In 1972, a bipartisan supermajority of Congress enacted the federal Clean Water Act to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” The Act set a national goal of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States by 1985.
For over 50 years, California waters have benefitted from Clean Water Act protections like water quality standards, discharge permits, and community enforcement. While we still have work to do, the Clean Water Act has helped inch our state’s waters closer to meeting fishable, swimmable, and drinkable goals.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court crippled the Clean Water Act in 2023. In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court decreed a much narrower interpretation of the “waters of the United States” or “WOTUS”—the waters protected by the Clean Water Act. In the words of the concurring Supreme Court Justices, the Sackett decision comes with “real-world consequences for the waters of the United States,” “regulatory uncertainty,” and “significant repercussions for water quality and flood control.” The Sackett decision is especially dangerous for western states as it removes protections for non-“relatively permanent” waters. The decision also particularly affects wetlands, which continue to provide vital ecosystem services despite significant historic losses (over 90% in California).
California Coastkeeper Alliance will not stand by and let our waters be stripped of crucial protections.
That is why California Coastkeeper Alliance has teamed up with Defenders of Wildlife and Senator Ben Allen to introduce Senate Bill 601: The Right to Clean Water Act. The bill would restore long-enjoyed federal Clean Water Act protections into state law so the protections will no longer ebb and flow with variable national politics.
We are not going backwards. California has enjoyed clean water protections for 50 years and we have a right to continue to do so. The Right to Clean Water Act preserves California’s values in the face of turbulent federal disruptions, while efficiently moving the state’s clean water programs forward.
In California, we care about our waters, and CCKA will always stand up to protect them.
Stay informed of CCKA’s legislative work and support our efforts to protect California’s waters by subscribing to California Coastkeeper Alliance’s monthly newsletter, becoming a lifetime CCKA member, and following us on social media: @CA_Waterkeepers.
Senior Staff Attorney Lauren Chase Marshall advances CCKA’s water quality initiatives via administrative, litigation, and legislative tools.
