Trump Administration Moves to Weaken Federal Protections for Waterways and Wetlands

Inside Climate News · By Aidan Hughes · last updated November 17, 2025 – 2:07 PM

Environmental groups warn the proposal to change the definition of “waters of the United States” would eliminate crucial safeguards for “countless” bodies of water.

By Aidan Hughes

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army on Monday announced a proposal to further define, and scale back, the number of waterways and wetlands protected by the federal government under the Clean Water Act, a bedrock environmental law.

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