On September 3, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced the agencies’ will abandon the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) set forth in the April 21, 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and will instead rely on the pre-2015 regulatory framework. The agencies’ announcement comes on the heels of a decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona vacating the NWPR.

The EPA and Corps also indicated the agencies will continue to move forward with the anticipated rulemakings announced in June 2021, including formal repeal of the NWPR and issuance of a new regulation defining WOTUS.

The agencies did not provide clarity on how they will handle pending requests for approved or preliminary jurisdictional determinations that were submitted prior to the district court’s decision.

Stay tuned to California Water Views for additional updates as we continue to monitor WOTUS developments.