The modern form of the Rivers and Harbors Act was enacted in 1890, and amended by the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, also known as the Refuse Act. It was amended again several times during the twentieth century. In general, the act prohibits the dumping of refuse into navigable waters or the creation of any navigational obstruction, and it regulates the construction of wharves, piers, jetties, bulkheads, and similar structures in ports, rivers, canals, or other areas used for navigation.

Although the Clean Water Act now predominates in the regulation of surface water pollution, the Rivers and Harbors Act remains valid law. It provides useful supplemental jurisdiction for addressing certain kinds of water pollution, and especially for dredge and fill activities. As with the Clean Water Act, discharges of refuse or fill material, or construction activities in waterways, require a...