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2026-18317 · Proposed rule or notice

Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”

Jurisdiction
Federal
Current status
Proposed Rule
Issuing body / sponsor
Defense Department

A proposal or notice is not a final requirement.

Latest action

Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking.

Sep 9, 2026

Subject areas

Siting & Land UseWater

Policy mechanisms

Community participation

Tracker tags, not legal conclusions.

Quick summary

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.…

Read full summary

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 regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of "waters of the United States." After consideration of the public comments received on the NPRM, the agencies are issuing this notice to supplement the NPRM with additional regulatory options on certain aspects of the proposed rule.

Source-provided or tracker summary; not operative legal text.

Linked record: federalregister.gov. Inspect the source before relying on the tracker’s interpretation.

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