May 28, 2014
Contact:
Chris Wood, President and CEO, Trout Unlimited, (703) 284-9403, cwood@tu.org
Art Vollmer, chair of TUs New Mexico council, (505) 474-1495, fish4rgct@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New Mexico anglers stand behind new clean water rule
WASHINGTON, D.C.Anglers in New Mexico support a new rule announced yesterday that restores protections for Americas headwater streams under the Clean Water Act.
The waters this rule protects are the sources of our nations coldest, cleanest water, said Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood. Not only do they provide the needed spawning and rearing habitat for our trout and salmon, they are the sources of our iconic rivers and streamsthey provide the water we all use downstream. The EPA and the Corps were right to craft this thoughtful rule in a way that protects our headwaters and our fish, but also protects the downstream uses of our nations water.
Wood said the rule doesnt require any new actions on the part of existing water users, but it does require anyone wishing to pursue a new development that impacts small streams to get a permit to do so.
The rule restores protections to Americas headwater streams that were removed after two politically charged Supreme Court decisions in the 2000s. The court ruled that there must be a proven nexus between these small, sometimes-intermittent waters and the larger rivers they feed for the former to receive CWA protection. Armed with the science that proves such a connection, the EPA and the Corps crafted this rule that simply protects the clean water sources of Americas rivers.
TU members in New Mexico are grateful to the Corps, the EPA and the Obama administration for developing the new rule, which is the product of many months of consultation and input from Americans and Congress, said Vollmer. The agencies listened to the concerns of diverse interests and found an approach that will ensure clean water for our communities, industry, farms and ranches, and environment.
This is a rule for everyone, Wood continued. The most important thing this rule does is restore Clean Water Act protections to headwater streams, and that means the world to anglers who understand the importance of these waters to their success in the field. But these waters are important to everyone, not just anglers. If you turn on a tap, this rule helps make sure the water that comes out is clean and fresh.
Trout Unlimited is the nations oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North Americas trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and visit us online at tu.org.