Information was compiled on permits issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for alteration of freshwater wetlands from January 1982-August 1987 in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. The location, area, wetland type, and other data describing the impacted and compensatory (i.e., created, restored, and preserved) wetlands were compiled and analyzed. Trends in Louisiana, the state with the most permits issued, were emphasized, and a synopsis of the results from Alabama and Mississippi is presented for comparison. The objective of the study was to uncover patterns and trends in Section 404 permitting in the three states to document the effects of the permit decisions. Only the information contained in the permit record was compiled and analyzed. No judgment was made concerning compliance with the terms of the permits or whether the compensatory wetland replaced the ecological functions of the wetland destroyed. The Section 404 permitting program could be evaluated more effectively if record-keeping was standardized. The accuracy and thoroughness of the report was affected by poor record-keeping and inconcise permit language. Requirements for follow-up monitoring and increasing the specificity of the information contained in the permits would provide information on the impacts to wetlands and their functions to be considered in future permit decisions.