The Savannah Land Holdings lawsuit ended in June 2026 with the developer agreeing to pay $1.1 million to the federal government to resolve claims that it destroyed and mishandled Native American artifacts and human remains at the Waterways Township development in Richmond Hill, Georgia. The United States had filed the case in January 2025, alleging that the company violated the terms of a federal wetlands permit requiring it to protect archaeological sites and consult tribal authorities when cultural items were found.1WSAV. Federal Government, Savannah Area Developer Settle in Native American Remains, Artifacts Case
Savannah Land Holdings LLC is the developer behind Waterways Township, a gated master-planned community on roughly 2,300 acres in south Bryan County, about 30 minutes from Savannah. The land sits in territory long inhabited by the Guale people along the Ogeechee River and includes sites tied to the Spanish mission period of the 16th and 17th centuries.2Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Richmond Hill, Georgia Eighteen archaeological sites had been identified across the property.
What the Permit Required
To develop the land, Savannah Land Holdings obtained a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizing construction on 27.2 acres of wetlands.1WSAV. Federal Government, Savannah Area Developer Settle in Native American Remains, Artifacts Case The permit carried conditions tied to the 18 archaeological sites. The developer had to protect cultural resources, consult with the Corps, the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida whenever historic items turned up, and immediately stop digging and notify authorities and potential descendants if human remains were uncovered.3WTOC. United States Government Sues Richmond Hill Real Estate Developer for Destroying Native American Artifacts, Human Remains
What the Government Alleged
Federal officials said they became aware of “extensive violations” in September 2023. The complaint described the “improper handling, misplacement, or destruction of artifacts, human remains, and funerary objects.”3WTOC. United States Government Sues Richmond Hill Real Estate Developer for Destroying Native American Artifacts, Human Remains According to the lawsuit, 80,000 artifacts had not been properly curated and 3,000 artifacts had been lost or thrown away. The company was also accused of removing human remains and funerary objects, including urns, without following the required notification procedures.1WSAV. Federal Government, Savannah Area Developer Settle in Native American Remains, Artifacts Case
Why the Case Was Brought Under the Clean Water Act
The United States filed suit on January 3, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, citing the Clean Water Act.4CourtListener. United States v. Savannah Land Holdings LLC Rather than relying on standalone cultural-resource statutes such as the National Historic Preservation Act or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the government framed the archaeological protections as conditions of the Section 404 wetlands permit and treated their breach as a permit violation. The complaint sought an injunction halting further development, a security plan to prevent looting of the remaining archaeological resources, and civil penalties.5KFVS12. US Sues Real Estate Developer Allegedly Destroying Native American Artifacts, Human Remains
After filing, the court granted a series of stays for settlement talks. The company faced a June 8, 2026, deadline to either finalize a deal or file a formal answer.4CourtListener. United States v. Savannah Land Holdings LLC
The Settlement
The parties reached a settlement reported on June 10, 2026. Savannah Land Holdings denied the government’s claims but agreed to pay $1.1 million and accept several non-monetary conditions:1WSAV. Federal Government, Savannah Area Developer Settle in Native American Remains, Artifacts Case
- Return all human remains and funerary objects in its possession to the site.
- Properly curate all artifacts that had been removed.
- Designate a qualified archaeologist to oversee continuing preservation and recovery work.
- Place deed restrictions or conservation easements on each identified preservation area to permanently protect the archaeological resources.
The settlement remained subject to judicial approval as of the reporting date.6WTOC. Waterways Developer May Pay Over $1 Million to Settle Native American Artifacts Lawsuit
How the Penalty Compares
The $1.1 million payment is large by Section 404 enforcement standards. Federal data covering roughly 924 enforcement cases between 2006 and 2021 showed a median penalty of $24,500 and an average of about $40,000 in cases where a financial penalty was pursued. More than half of administrative-only cases resulted in no penalty. The largest judicial penalty in that dataset was $1.6 million.7Regulations.gov. CWA Section 404 Enforcement Data Civil penalties under the statute can technically reach $68,446 per day per violation.8Cornell Law Institute. 33 CFR 326.6 – Class I Administrative Penalties The permanent conservation easements and the ongoing curation and archaeological oversight obligations may prove more consequential than the fine itself, since they limit what the developer can do with portions of the property for good.