The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency dramatically weakened protections for millions of acres of the West’s essential wetlands and streams. Under the ruling, only bodies of water with a “continuous surface connection” to a “relatively permanent” traditional, navigable water body can be legally considered part of the waters of the United States (WOTUS) and therefore covered by the Clean Water Act. … In the absence of federal regulations, state dredge-and-fill permitting programs can protect wetlands, and California, Oregon and Washington all have broad protections for non-WOTUS wetlands and streams. And since the Sackett decision, Colorado and New Mexico have passed laws restoring clean water protections for waters excluded from WOTUS.

Other wetland preservation news:

• The Journal (Durango, Colo.): $50,000 grant awarded to preserve wetlands along Animas River
• LAist (Los Angeles): Here’s how you can weigh in on plans for OC’s newest coastal nature preserve
• Colorado Public Radio: New preserve on Purgatoire River in Southeastern Colorado established to restore prairie habitat