Take Action to Protect Your Rivers: Deadline July 1

[DeBo]

Several years ago the Supreme Court made two critical changes to the Clean Water Act. These changes caused confusion in the law. Because of this, small headwater streams, such as steep creeks in the Ozarks and the Ouachita and many wetland areas, are no longer protected by federal law from pollution, dredge and fill, and other harmful activities.
On April 27, the U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers released “Draft Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act.” The draft guidance attempts to clear up confusion and protection problems and restore the intended purpose of the Clean Water Act.

We need your comments in support of this document. Comments are due July 1, 2011. Submit your comments to ow-docket@epa.gov and place the Docket Number: Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2011–0409 in your subject line.

Talking Points From Rivernet:

• This action taken by the US. EPA and the Army Corps recognizes a simple fact – the waters of the U.S. are connected and therefore must be protected.
• Wrongheaded interpretations of two confusing U.S. Supreme Court in the last decade, have led to the loss of protections for 20 million acres of wetlands and 60% of the stream miles in the United States, effectively gutting much of the intent of the Clean Water Act.
• Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys, filtering pollutants and also acting as a natural sponge to soak up excess waters during big precipitation events. Wetland losses make flood events worse, damaging property, endangering lives and impacting myriad business enterprises from agriculture to the recreational tourism industry.
• Protecting these wetlands and small stream corridors can help to reduce the impacts of floods like those that we are seeing along the Mississippi River (insert your own river/watershed if flooding is occurring in your area) this spring. Many communities have been able to reduce flooding by restoring wetlands and removing pavement along waterways and river banks. A single acre of wetland can store 1-1.5 million gallons of flood water.
• According to a report recently issued by the National Wildlife Federation, “The Upper Mississippi River Basin states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Missouri have each lost 85-90 percent of their wetlands and countless headwater streams.” The report continues, “Just a 1 percent loss of a watershed’s wetlands can increase total flood volume by almost 7 percent.”
• (If you are experiencing spring floods in your area) Protecting these wetlands and small stream corridors can help to reduce the impacts of floods like those that are saturating our community this spring. Many communities have been able to reduce flooding by restoring wetlands and removing pavement along waterways and river banks


Comments are due July 1, 2011. Submit your comments to ow-docket@epa.gov and place the Docket Number: Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2011–0409 in your subject line. (Please note: the email address in the Federal Register notice was wrong…this is the correct email!

Read the Draft Guidance document here: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/ ... waters.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tim Eubanks]

Thanks, Debbie. I'd wondered how recent activities in the F'ville Shale and other areas had been largely ignored.

As someone rightly said, "We all live downstream."