New WOTUS Rule Now in Effect
The “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” (NWPR), which is the Trump Administration’s new definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), became effective on June 22 in every state except Colorado. Implementation begins after Judge Joseph Seeborg of the Northern District of California denied a request last Friday from 17 states, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the District of Columbia, and the City of New York to issue a preliminary injunction and block the rule nationwide.
Hours later, a district court judge in Colorado issued a preliminary injunction solely in the state of Colorado, which is considering establishing its own wetland permitting program. NAHB had moved to intervene in both of these cases before the decisions were issued.
The NWPR will provide several benefits to builders and developers while continuing to protect important water bodies. For example, it encompasses traditional navigable waters and territorial seas, which Congress clearly intended for federal oversight. However, it also narrows the extent of federal jurisdiction by excluding isolated water bodies, “ephemeral” waters that form only in response to rain, and most ditches. As a result, fewer residential construction projects will trigger federal permitting requirements.