One of the biggest policy debates currently involving rivers is over the proposed federal Clean Water Rule. As this blog from American Rivers explains, the Clean Water Rule clarifies which waters in the United States are protected by the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act, the federal government’s primary regulatory tool against water pollution, stipulates which waters should be monitored and improved with the goal of becoming fishable, swimmable, and drinkable. The proposed Clean Water Rule draws on extensive review of scientific literature to clarify the ultimate connectivity of major rivers to other sources of surface and ground water.
At What Point Do We Protect Rivers?
