New Waters Rule Colorado

New Waters Rule Colorado

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett
The Trump administration is rescinding the controversial Waters of the USA (WOTUS) rule, part of the federal Clean Water Act.

Colorado is among 25 states that won injunctions blocking the WOTUS rule - claiming it interfered with state sovereignty. The Clean Water Act set up a structure to regulate pollution discharge into water and included definitions like ephemeral and dry features. Colorado Politics reports those include things like gullies and washes, which are just about everywhere in the state, and temporary water features that run wet in the spring during runoff and run dry the rest of the year.

EPA Acting Administrator for Water Dave Ross explains the categories of jurisdiction under a proposed redefinition of "The Waters of the U.S." rule.

"We're not changing jurisdiction over the big waters, what are considered traditional navigable waters. Tributaries, this is where a bunch of the confusion has focused over the last several decades. We have come up with a definition that is basically: If it looks like a stream and it flows to traditional navigable water in a typical year, it's in. And things like ephemeral drainages or things the only flow after a rainfall, those will be clearly excluded."

A 60-day comment period will begin once the rule is formally published.

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