section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, as amended by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. View Agreement

Many watersheds in Western North Carolina are subject to special conditions due to the presence of waters that contain trout habitat.

For Regional General Permits (RGPs) and Nationwide Permits (NWPs), permittees must:

1. Obtain written approval from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and submit a copy to the Wilmington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, before discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States within any of the 294 designated trout watersheds in North Carolina.
2. Submit a Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) to the district engineer before initiating any discharge into these waters, unless alternative thresholds are specified in the applicable Regional Conditions.

Counties entirely within designated trout watersheds: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga

Counties partially within designated trout watersheds (see maps): Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Wilkes, Yancey

View Watershed Maps

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) protects federally listed species and their critical habitats. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ensures compliance through its permit programs. Section 7 of the ESA directs all federal agencies to use their existing authorities to conserve threatened and endangered species.

Programmatic Biological Opinions (PBOs)

A Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO) is a document issued under the ESA that evaluates the potential effects of a broad or recurring federal action. These opinions streamline environmental compliance for multiple similar activities.

• Artificial Reef PBO for NCDMF Projects
• NCDOT PBO for Bridges and Culverts
• Beach Nourishment PBO

SLOPES Procedures

SLOPES are agreements that streamline ESA Section 7 consultations for routine activities. They define procedures and criteria for quick evaluations without separate consultations.

• Red-cockaded Woodpecker SLOPES
• West Indian Manatee SLOPES
• North Carolina Eastern Species SLOPES

Online Resources

IPaC Planning Tool – Provides project site screening for species and habitat proximity.

Geospatial (GIS) Data Resources

• Watersheds with Federally Listed Aquatic Species
• Designated Critical Habitat: Elktoe Mussel
• Designated Critical Habitat: Carolina Heelsplitter Mussel
• Designated Critical Habitat: Cape Fear Shiner
• Designated Critical Habitat: Waccamaw Silverside
• Designated Critical Habitat: Spotfin Chub
• Designated Critical Habitat: Loggerhead Sea Turtle - Maps
• Designated Critical Habitat: Atlantic Sturgeon - Maps
• Designated Critical Habitat: Atlantic Sturgeon - Google Earth Data