The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 408 program allows another party, such as a local government, company, or individual, to alter a USACE Civil Works project. Given the widespread locations of these projects, many embedded within communities, over time there may be a need to either alter or occupy these projects and their associated lands.

Examples of projects that need USACE Section 408 permission include:

• Running a water main from one side of a levee to the other.
• Adding hydropower to a dam.
• Building a bridge across a navigable waterway maintained and surveyed by USACE.
• Building a swimming pool in a backyard, within the footprint of the USACE easement for a levee.

The Section 408 program verifies that changes to authorized USACE Civil Works projects will not be injurious to the public interest and will not impair the usefulness of the project.

If you are planning to modify a USACE Civil Works project, it's important to contact your local USACE district’s Section 408 Coordinator as early as possible.

To locate your project’s Section 408 Coordinator, visit the USACE Interactive Boundary Map. Find the address of your proposed project by either clicking on the location on the map or by searching for the address in the search bar. Once you have selected your project on the map, choose the “Civil Works District Boundary” in the pane on the left-hand side. You can find the contact information for the Section 408 coordinator for your project at the bottom of the pane.