Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§2287 Continued planning and investigations

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 36— - WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 2287

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

After the Chief of Engineers sends project recommendations to the Secretary to be sent to Congress and before Congress approves construction, the Chief may keep doing planning and engineering work (but not making final plans and specifications). The Chief can do this only if he finds the project is not substantially controversial and needs more engineering, economic, and environmental study, and he must send a statement of that finding to the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Within the one-year period after Congress authorizes construction, the Chief may do planning, engineering, and design. These permissions are in addition to any other planning or design authorizations and do not limit other authorities.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §2287

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)After the Chief of Engineers transmits his recommendations for a water resources development project to the Secretary for transmittal to the Congress, as authorized in section 701–1 of this title, and before authorization for construction of such project, the Chief of Engineers is authorized to undertake continued planning and engineering (other than preparation of plans and specifications) for such project if the Chief of Engineers finds that the project is without substantial controversy and justifies further engineering, economic, and environmental investigations and the Chief of Engineers transmits to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a statement of such findings. In the one-year period after authorization for construction of such project, the Chief of Engineers is authorized to undertake planning, engineering, and design for such project.
(b)
(c)The authorization made by this section shall be in addition to any other authorizations for planning, engineering, and design of water resources development projects and shall not be construed as a limitation on any other such authorization.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Subsec. (b) of this section, which required the Secretary to prepare and transmit an annual report to certain committees of Congress on activities undertaken under this section, terminated, effective May 15, 2000, pursuant to section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. See, also, page 72 of House Document No. 103–7.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Public Works and Transportation of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 2287

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73