Waterway & Wetland Permits: Bridges

Crossing a waterway can be done in many ways, one of which can involve a bridge. For the purposes of protecting the public trust when starting a waterway crossing project, a bridge, as defined by law, is considered to be "any structure constructed in or over a navigable waterway to provide a walkway or roadway for pedestrians, animals or vehicles, and includes pipe arches and culverts." Although the legal definition of a bridge includes culverts, the WI DNR has created a separate page with information on culverts. Please visit the culverts page of our Web site, if your project involves culverts and not bridges.

“I want to build a new bridge, or rebuild a bridge after a natural disaster. Do I need to obtain a permit and/or pay a fee?” A general permit or an individual permit is required to place a new bridge over a navigable waterway. The department has developed steps that should help identify a clear course of action to take if you want to build a new bridge OR if you need to rebuild a bridge affected by a natural disaster. If you need to construct a temporary crossing for forestry related activities, please visit our temporary in-stream crossing page.

Don't have Flash player? Visit our text version of the "Determine Permit Required" bridge decision matrix instead. In addition, here are the current Bridge permitting and exemption application materials:

Laws

Applicable statutes and codes include Section 30.123, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 627KB] and Chapter NR 320 [exit DNR], [PDF 168KB].

Local permits and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations may also apply. We advise you to contact your local zoning office and your regional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office [exit DNR].