Landowner’s Guide to Stream Management
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Water Resources Center, in coordination with the Missouri Farm Bureau, developed a A Landowner’s Guide to Stream Management to provide landowners with information about streambank stabilization, gravel removal, permitting for instream work and technical and financial assistance. The main goals of this guide are to present regulatory and technical information in an easily digestible manner, and to empower and motivate landowners to tackle their problems by improving their understanding of streams and the regulatory agencies that oversee them.
This guide is not a definitive resource for regulatory guidance and should not be used as such. Landowners should always read the applicable permits and consider consulting the proper regulatory agency before doing stream work.
Information Resources
Regulatory Resources
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a federal agency that regulates work that occurs in streams within their jurisdiction. USACE provides permits for streambank stabilization projects, gravel excavation and other activities. Certain permits allow landowners to perform work without applying for a permit, but it is recommended that landowners contact USACE to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
- Find a USACE District.
- Regulatory Request System: Used to view regulatory information and apply for permits online.
- Nationwide Permit Information
- Missouri Regional Conditions and Water Quality Certifications.
- Missouri General Permits: Including GP-34M for Sand & Gravel Excavation.
- Section 401 Water Quality Certification: Any federal license or permit for an activity that may result in a discharge requires a Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the department.
Technical Design Resources
- Stream Restoration Design Manual: Provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, this engineering resource provides information about hydrology, hydraulics, structure design and other topics (Open “Handbooks” and scroll down to Part 654).
- River Restoration Toolbox: Provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, this engineering resource provides tools and methods to assess a stream, and information on designing and implementing a variety of stabilization methods.
Governmental Assistance
Soil and Water Conservation District
Every county in Missouri has a Soil and Water Conservation District, to carry out Missouri’s soil and water conservation programs. The districts provide information and education, financial incentives and technical support with design, implementation and maintenance to voluntarily implement soil and water conservation practices that decrease soil erosion and protect water resources.
- Find Your Soil and Water Conservation District.
- Soil and Water Conservation Cost-Share Practices - Districts and agricultural producers can enter into cost-share agreements to implement soil and water conservation projects such as cover crops, riparian forest buffers and streambank protection.
- Cost-Share Handbook.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It plays a role similar to Soil and Water Conservation Districts and can provide agricultural landowners with technical advice and cost-share practices.