2026 State Water Board Nationwide Permits General Order

Project

2026 State Water Board Nationwide Permits General Order for Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State and Partial Water Quality Certification and Denial of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2026 Nationwide Permits.

Milestone

The General Order was signed on December 15, 2025, and will be effective upon the Corps’ issuance of the 2026 Nationwide Permits, expected in March of 2026.

Action Taken

The General Order conditionally certifies 19 and denies 38 of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permits (NWPs). Certification is granted to NWPs 1, 3(a), 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 22, 28, 32, 36, 54, 57, and 58, subject to the General Order’s terms and conditions. All other NWPs are denied. This General Order also serves as waste discharge requirements for projects that qualify for enrollment in an NWP but are not required to obtain a federal permit or license because the affected waters are not waters of the United States.

The General Order will be used to authorize eligible projects that discharge dredge or fill materials to waters of the state and can be used in all California counties. A map of the Water Boards’ nine regions can be found online.

2026 Draft Nationwide Permit General Order and Attachments

• General Order
• Attachment A – Notice of Intent
  • Application Form
  • Instructions
• Attachment B – Reporting and Notification Requirements
• Attachment C – Signatory Requirements
• Attachment D – List of Certified Nationwide Permits

State Water Board Contact

Samantha Parker, Environmental Scientist
Wetlands Permitting and Enforcement Unit II, Division of Water Quality
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 327-8653
Email: swbnwp@waterboards.ca.gov

  (Page last updated 12/19/2025)