Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE <SUBAGY>Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers</SUBAGY> <CFR>33 CFR Part 328</CFR> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 120</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322; FRL 11132.1-01-OW]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2040-AG44</RIN> <SUBJECT>Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense; and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Proposed rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (“the agencies”) are publishing for public comment a proposed rule revising the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, also known as the Clean Water Act, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in <E T="03">Sackett</E> v. <E T="03">Environmental Protection Agency.</E> With this proposed rule, the agencies intend to provide greater regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States.” This proposed rule is also intended to implement the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the quality of the Nation's waters while respecting State and Tribal authority over their own land and water resources. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before January 5, 2026. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322, by any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/</E> (our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Email: OW-Docket@epa.gov.</E> Include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322 in the subject line of the message. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Water Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery or Courier:</E> EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (except Federal Holidays). <E T="03">Instructions:</E> All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> including personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the “Public Participation” heading of the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section of this document. The agencies will hold two hybrid public meetings, and additional information can be found at <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/wotus/public-outreach-and-stakeholder-engagement-activities.</E> Refer to the <E T="02">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION</E> section below for additional information. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Stacey Jensen, Oceans, Wetlands and Communities Division, Office of Water (4504-T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-0657; email address: <E T="03">CWAwotus@epa.gov,</E> and Milton Boyd, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Department of the Army, 108 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310-0104; telephone number: (703) 693-3655; email address: <E T="03">usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-cw.mbx.asa-cw-reporting@army.mil.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Summary of the Major Provisions of the Regulatory Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Costs and Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Public Participation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Written Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Participation in Virtual and In-Person Public Meetings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What action are the Agencies taking?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What is the Agencies' authority for taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. What are the incremental cost savings and forgone benefits of this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Legal Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. History of Federal Waterways Regulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. U.S. Supreme Court Decisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. The Agencies' Rules and Regulatory Regimes</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Pre-2015 Regulatory Regime (Prior to Sackett)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. The 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. January 2023 Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Conforming Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Current Applicable Regulatory Regimes</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. March 12, 2025, “Continuous Surface Connection” Guidance</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. WOTUS Notice and Summary of Stakeholder Outreach</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Relatively Permanent Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Continuous Surface Connection</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Ditches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Implementation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Additional Feedback Including Further Exclusions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Proposed Revised Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Basis of the Proposed Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Interstate Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Basis for Eliminating as an Independent Basis for Jurisdiction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Relatively Permanent Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Definition and Scope of “Relatively Permanent” Waters</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Basis for the Proposed Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Definition of “Tributary”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Implementation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Implementation of “Relatively Permanent”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Implementation of Tributaries</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. “Continuous Surface Connection”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Definition and Scope of “Continuous Surface Connection”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Basis for the Proposed Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Implementation of Adjacent Wetlands</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Lakes and Ponds Assessed Under Paragraph (a)(5)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Deletion of “Intrastate”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Implementation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Exclusions From the Definition of “Waters of the United States”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. The Paragraph (b)(1) Waste Treatment System Exclusion and Paragraph (c)(11) Definition of “Waste Treatment System”</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. The Agencies' Proposed Revisions to the Waste Treatment System Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Basis for the Proposed Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">c. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">d. Implementation of the Waste Treatment System Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Definition of “Prior Converted Cropland” Under Paragraph (c)(7) and Scope of the (b)(2) Prior Converted Cropland Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Basis for the Proposed Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">c. Implementation of the Prior Converted Cropland Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Definition of “Ditch” and Scope of the (b)(3) Ditch Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Basis for the Proposed Definition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Alternative Approaches</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">c. Implementation of Ditch Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. The Paragraph (b)(9) Groundwater Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Basis for the Proposed Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Implementation of Groundwater Exclusion</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Publicly Available Jurisdictional Information and Permit Data</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Severability</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Supporting Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regulatory Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Children's Health</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review; Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risk</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Executive Order 13211: Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Executive Summary</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (Army) (together, the agencies) are seeking public comment on a proposed rule that revises key aspects of the definition of “waters of the United State ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 399k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━