Waterway & Wetland Permits: Fords

A ford consists of rocky material placed flush with the streambed to aid vehicles in driving through the water while crossing the stream. The placement of erodible materials, such as sand, is prohibited.

Another way to cross a stream is either by constructing a culvert or a bridge. Please visit our culverts page for more information on how to place a culvert, or visit our bridges page for more information on what is needed to construct a bridge. Also, the Department does offer a permit for temporary in-stream crossings, but these are restricted to crossings that provide temporary access related to forest management activites. For more information on temporary in-stream crossings, please visit our temporary in-stream crossing page.

“I want to construct a ford to cross a stream. Do I need to obtain a permit and/or pay a fee?” A general permit or individual permit is required to install a ford in a navigable waterway.

Follow the steps below before starting your project.

Step 1

Determine if your waterway has a special designation that might affect the exemption or permit requirements.

Determine if your waterway has a special designation that might affect the exemption or permit requirements.

Visit the search page below, enter the information about your waterway, and record any designations that it may have.

• Designated Waters Search

If you have questions about using the Designated Waters Search tool, you may visit our Designated Waters Search Tutorial to learn how.

Step 2

Determine if your project qualifies for a General Permit or Individual Permit.

A General Permit is available for Fords. A key requirement is that the ford may not be located in an "area of special natural resource interest" (ASNRI) unless it is for an agricultural use. However no ford, regardless of use, can be placed in a Public Rights Feature (PRF). For the purposes of placing a ford in an area designated as ASNRI, “agricultural use” is defined in law as: beekeeping; dairying; egg production; feedlots; grazing; floriculture; raising of livestock; raising of poultry; raising of fruits, nuts and berries; raising of grains, grass, mint and seed crops; raising of vegetables; and sod farming.

If your project will not be in an ASNRI or PRF, review the permit conditions found in this attachment to see if your project will qualify for a General Permit:

• General Permit Attachment: Ford [PDF 153KB]

Send the completed attachment, along with the Water Resources Application for Project Permits (WRAPP) [#3500-053, PDF 46KB] cover sheet , fee and Fee Sheet [#3500-053A, PDF 93KB], to the permit intake address based on the county where your project is located on our Permit Intake & Contacts page. Please note: if you are applying for more than one general permit, you only need to include one WRAPP cover sheet with your attachments. For more information about how your application is reviewed, see our Web page on the Permit Process.

In addition, don't forget to look at the sample drawings listed near the bottom of this page to ensure that your plans submitted with your application have all the necessary components for review. Otherwise your application may be delayed.

If your project will not meet the standards required for a General Permit, you'll need to apply for an Individual Permit:

• Individual Permit Application: Miscellaneous Structures [Form #3500-53P, PDF 18KB]

Send the completed application materials, along with the fee and Fee Sheet [#3500-053A, PDF 93KB], to the permit intake address based on the county where your project is located on our Permit Intake & Contacts page. Please note: if you are applying for more than one permit, you only need to include one WRAPP cover sheet with your application materials. For more information about how your application is reviewed, see our Web page on the Permit Process.

In addition, don't forget to look at the sample drawings listed near the bottom of this page to ensure that your plans submitted with your application have all the necessary components for review. Otherwise your application may be delayed.

Laws

Applicable statutes and codes include Section 30.12, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 627KB] and Chapter NR 329, Wis. Adm. Code. [exit DNR], [PDF 42KB].

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].