Maryland Department of the Environment

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Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program

Wetlands provide imp​ortant socio-economic be​​​nefits and ecosystem services such as storing and conveying flood waters, recharging groundwater, improving water quality by filtering and storing nutrients, and providing shoreline protection and critical habitat f​or a multitude of plant and animal species. The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Wetlands and Wa​terways Protection Program protects Maryland wetlands and waterways from loss and degradation. This protection is achieved through the regulation of the draining, dredging and filling of tidal and nontidal wetlands, the nontidal wetland buffer and waterways, including the nontidal​ 100-year floodplain through a permitting or authorization process implemented in close coordination with the federal government (specifically, the Army Corps of Engineers).

While there are ​some exemptions from permitting requirements for certain activities, permits or letters of authorization from the State are generally required if a property owner plans to undertake an activity that results in the draining of a wetland or the addition of fill materials to a State regulated wetland or waterway. Examples of activities which require permits from the Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program include building a new pier, adding a platform or boat lift to an existing pier, dredging a boat slip, putting in a bulkhead, filling in a nontidal wetland or buffer for the construction of a structure such as a shed or the expansion or creation of a patio or driveway, and, creating a stream crossing or putting a utility pipeline under a stream.

The Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program also provides Maryland-regulated floodplain and FEMA Floodplain information to the public. With climate change​ increasing precipitation, sea level rise and flooding in Maryland, protecting and restoring wetlands, waterways, and their buffers will be critical to securing a resilient future for Maryland’s citizens and ecosystem​​​s. To learn more about MDE's Water and Science Administration’s detailed climate adaptation goals and strategies please visit the WSA Climate Change site​​.

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Tropical Storm/Hurricane​​​ Preparedness

Guidance for Emergency Repairs for Damage Resulting from any Major Named Storm/High Tide Event​ (v. May 2025)

Guidance for Emergency Repairs​ - general​​ (​v. May 2025) ​​- To facilitate emergency ​actions/repairs which impact State-regulated water resources, the Maryland Department of the Environm​​ent (“MDE” or “the Department”) highlights these established procedures for conducting emergency repairs under COMAR 26.17.04.06 (D) Construction on Nontidal Waters and Floodplains, 26.23.02.08 Nontidal Wetlands, COMAR 26.24 Tidal Wetlands, and COMAR 23.02.04.05C State Tidal Wetland Licensing Procedures.

Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness tips are also available from the MDE home page.​

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NEWS, IMPORTANT UPDATES, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

News​

    • ​The Maryland General Assembly approved updates to the fee structure established in Maryland Environment Article 5-203.1 for Wetlands and Waterways projects during the 2025 Legislative Session (House Bill 352 of 2025, beginning on page 40). ​​​

    • Fee Schedule Update Webpage

    • To see examples of living shorelines, zoom in on the map and click a particular point to view data and photos.​

Updates​​

​Announcements

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  • ​​The Maryland General Assembly approved updates to the fee structure established in Maryland Environment Article 5-203.1​ for Wetlands and Waterways projects during the 2025 Legislative Session (House Bill 352 of 2025, beginning on page 40)​. 
  • Fee Schedule Update Webpage​​​​​​

Frequently Asked Questions

State Application, Forms and Related Information

​​Marine Contractors Licensing Board (MCLB) and other ​Environmental Boards​ information
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Water Quality Certifications (WQCs)

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Past Announcements

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Public Notices

Public Notice Email list SIGN-UP is now available for receiving Wetlands and Waterways twice-monthly notices.


  • Tradepoint TIL Terminals LLC/Sparrows Point Container Terminal- ​​Updates or additional information will be available on the MDE Project page​​. Please contact Matthew Wallach at [email protected] or 410-207-0893​ with any questions.  

  • Francis Scott Key Bridge Demolition and Rebuild​​ - ​​Updates or additional information will be available on the MDE Project page​​. Please contact Matthew Wallach at [email protected] or 410-207-0893​ with any questions. ​​ ​

  • Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), I-95 Express Toll Lanes Northbound Extension Section 200 Phase II, Modification Request for the Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways Permit No. 19-NT-0150/201960846.  The virtual public informational hearing date was January 29, 2025, at 7:00 PM.  The comment period was extended and the hearing record will remain open until 5:00 PM on February 26, 2025.  Please use the following links to view the copy of the public notice,  the hearing letter​ which contains the project description, the applicant's (MdTA) presentation for the public informational hearing, the recording, the transcript of the hearing, and decision documents.​​​​
  • US Wind INC, C/O Jeffrey Grybowski, 23-WL-0813/202361274/24-WQC-0004. Public Notice. Related project documents are available on MDE's US WIND INC. project information page available HERE​. A public information hearing is scheduled for the referenced project on March 25, 2024. The hearing will begin at 6:00 PM and end no later than 8:00 PM with a poster session from 5:30 PM until 6:00 PM. The public information hearing will be held at Wor Wic Community College, 32000 Campus Drive, Salisbury, Maryland  21804 in the Fulton-Owen ​​​Guerrieri Hall. Written comments will be accepted unt​il April 9, 2024 June 7, 2024​​. Note: a previous public notice was issued for a hearing on Feb 1. and was published in error and redacted. The only scheduled hearing is as noted above and will occur on March 25, 2024.​​​​
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  • ​Howard County DPW, South Meadow Court Pond and Stream Restoration Project, 23-WQC-0011/202360416. ​​​​Notice of Water Quality (WQC) decision. The Notice of WQC decision and other project documents are available on the​ South Meadow Court Pond and Stream Restoration project information page.

  • MDOT SHA/I0495 to I-270 Managed Lane Study, 20-NT-0114/22-WQC-0023/202060649. Notice of Water Quality Certification decision and other project documents are available on the MDOT SHA/I-495 to I-270 Managed Lane Study project page.

    • ​​​​​​Past Project Informati​on:

    ​Public notice information related to mitigation banks can be found on the mitigation website.


  • ​Abingdon Business Park - BTC III I-95 Logistics Center LLC (CREG/Westport I, Chesapeake Utilities Pipeline Project - Virtual Informational Public Hearing​ -A virtual public informational hearing was held on September 17, 2020.  A video recording of the hearing is available.

  • Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail (BWRR) Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMAGLEV) Project, 23-WQC-0007/202061983. The request for a Water Quality Certification (WQC) was withdrawn on December 27, 2023 by BWRR. The withdrawal request letter​, hearing/notice information​, and related project documents are available on the SCMAGLEV project information page. 

  • Conowingo Hydroelectric Project / Constellation Energy Generation, LLC (formerly Exelon Generation Company, LLC) - more information is available.

  • Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company - Del-Mar Energy Virtual Informational Public Hearing - A virtual public informational ​hearing was held on July 7, 2020. For project plans and a video recording of the hearing, please see the Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company project ​web page.

  • Ever Forward Grounding, 22-WL-0268/202261142. Related documents and project information are available on the project page EVER FORWARD.
  • US Wind INC, C/O Jeffrey Grybowski, 23-WL-0813/202361274/24-WQC-0004. Public Notice. Related project documents are available on MDE's US WIND INC. project information page available HERE​. A public information hearing is scheduled for the referenced project on March 25, 2024. The hearing will begin at 6:00 PM and end no later than 8:00 PM with a poster session from 5:30 PM until 6:00 PM. The public information hearing will be held at Wor Wic Community College, 32000 Campus Drive, Salisbury, Maryland  21804 in the Fulton-Owen ​​​Guerrieri Hall. Written comments will be accepted unt​il April 9, 2024 June 7, 2024​​. Note: a previous public notice was issued for a hearing on Feb 1. and was published in error and redacted. The only scheduled hearing is as noted above and will occur on March 25, 2024.​

 

Resources


Interested in conducting a wetland restoration or other conservation activity on your land?


For More Information

For more information contact the Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program at 410-537-3456 or [email protected].​​​​​​​​



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Maryland Department of the Environment
1800 Washington Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21230