Who has to say yes before you dredge
Dredging a boat slip on Lake Martin needs two approvals: Alabama Power’s shoreline management program, because the company holds the federal license for the reservoir and reviews all work below the 490 foot contour, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which covers minor dredging under Nationwide Permit 19 as long as the job removes no more than 25 cubic yards. Most single slips fit under that cap. Approval takes two to six weeks, the paperwork package runs $500 to $2,000 on our published table, and we prepare every filing ourselves before scheduling any equipment. The same two-layer pattern covers Yates, Thurlow, and Lake Harding, with Georgia Power standing in for Alabama Power on Harding.
The three layers, and when each applies
The utility comes first. Lake Martin exists under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license held by Alabama Power, and that license makes the company responsible for everything that happens to the shoreline. Docks, seawalls, ripraps, and dredging all route through its shoreline management offices, and on Lake Martin the permit application asks for a drawing of the slip, the dredge area, and where the spoil will go. We produce those drawings from the depth check, so the application that goes in matches what the dredge will actually do.
The Corps of Engineers comes second. Dredging in waters of the United States falls under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and the Corps handles routine small jobs through nationwide permits rather than individual review. Nationwide Permit 19 covers minor dredging up to 25 cubic yards, which is the volume of a typical silted slip, and it is the reason a residential job clears in weeks instead of seasons. Channels and marina basins that exceed the cap move into broader authorization, which we scope honestly in the quote before anyone commits.
The state watches the water quality. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management certifies that permitted dredging will not degrade state waters, and its conditions are why our method uses sealed suction lines, bank-staged dewatering, and turbidity curtains as standard equipment rather than upgrades. A crew that treats those as optional is a crew planning to send your sediment to your neighbor’s cove.
How we run the paperwork
- 1
Survey and drawings
The depth check produces the soundings, the dredge footprint, and the spoil plan, which become the drawings every application needs.
- 2
Utility filing
Alabama Power or Georgia Power shoreline application goes in with the drawings and the property information.
- 3
Corps coverage
We confirm the job fits Nationwide Permit 19 and file the notification where required; jobs over 25 cubic yards get scoped for broader authorization before you commit.
- 4
Approval in hand
Nothing mobilizes until the approvals are back. Two to six weeks is the normal window for a residential slip.
- 5
Compliance on the water
Curtains up, sealed lines, dewatering on the bank, and closeout soundings that document the permitted depth was dug and nothing more.
Primary sources, if you want the rules themselves: Alabama Power’s shoreline permitting portal at apcshorelines.com, the Corps nationwide permit program at usace.army.mil, and ADEM’s water division at adem.alabama.gov.
Permit questions owners actually ask
Do I need a permit to dredge my boat slip on Lake Martin?
Yes, two of them. Alabama Power must approve the work through its shoreline management program because it holds the federal license for the reservoir, and the Corps of Engineers must cover the dredging itself, which for most residential slips happens under Nationwide Permit 19 up to 25 cubic yards. We prepare and file both as part of every job.
What happens if somebody dredges without a permit?
Alabama Power can require restoration of the shoreline, deny future permits for the property, and pull dock permissions, and unauthorized dredging in waters of the United States exposes the owner to Corps enforcement under the Clean Water Act. The permit package on our table costs $500 to $2,000. The other path can cost the dock.
How long does dredging permit approval take?
Plan on two to six weeks for a routine residential slip, covering the Alabama Power shoreline review and Corps coverage. Files go in before we schedule the dredge, so the waiting happens before equipment ever mobilizes, not while it sits on your bank.
Does a private farm pond need a federal permit to dredge?
Usually not. A pond built in uplands with no connection to a stream generally sits outside Corps jurisdiction, so cleanout is between you and your dirt. A pond built on a creek channel can be a different story, and we check the jurisdiction question during the survey rather than guessing.
Who approves dredging on Lake Harding?
Georgia Power, through the Bartletts Ferry project’s shoreline management office, since it holds that license, plus the Corps of Engineers for the dredging. Different forms, same shape, and we handle the package the same way we do the Alabama Power process.
Let us carry the paperwork
Permit prep rides inside every Auburn Dredging job, priced on the public table. Start with the address and we’ll tell you which offices your water answers to.