How do I submit a public comment on Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”?

Submit a formal comment on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-15447. This page includes talking points and a starter comment you can make your own.

When is the public comment deadline for Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”?

Comments are due by October 9, 2026. Comments received after the deadline may not be considered by the agency.

Do public comments actually change federal decisions?

Yes, when they are substantive. Agencies are legally required to read and respond to substantive comments before finalizing a rule, and specific personal comments about real places and real uses carry far more weight than identical form letters. Courts have overturned rules when agencies ignored substantive comments.

High threat to public lands

Oppose Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”

Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”

Department of the Army, Corps of EngineersFederal Register 2026-18317 ↗

Clean water Wetlands Wildlife

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers are issuing a supplemental proposed rule to revise the definition of 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act, following the Supreme Court's 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision that narrowed federal water protections. The agencies are presenting additional regulatory options based on public comments received on an earlier November 2025 proposal. This rule would affect landowners, developers, farmers, conservationists, and anyone whose activities involve wetlands, streams, or other water bodies that may or may not qualify for federal Clean Water Act protections.

What to say

Make these points, in your own words

I oppose this action as proposed, and I ask the agency to weigh the specific harms below.
Please account for the threats to clean water and the communities downstream.
Please account for the impacts on fish, wildlife, and the habitat they depend on.
Say something only you can say. The law requires the agency to consider and respond to substantive comments, and specifics are what make a comment substantive.

In the agency’s own words

The purpose of this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking is for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army ("the agencies") to supplement and seek additional comment on certain aspects of an earlier proposal, published on November 20, 2025, to revise the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Clean Water Act in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. As stated in the agencies' November 20, 2025 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the agencies intend for this rulemaking to provide greater…

Federal Register 2026-18317 ↗Read the docket on regulations.gov ↗

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