Headwater streams

The Administration has published a proposal to restore Clean Water Act protections to America’s most vulnerable streams and wetlands. Unfortunately, this proposal is already coming under attack from the mining industry and others unwilling to take responsibility for polluting and destroying our waters for their personal gain . Here are seven reasons Americans should support the proposed rule to protect our waters.

Even big rivers start small. Headwater streams are important for fish, amphibians and invertebrates and affect water quality downstream. They supply most of the water in rivers and were protected by the Clean Water Act for decades. Unfortunately two convoluted Supreme Court decisions, actions of the previous administration and inaction by Congress have left these critically important waterways in a legal limbo and at increased risk for over a decade.

Intermittent streams

An intermittent stream is a stream that occasionally runs dry. In the Western half of the country, the majority of streams and creeks meet this description. For example, over 80% of streams in New Mexico flow intermittently. But creeks and streams that are no longer clearly protected by the Clean Water Act feed into drinking water supplies for one-third of all Americans.