{"abstract":"The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army are publishing a final rule defining the scope of waters federally regulated under the Clean Water Act. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule is the second step in a comprehensive, two-step process intended to review and revise the definition of \"waters of the United States\" consistent with the Executive Order signed on February 28, 2017, \"Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the `Waters of the United States' Rule.\" Once effective, it replaces the rule published on October 22, 2019. This final rule implements the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters by maintaining federal authority over those waters that Congress determined should be regulated by the Federal government under its Commerce Clause powers, while adhering to Congress' policy directive to preserve States' primary authority over land and water resources. This final definition increases the predictability and consistency of Clean Water Act programs by clarifying the scope of \"waters of the United States\" federally regulated under the Act.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE","name":"Defense Department","id":103,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/defense-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/103","parent_id":null,"slug":"defense-department"},{"raw_name":"Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers","name":"Engineers Corps","id":142,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/engineers-corps","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/142","parent_id":103,"slug":"engineers-corps"},{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/04/21/2020-02500.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":328,"title":33},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":110,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":112,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":116,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":117,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":120,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":122,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":230,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":232,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":300,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":302,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":401,"title":40}],"citation":"85 FR 22250","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective on June 22, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149","FRL-10004-88-OW"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2020-02500","effective_on":"2020-06-22","end_page":22342,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/04/21/2020-02500.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/21/2020-02500/the-navigable-waters-protection-rule-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-02500?publication_date=2020-04-21","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-04-21/2020-02500/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":93,"page_views":{"count":72325,"last_updated":"2026-04-23 14:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-04-21/pdf/2020-02500.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-02500.pdf?1587386728","publication_date":"2020-04-21","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/04/21/2020-02500.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AF75":{"issue":"201910","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AF75/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states-step-2-","title":"Revised Definition of \"Waters of the United States\" (Step 2)","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201910&RIN=2040-AF75&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AF75"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Preliminary Results Of Attempted Analyses Of The National Hydrography Dataset And The National Wetlands Inventory","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-11767"},{"title":"Commodity-consistent meta-analysis of wetland values: An illustration for coastal marsh habitat","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-11679"},{"title":"Why are wetlands important?","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-11677"},{"title":"Meta-Analysis, Benefit Transfer, and Methodological Covariates: Implications for Transfer Error","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-11671"},{"title":"Clean Water Act of 1977 (Sen. Rep. 95-370, at 76-77)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0449"},{"title":"Accessing and Using Meteorological Data to Evaluate Wetland Hydrology","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0388"},{"title":"Waters and Wetlands, GAO-04-297","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0387"},{"title":"E.O. 12866 Review Version of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Used to Initiate Interagency Review for the Revised Definition of \"Waters of the United States\"","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0384"},{"title":"Water Pollution Control Act (1948)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0303"},{"title":"Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 (2006)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149-0297"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AF75/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states-step-2-","title":"Revised Definition of \"Waters of the United States\" (Step 2)"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149","supporting_documents_count":379,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0149","regulation_id_number":"2040-AF75","title":"Revised Definition of “Waters of the United States” ","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2020-04-23T03:30:18Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":22250,"subtype":null,"title":"The Navigable Waters Protection Rule: Definition of “Waters of the United States”","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Air pollution control","Carbon monoxide","Chemicals","Confidential business information","Environmental protection","Greenhouse gases","Hazardous substances","Hazardous waste","Intergovernmental relations","Lead","Natural resources","Navigation (water)","Occupational safety and health","Oil pollution","Ozone","Penalties","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Superfund","Volatile organic compounds","Waste treatment and disposal","Water pollution control","Water supply","Waterways"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}