By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
New federal water rule addresses health of streams, other wetlands
Opponents call move government overreach
Placeholder Image
Federal officials rolled out new clean water regulations Wednesday focusing largely on the health of streams and other wetlands that help feed into primary drinking sources. “For the water in the rivers and lakes in our communities that flow to our drinking water to be clean, the streams and wetlands that feed them need to be clean too,” said Gina McCarthy, Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Specifically, the new regulations, issued by the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, say that a tributary must show physical features of flowing water — a bed, bank and high water mark — to warrant protection.