Miami Group members should be deeply concerned by the Environmental Protection Agency’s newly proposed definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. As an organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the environment, we know firsthand how vital strong federal protections are for the health of our local streams, wetlands, and the communities that depend on them.
The proposed rule would significantly weaken long-standing, science-based protections for wetlands, streams, and other waterways across the country — including right here in the Cincinnati region. At a time when climate change is intensifying rainfall and flooding, degrading habitats, and placing additional pressure on water treatment systems, rolling back protections moves us in the wrong direction.
The proposal attempts to interpret the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision by creating a narrow two-part test for whether an area is protected by the Clean Water Act, based solely on the presence of surface water and whether a body of water is directly connected to another flowing water source. This approach ignores decades of hydrological science and does not reflect how watersheds, waterways, and aquifers actually function. Wetlands and intermittent or seasonal streams play an essential ecological role even when they are not visibly or continuously connected. They filter pollution, reduce flood impacts, support wildlife, and help sustain water quality throughout entire watersheds—including our own.
By limiting which waters qualify as “jurisdictional,” the rule threatens to strip protections from countless wetland areas and tributaries. For a region that has faced historic flooding, legacy pollution, and significant environmental challenges, weakening federal standards puts hard-won progress at risk. Please urge the EPA to reverse course and uphold strong, science-informed protections. Our watershed — and the people, communities, wildlife,
and businesses that rely on clean, healthy water — deserve nothing less.
Find instructions on contacting the EPA at https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/forms/contact-epa#regcomment.
