The Trump Administration is proposing a rule to narrow the definition of federally protected “Waters of the United States." These waterways are essential sources of clean drinking water and serve as habitats for wildlife nationally. If successful in finalizing this rule, more than 80% of wetlands and more than 5 million miles of streams will lose federal protections, opening them up to industrial development.

Reducing the Clean Water Act's protection of our waterways will harm our nation’s ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Fight back by submitting a comment!

Here's how to submit your comment:

1. Draft or copy sample comment. Copy our sample comment, which can be found at the bottom of the page
2. Go to the website. Go to the Federal Register's webpage for the updated "Waters of the United States" definition.
3. Paste in your comment. Scroll down slightly until you see a large white text box. Paste the comment inside the text box. If you'd like, you can edit the comment at this stage. (Optional: In the text box with "Email" written beside it, type your email address. Click the box right below the text box to receive an email confirmation of your comment submission, as well as its tracking number.)  
4. Identify yourself. Scroll down slightly to the section of the comment submission form where it asks you to identify yourself, and click the small circle to the left of the text that describes you best.  
5. Acknowledge. Scroll down, and click the box to acknowledge that you are submitting a comment. 
6. Submit. Finally, click submit comment. That's it!
    

Sample Comment to COPY and AND THEN PASTE on the comment page. (DON'T FORGET THE SECOND STEP!)

Dear EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, 

I am writing today to express my significant concerns about the proposed rule entitled Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States” (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322).This proposed rule would significantly reduce the number of tributaries and wetlands that are protected by the Clean Water Act, exposing them to destruction through harmful extractive industries practices and pollution.

Clean water is a basic necessity for our communities' survival, and for the well-being of our natural environments. When wetlands are destroyed and headwater streams lose protection, they become more vulnerable to industrial pollutants and environmental pollution. Because these waterways are also essential sources of potable water, water utilities will have to spend more money cleaning drinking water that would have been safe if these sources were still protected by the Clean Water Act.  Furthermore, these waterways could become unsafe for recreation and unsuitable habitats for wildlife, resulting in negative economic consequences for communities that depend on recreation and tourism. Protecting the small streams and wetlands upstream is one of the most important ways to make sure our communities, our children, and our local farms are safe. 

Another very likely consequence of this proposed rule is worsened flooding events. The waterways that are currently protected under the proposed rule help filter out pollutants, slow runoff, and reduce downstream flooding. All of these functions are becoming increasingly important every year as extreme weather events intensify. Wetlands act as natural sponges, and when they’re destroyed or left unprotected, the water has nowhere else to go except into our homes, roads, and community infrastructure. Losing protections for them would have real consequences for the health and safety of people, livestock, and wildlife. 

The waterways protected by the Clean Water Act serve as critical habitats to countless irreplaceable American wildlife, and communities depend on them for clean water, floodwater mitigation, and local economic activity. Opening these lands for development will not only result in the destruction of our priceless American landscapes, but will also significantly harm environmental and public health. I strongly urge you to reconsider this proposed rule, which would harm our nation’s waterways and the people like me who depend on them.

After you've submitted your comment, let us know how it goes!