Farmers in Iowa and around the country are set to face a new set of uncertainties, and the potential of delays, red tape and steep fines, as the controversial new "Waters of the United States," or WOTUS, rule takes effect Aug. 28.

The new rule, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is designed to redefine which waters are covered under the federal Clean Water Act. However, since it was first proposed in 2014, the WOTUS rule has been strongly opposed by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) as well as by a diverse group of other state and national farm groups, small business groups and a bipartisan group of national and state lawmakers.

Earlier in 2015, the U.S. House easily passed a measure that would prohibit the EPA from enacting the WOTUS rule, and a similar bill is being considered by the U.S. Senate. The rule is also being challenged in court ...