Small Navigation Projects

After completion picture of the Port of Florence in Florence, AlabamaSmall Navigation Projects found under CAP Section 107 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1960, as amended, provides authority for the USACE to develop and construct small navigation projects that meet specific criteria. A detailed investigation must clearly demonstrate each project’s engineering feasibility, environmental acceptability, and economic viability and each project must be complete within itself. Federal participation is limited to $10 million including costs for feasibility studies, planning, engineering construction, supervision, and administration. The federal project can include the following general navigation facilities: (1) a safe entrance channel leading to an anchorage basin or locally provided berthing area (this may be protected by breakwaters or jetties, if needed); (2) protected anchorage basin; (3) protected turning basin; and (4) federal maintenance is limited to dredging the access, entrance, and main channels and maintenance of breakwaters or jetties.

The feasibility study phase involves all planning and engineering activities required to reach a conclusion on federal participation in construction of a project. This study phase is cost-shared 50% federal and 50% non-federal.

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 Process and Funding:

The process begins with an initial contact by an interested party followed by a meeting and site visit. If the potential project fits the USACE program and a qualified potential sponsor (a potential sponsor may be a state, a political subpart of a state or group of states, a tribal nation, or a semi-public organizations chartered under state laws) provides a letter of intent, the project is included in the next funding request. When federal funds become available, a preliminary assessment of the project’s feasibility and estimate of full study costs are conducted. The feasibility study phase involves all planning and engineering activities required to formulate and evaluate a project. The feasibility phase is 100% federally funded up to the first $100,000. Any feasibility costs that exceed $100,000 are cost-shared 50% federal and 50% non-federal.

 Responsibility of Project Sponsor:

The non-federal cost for general navigation features can range from 20% to 50%, depending on the controlling depth of the navigation channel (during construction the sponsor must pay 10% of the construction costs for the breakwater, entrance channel, and maneuvering area for projects 20 feet deep or less. For projects more than 20 but less than 45 feet deep, the sponsor must pay 25%). The non-federal sponsor must provide all lands, easements, relocations, rights-of-way, and borrow or disposal areas and receives credit against the non-federal share. Costs for any necessary disposal area retaining dikes, bulkheads, and embankments are a cost-shared project cost. Docks, landings, piers, berthing areas, boat stalls, mooring facilities, launching ramps, access roads, parking areas, and interior access channels needed for maneuvering into berths are entirely the sponsor's responsibility and are constructed and maintained at non-federal expense.

How to Request Assistance

Requests for assistance can be made by phone, email, or letter.  A Letter of Intent from a state or local government agency is needed before federal funding can be requested.  Click on the Example Letters of Intent tab on the left to view/download letters.
 
For more information contact:
 
Chief, Project Planning Branch or Chief, Plan Formulation Section
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District
110 9th Avenue South
Room A405
Nashville, TN 37203

Phone: (615) 736-7865
Email: CELRN-Customer-Outreach@usace.army.mil