Federal Contacts and Tools for Pond Permits

EPA directs states, Tribes and other entities with specific questions about a pending jurisdictional determination or permit to a local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District office or to EPA. Under 33 CFR 320.1(a)(6), the Corps has authorized its district engineers to issue formal determinations on whether the Clean Water Act or the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 applies to activities or tracts of land, and whether general permits or statutory exemptions apply to proposed activities; such a determination constitutes a Corps final agency action. [1][2]

The Corps' Regulatory Boundaries locator (regulatory.ops.usace.army.mil/offices) gives the name, address, phone number and website of the local Corps Regulatory office when a person enters an address or clicks on the map. The Corps' Regulatory Request System (RRS) is an online application portal that lets the public submit permit applications and other information. [3][4]

EPA's Rule Status and Litigation Update page (last updated Sept. 9, 2026) has a state map showing which definition of "waters of the United States" is generally operative in each state because of ongoing litigation. EPA says the map is for informational purposes only and "cannot be relied on for specific determinations or other legal purposes," and that it will update the map, when possible, as the litigation continues. [1]

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); a user can enter an address, a place or longitude/latitude coordinates to find the official flood map. FEMA warns that effective information downloaded or printed from the site may change or be superseded by new maps over time. [5]

FEMA's Community Status Book shows whether a community participates in the NFIP, does not participate, or is suspended or sanctioned; participating communities agree to adopt and implement local floodplain management regulations. FEMA's floodplain management page for local government officials says NFIP participation is voluntary; it asks officials whose community does not participate to read FEMA's information on joining the NFIP and to consider contacting their FEMA Regional Office or the NFIP State Coordinating Agency. [6][7]

FEMA says every community that participates in the NFIP has a floodplain administrator who works with FEMA during the mapping process, and it directs mapping questions to a Map Specialist at the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX). FEMA says preliminary flood maps are made available for review and that, before the community decides to adopt them, there are 90 days to submit technical data supporting an appeal; any time after adoption, data to amend or revise the flood map can be submitted through FEMA's Letter of Map Change (LOMC) process. [8]

FEMA's LOMR/CLOMR page (last updated March 25, 2026) says requests for a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) or Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) use FEMA's MT-2 forms and may be submitted online through the Online LOMC tool, which FEMA recommends and which carries a reduced review and processing fee, or by mail to the LOMC Clearinghouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Under Cooperating Technical Partner agreements with FEMA, some States and local agencies review and process LOMRs and CLOMRs and have their own mail-in addresses; the page's text names Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas. [9]

EPA's August 3, 2026 Federal Register notice requesting public comment on a draft (proposed, not final) 2027 Construction General Permit says EPA, rather than a State, is the NPDES permitting authority for construction stormwater in areas including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, most Indian country lands, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and protectorates except the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lands of Exclusive Federal Jurisdiction and certain other Federal areas. [10]

EPA's NPDES State Program Authority page (last updated Aug. 17, 2026) shows which States have authorized NPDES permit programs; Pennsylvania's, for example, is dated June 30, 1978. EPA notes that in some cases it may issue permits within a state that has received authorization; for instance, in almost all cases EPA retains authority to implement the program on tribal lands. [11]

EPA's current Construction General Permit, the 2022 CGP (effective February 17, 2022, for a five-year term), covers eligible operators only where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority. Under it, an operator seeking coverage must develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) before submitting its Notice of Intent (NOI), and must submit the NOI electronically through EPA's NPDES eReporting Tool (NeT) unless it has received a waiver from the applicable EPA Regional Office. [12][13]

EPA says it acts as the section 401 certifying authority in two situations: on behalf of Tribes without "treatment in a similar manner as a state" (TAS), and on lands of exclusive Federal jurisdiction. In those cases, EPA says, submissions should be made to the EPA Region where the project is located. [14]

NRCS says the process for a certified wetland determination for a planned project starts at the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, where a person completes or updates Form AD-1026 for the area to be assessed; a person may also request the determination through NRCS on Form NRCS-CPA-38 ("Request for Certified Wetland Determination or Delineation") for general information on the property. NRCS adds that a person may contact FSA to obtain the most current wetland determination if one already exists. Under 7 CFR 12.4(g), people who wish to participate in any of the USDA programs described in 7 CFR 12.4(d) or (e) are responsible for contacting the appropriate USDA agency well in advance of the intended participation date so Form AD-1026 can be completed; the regulation warns that a late contact may not allow USDA enough time and could substantially delay its determination of eligibility or ineligibility. [15][16]

On its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) page, NRCS says available practices and practice standards vary by state and tells people to contact their local NRCS office to get started; NRCS says it offers technical assistance at no cost and that Technical Service Providers can help producers plan, design and implement conservation practices. [17]

Under General Condition 19 of the 2026 Nationwide Permits (effective March 15, 2026), the permittee is responsible for ensuring that an NWP-authorized action complies with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and for contacting the appropriate local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office to determine what measures, if any, are necessary or appropriate to reduce adverse effects to migratory birds or eagles, including whether "incidental take" permits are necessary and available. [18]