1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Congress needs to put an end to this rule change immediately. The proposed WOTUS rule represents a significant and unwarranted narrowing of the bipartisan Clean Water Act's jurisdiction and goes well beyond what the Supreme Court required in Sackett v. EPA (2023). It introduces new concepts, exclusions, and ambiguities that will further erode protections for wetlands, streams, and headwaters nationwide. The few remaining wetlands and riparian zones do immense work for Americans. They are the sponges that absorb and slow floodwaters, the filters that remove pollution, and the nurseries for fish and wildlife. They facilitate groundwater recharge. Twenty-two states have no backup protections of their own, so once federal coverage disappears, those waters are gone for good. Congress must do everything possible to protect what remains of our wetlands and incentivize the restoration of as much as possible. Block this rule, demand the agencies return to a scientifically grounded standard, and make clear that the Clean Water Act's protections are not negotiable.