Title 33 › CHAPTER 1 — NAVIGABLE WATERS GENERALLY › SUBCHAPTER II — WATERS DECLARED NONNAVIGABLE: CHANGE OF NAME › § 59o
The Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, may declare certain parts of the Hackensack River in Hudson County, New Jersey, to be nonnavigable if engineering studies (to check bulkhead, fill, and pile stability) and environmental studies under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) show the proposed project is in the public interest and will help protect the rest of the waterway. The area covered is described by survey points and is about 67.6 acres. If declared nonnavigable, Congress permits filling in parts of that area and building permanent pile-supported structures there. That declaration only applies to parts already bulkheaded and filled or already occupied by permanent pile-supported structures. Plans for any bulkheading, filling, or pile-supported work must be approved by the Secretary of the Army (through the Chief of Engineers). Local interests must reimburse the federal government for engineering and other costs.
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Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 59o
Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110