Courtesy Photo | Cabel Patterson, environmental resource specialist with the Idaho Falls Regulatory...... read more read more
Eastern Idaho’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands might look like untouched landscapes, but behind every dock, bridge, or culvert is a quiet team ensuring progress doesn’t come at the environment’s expense.
In a corner of the Idaho Department of Water Resources office at Idaho Falls, a remote regulatory team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, guide Idahoans through the complexities of land management on waterways.
“Sometimes our greatest value is just being here: a face, a name, and a person who answers the phone,” said Brendan Jones, an environmental resource specialist based in the Idaho Falls office. “That matters in rural Idaho, where folks don’t want decisions about their community being made from hundreds of miles away.”
The District’s Regulatory program covers the entire state, operating field offices in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, and Idaho Falls, along with support from headquarters in Walla Walla, Washington. Each year, specialists review about 2,000 permit-related actions, issue or verify more than 600 permits, and complete around 350 jurisdictional determinations. These decisions guide millions of dollars in construction and development while protecting aquatic resources and navigable waters.
Before most construction activities can begin in waterways or wetlands, a USACE permit is required. The process may sound like red tape, but it’s what ensures that development moves forward responsibly. These decisions not only keep projects in compliance with the law but also shape how developers approach their designs, often encouraging steps to avoid or minimize environmental impacts from the outset.
Examples of work activities that require a permit include, but are not limited to:
Dredging of waterways
Bank stabilization
Construction of piers, docks, marinas, fleeting areas, boat ramps, roads
Residential and commercial developments
Utility lines
Mining activities
For Cabel Patterson, also an environmental resource specialist, the mission is clear: “Clean water is important for everybody. When I found out this job was about protecting water resources, I knew it was something I could get behind.”
Patterson, like many on the small team, came from other natural resource agencies and appreciates the broader perspective Regulatory provides. “It’s where federal environmental policy meets real projects on the ground.”
Colleagues agree that much of the job involves teaching moments. Developers or landowners often don’t realize the ecological importance of wetlands or streams until regulatory staff walk them through it.
“Sometimes a landowner comes in thinking their wetland is just a soggy patch,” Jones said. “By the time they leave, they understand why avoiding or minimizing impacts is important.”
But the work isn’t only about enforcing laws. It’s also about service, especially in communities that may struggle with ancient technology infrastructure.
“We answer our phones. If someone doesn’t know who to call, they call us, and even if it’s not our program, we point them in the right direction,” said Caleb Williams, an environmental resource specialist. “In a lot of rural areas, word of mouth still matters. People know there’s someone here they can reach.”
That accessibility builds trust in places where distances are vast, broadband is limited, and skepticism of government runs deep. It also highlights why local offices matter. For the Walla Walla District – Regulatory Division’s goals strive to provide protection to the nation’s aquatic environment, including wetlands; enhance the efficiency of the regulatory program; and ensure USACE provides the public with fair and reasonable decisions.
“For someone in Preston or Malad (City), having decisions made by people who live in Idaho, not just Boise or Walla Walla (Washington), means something,” Jones added.
Despite the challenges of complex permitting, shifting case law, and changing national priorities, the Idaho team remains focused on balance: protecting the state’s rivers and wetlands while ensuring critical infrastructure and development can move forward.
“At the end of the day, we’re here to help projects succeed responsibly,” Patterson said. “That means cleaner water, healthier landscapes, and stronger communities.”
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2025 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 547882 |
| Location: | IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Remote regulatory team provides local answers for rural Idaho, by Marcy Sanchez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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