By Jared Mott, IWLA Conservation Director
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are preparing to unveil a proposed regulation limiting the waters protected by the Clean Water Act – perhaps as early as this month. This proposal represents a fundamental weakening of clean water protections that have safeguarded our streams, rivers, and wetlands since the 1970s.
We expect this regulation to eliminate protections for many streams, especially those that do not flow all the time, and as many as half the wetlands in the United States. This would allow pollution to flow unchecked into small tributary streams that feed our rivers (like the ones in red on these maps) and allow many of the wetlands that slow runoff, filter drinking water, and absorb flood waters to be drained or filled.
The good news is that YOU can speak up for clean water and tell these agencies NOT to adopt this terrible regulation. Once the proposed regulation is unveiled, there will be a period of time allowing for public comment. We need YOU to speak up for clean water during this time – and we will help you do it!
For now, as we wait for the release of this proposed regulation, please take some time to become familiar with how this attack on clean water can affect you and your neighbors. The Izaak Walton League has put together a variety of resources to help explain what’s happening and what could be at stake. We have fact sheets, articles from Outdoor America magazine, and a series of maps that show just how many streams in some areas around the country could lose protection. You can find all of this and more on our Clean Water Act web page.
Sign up for IWLA Action Alerts so you'll know when it’s time to comment on this misguided proposal. We'll help you craft and submit your comments. Together, we can protect the water we all depend on for drinking, living, and recreating!
MAP IT: These maps show just how many streams (shown in red) would lose protection from pollution.