… In 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court dramatically narrowed the 1972 Clean Water Act in Sackett v. EPA. … The Sackett ruling effectively shifted more clean water oversight to states. About half already had their own wetland protections on the books, according to the Environmental Law Institute. Arizona and Wyoming state laws provided some clean water protections. But in the rest of the Mountain West, states relied on federal law to limit pollution. … So, Colorado stepped in. It became the first state after the Supreme Court decision to create a new permitting program for waters that lost federal protection. … Colorado lawmakers eventually reached a bipartisan compromise in 2024. It includes expanded protections for isolated wetlands and requirements to offset harmful impacts but also includes exemptions for agriculture. 

Other wetland and lake protection news:

• The Colorado Sun (Denver, Colo.): $30M will be spent to clear the water at scenic Grand Lake
• Bay Nature (Berkeley, Calif.): What it takes to become a beaver coexistence professional
• Napa Valley Focus: Blog: Green Wednesday: Napa’s wetlands face a rising bay