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Waters of the United States
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Rapanos v. United States & Carabell v. United States

The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the agencies) are in receipt of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona’s August 30, 2021, order vacating and remanding the Navigable Waters Protection Rule in the case of Pascua Yaqui Tribe v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In light of this order, the agencies have halted implementation of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and are interpreting “waters of the United States” consistent with the pre-2015 regulatory regime, including the Rapanos Guidance, until further notice. The agencies are working expeditiously to move forward with the rulemakings announced on June 9, 2021, in order to better protect our nation’s vital water resources that support public health, environmental protection, agricultural activity, and economic growth. The agencies remain committed to crafting a durable definition of “waters of the United States” that is informed by diverse perspectives and based on an inclusive foundation.

Documents associated with guidance for implementing the definition of "waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act following the Rapanos v. United States, and Carabell v. United States Supreme Court decision.

  • Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Decision in Rapanos v. United States & Carabell v. United States (pdf) (1.03 MB, December 2, 2008)
  • Questions and Answers Regarding the Revised Rapanos & Carabell Guidance (pdf) (75.55 KB, December 2, 2008)
  • June 2007 Legal Memorandum (pdf) (280.82 KB, June 5, 2007)
    This guidance is superseded by the December 2008 guidance
  • June 2007 Memorandum of Agreement regarding Coordination on Jurisdictional Determinations under Clean Water Act Section 404 in Light of the SWANCC and Rapanos Supreme Court Decisions (pdf) (114.17 KB, June 5, 2007)
  • Rapanos v. United States - June 19, 2006 (pdf) (787.32 KB)
  • Waters of the United States Home
  • About Waters of the United States
    • Current Definition of Waters of the United States
    • Programs Utilizing the Definition of Waters of the United States
  • Current Implementation of Waters of the United States
    • Training and Implementation Memos
    • Implementation Tools and Methods
  • Revising the Definition of Waters of the United States
    • Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Activities
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on November 15, 2021
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