{"abstract":"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (\"the agencies\") are publishing for public comment a proposed rule revising the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, also known as the Clean Water Act, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. With this proposed rule, the agencies intend to provide greater regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of \"waters of the United States.\" This proposed rule is also intended to implement the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the quality of the Nation's waters while respecting State and Tribal authority over their own land and water resources.","action":"Proposed 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/2025/11/20/2025-20402.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"328","title":33},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"120","title":40}],"citation":"90 FR 52498","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2026-01-05","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before January 5, 2026.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322","FRL 11132.1-01-OW"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army; Memorandum on POH-2023-00187","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0108"},{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations (EPA Indian Policy)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0105"},{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Clean Water Act Approved Jurisdictional Determinations","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0103"},{"title":"U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Circular A-4: Regulatory Analysis","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0098"},{"title":"U.S. Department of the Army and Environmental Protection Agency; Memorandum of Agreement: Federal Enforcement for the Section 404 Program of the Clean Water Act","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0094"},{"title":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0091"},{"title":"Cowardin et al.; Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0076"},{"title":"Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC); Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES) Capacity Building Plan","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0074"},{"title":"Tangen and Bansal; Soil Organic Carbon Stocks and Sequestration Rates of Inland, Freshwater Wetlands: Sources of Variability and Uncertainty.","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0068"},{"title":"Tang et al.; Impact of Size and Location of Wetlands on Watershed-Scale Flood Control","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0067"}],"agency_name":"EPA","documents":[{"comment_count":223215,"comment_start_date":"2025-11-20","updated_at":"2026-05-22T01:56:46.898-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0001","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0001","comment_end_date":"2026-01-06","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":123,"id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322","title":"Updated Definition of Waters of the United States"}],"document_number":"2025-20402","effective_on":null,"end_page":52546,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2025/11/20/2025-20402.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/20/2025-20402/updated-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2025-20402?publication_date=2025-11-20","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2025-11-20/2025-20402/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":49,"page_views":{"count":17917,"last_updated":"2026-06-24 20:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-20/pdf/2025-20402.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-20402.pdf?1763559920","publication_date":"2025-11-20","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/11/20/2025-20402.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2040-AG44":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AG44/final-clarifying-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states-","title":"Final Clarifying Definition of \"Waters of the United States\"","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=2040-AG44&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2040-AG44"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army; Memorandum on POH-2023-00187","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0108"},{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations (EPA Indian Policy)","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0105"},{"title":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Clean Water Act Approved Jurisdictional Determinations","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0103"},{"title":"U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Circular A-4: Regulatory Analysis","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0098"},{"title":"U.S. Department of the Army and Environmental Protection Agency; Memorandum of Agreement: Federal Enforcement for the Section 404 Program of the Clean Water Act","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0094"},{"title":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. Wetlands Research Program Technical Report Y-87-1","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0091"},{"title":"Cowardin et al.; Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0076"},{"title":"Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC); Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES) Capacity Building Plan","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0074"},{"title":"Tangen and Bansal; Soil Organic Carbon Stocks and Sequestration Rates of Inland, Freshwater Wetlands: Sources of Variability and Uncertainty.","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0068"},{"title":"Tang et al.; Impact of Size and Location of Wetlands on Watershed-Scale Flood Control","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0067"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2040-AG44/final-clarifying-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states-","title":"Final Clarifying Definition of \"Waters of the United States\""},"comments_count":223215,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322","supporting_documents_count":123,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-0001","regulation_id_number":"2040-AG44","title":"Updated Definition of Waters of the United States","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2026-05-22T18:55:04Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":52498,"subtype":null,"title":"Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”","toc_doc":"Definition of \"Waters of the United States\"","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Environmental protection","Navigation (water)","Water pollution control","Waterways"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":90}