A large portion of wetlands in the Mountain West could lose federal protections under a new proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But a couple of states in the region are working to build their own safeguards. On Nov. 17, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the Army Corps of Engineers announced a proposal for a narrowed definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS), the designation that determines which rivers, streams and wetlands qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act. … Two Mountain West states—New Mexico and Colorado—are developing their own systems to protect waters that have lost federal oversight.

Other Clean Water Act news:

• Farm Progress: Revised WOTUS rule may reduce farm regulatory burden
• The Wildlife Society: Blog: EPA shrinks workforce and wetlands definition