WOTUS rule change proposal (EPA/Army Corps) — comment period ends 01/05/2026

WOTUS / CLEAN WATER ACT – COMMENTS DUE JANUARY 5, 2026

Issue: EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a new definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that significantly narrows which wetlands, headwater streams, prairie potholes, and ephemeral or intermittent channels are federally protected. This proposal would remove protections from millions of acres of wetlands and many Western streams, affecting watersheds that feed the Missouri, Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, White, Bad, and James River systems.

Federal Register Notice:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/20/2025-23633/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states

Submit Comments:

On-line submissions are normally due just before midnight EST. Postal comments are either due postmarked or received on the deadline. Verify at the Federal Register notice.

On-line
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322

By Mail

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Docket Center, Water Docket (Mail Code 28221T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460

• Include the Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322

• Reference the “Proposed Rule: Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’ (2025)                                                 

NGO Articles and Analyses:

Union of Concerned Scientists

https://www.ucs.org/about/news/epa-proposes-striking-wetlands-protections-risking-water-quality-across-us

Pre-Fab Online Letters:
Earthjustice: https://earthjustice.org/action/dont-let-polluters-get-their-way-again-defend-the-clean-water-act?ms=web

NRDC:  https://act.nrdc.org/letter/protect-waters-2025

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