Weakening the Clean Water Act: What’s Different and Why It Doesn’t Add Up (Webinar)

When the Clean Water Act (CWA) was passed in 1972, it marked a fundamental shift in how our country viewed its waterways and the environment. Instead of ignoring our effect on the health of our water, citizens, states, and the entire country now had a responsibility to clean up and protect water quality across the nation.

In January of 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency enacted a new regulation that will have significant and detrimental repercussions for water quality. A new definition of waterways that are protected under the CWA, the so-called Waters of the United States (WOTUS), altered and removed protections from important freshwater sources including isolated wetlands and ephemeral streams.

Jared Mott, National Conservation Director, led the Izaak Walton League’s effort to block this new rule. Now that the new WOTUS regulation is official, it is more important than ever that private citizens and landowners learn about the history of this rule and what it means for America’s waterways. In this webinar, Jared walks us through the scientific and legislative background of WOTUS and why it doesn’t make sense for protecting water.