The proposed rule eliminates protections for intermittent and ephemeral streams and further reduce protections for wetlands, tributaries, and water bodies across the country.
Contacts:
- Chris Wood, President and CEO, Trout Unlimited – chris.wood@tu.org
- Helen Neville, Senior Scientist, Trout Unlimited – helen.neville@tu.org
- Zoe Bommarito, National Communications Director, Trout Unlimited – zoe.bommarito@tu.org, 517-604-1844
Arlington, Virginia – This week, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a proposed rule that would strip Clean Water Act protection from millions of acres of wetlands, countless miles of streams, and threaten the health of an untold number of watersheds across the country.
“Clean water isn’t a luxury for trout or for people, it’s the backbone of healthy communities, strong fisheries, and safe drinking water. When you weaken protections for the small streams that feed our rivers, you put all of that at risk,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “We all live downstream and deserve a Clean Water Act worthy of its name—one that protects the waters that support our fish, our families, and our way of life.”
The proposed rule comes on the heels of a Supreme Court decision that severely undercuts Clean Water protections for wetlands. It expands on that decision by eliminating protections for intermittent and ephemeral streams and further reducing protections for wetlands, tributaries, and water bodies across the country. According to the announcement, the definition of “waters of United States,” will focus solely on relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water. The decision will limit the agency’s ability to safeguard small, coldwater streams that native trout rely on.
“Even just ephemeral streams – those that flow only in direct response to precipitation –represent approximately half of all stream miles in the coterminous U.S. and generate about 55 percent of downstream streamflow. These critical coldwater resources – those that feed our drinking water supply, support fish and wildlife populations and the outdoor economy – will lose protection under the new rule.” said Helen Neville, Senior Scientist for Trout Unlimited.
Small streams supply drinking water to one third of Americans. Additionally, clean water is the lynchpin of the outdoor recreation economy, creating 4.3 million jobs and $689 billion in consumer spending annually. Polling shows that 92 percent of hunters and anglers support clean water protections.
The EPA will hold a 45-day comment period on the proposed rule, along with two stakeholder meetings.
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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s leading conservation organization working to care for and recover rivers and streams and their trout and salmon populations. We bring people together across the country to be champions for their rivers and help make our water cleaner and our communities healthier. Founded by a small band of Michigan anglers in 1959, we have grown into a national organization with more than 350 staff, 400 chapters, and 300,000 members and supporters. We bring science-driven restoration know-how, state and national policy muscle, and local volunteer energy to bear on behalf of clean water, healthy trout and salmon and thriving communities