The Iowa Farm Bureau is disappointed by today’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule issued by EPA.   This latest rule creates even more complicated regulations and uncertainty regarding farmland far removed from navigable waters.  

Iowa farmers share the goal of protecting our waterways and continue to make big strides in conservation progress. Complicated overregulation requiring a team of lawyers and consultants to identify ‘navigable waters’ on farmers’ own land does nothing to advance our successful water quality efforts.  

The timing of EPA’s new rule with a pending Supreme Court decision on the scope of the Clean Water Act is perplexing.  A ruling in that case could send WOTUS back to the drawing board, which would add to farmers’ confusion and uncertainty regarding the latest rule.  

The back and forth over the WOTUS Rule continues to impede farmers’ efforts to protect resources and makes it more difficult to grow and raise the food, fuel and fiber that sustains us at home and abroad.