Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§449 Disposition of dredged matter; persons liable; penalty

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - PROTECTION OF NAVIGABLE WATERS AND OF HARBOR AND RIVER IMPROVEMENTS GENERALLY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NEW YORK HARBOR, HARBOR OF HAMPTON ROADS, AND HARBOR OF BALTIMORE › § 449

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Anyone who takes mud, sand, or other material out of a slip, basin, or shoal in a harbor and puts it on a boat to move it must dump it only where the harbor supervisor says to. The owner of the place and anyone doing the dredging are each responsible for following those limits. If they don't, they commit an offense and must pay $5 for every cubic yard not dumped where ordered.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §449

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

All mud, dirt, sand, dredgings, and material of every kind and description whatever taken, dredged, or excavated from any slip, basin, or shoal in any harbor subject to this subchapter, and placed on any boat, scow, or vessel for the purpose of being taken or towed upon the waters of that harbor to a place of deposit, shall be deposited and discharged at such place or within such limits as shall be defined and specified by the supervisor of the harbor, as in sections 443 to 448 of this title prescribed, and not otherwise. Every person, firm, or corporation being the owner of any slip, basin, or shoal, from which such mud, dirt, sand, dredgings, and material shall be taken, dredged, or excavated, and every person, firm, or corporation in any manner engaged in the work of dredging or excavating any such slip, basin, or shoal, or of removing such mud, dirt, sand, or dredgings therefrom, shall severally be responsible for the deposit and discharge of all such mud, dirt, sand, or dredgings at such place or within such limits so defined and prescribed by said supervisor of the harbor; and for every violation of the provisions of this section the person offending shall be guilty of an offense, and shall be punished by a fine equal to the sum of $5 for every cubic yard of mud, dirt, sand, dredgings, or material not deposited or discharged as required by this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Sections 443 to 448 of this title, referred to in text, were in the original “the third section of this Act”, meaning section 3 of act
June 29, 1888, which enacted sections 443 to 448 of this title. The provision of section 3 relating to specification of the limits within which to discharge is classified to section 443 of this title. Codification Section was enacted as part of section 4 of act
June 29, 1888, which enacted section 449 and 450 of this title.

Amendments

1958—Pub. L. 85–802 substituted “any harbor subject to this subchapter” for “the harbor of New York, or the waters adjacent or tributary thereto” and “the waters of that harbor” for “the waters of the harbor of New York”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1958 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 85–802 effective on sixtieth day after Aug. 28, 1958, see section 2 of Pub. L. 85–802, set out as a note under section 441 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 449

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73