It has been a busy week on Capitol Hill. At a House Subcommittee Hearing, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin faced questions about how the agency plans to clarify the definition of Waters of the U.S. in light of the Supreme Court’s Sackett ruling.
“Our goal is that any of your farmers, ranchers, landowners are able to look at water on their property and they are able to determine on their own whether or not that is water of the United States that’s going to be regulated by the federal government. They should not have to go out and hire some lawyer or some consultant to be able to tell them whether or not that waterway is a water of the U.S. We want to do it that is durable, where no matter what would happen in a presidential election in the future, that the definition doesn’t have to change again. We believe that it’s very easy to have a simple, straightforward, prescriptive definition of waters of the United States.”
Roger McEowen, with the Washburn School of Law, offers an in-depth look at two of the top legal issues of 202. Today, he walks through last year’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) ruling and “lawfare.”
January 27, 2026 02:53 PM
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More than 1,100 residents and farmers have signed a letter urging Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to step in, saying the proposal threatens irrigation supplies and long-term farm viability in the region.
December 23, 2025 11:37 AM
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Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
November 24, 2025 12:38 PM
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November 20, 2025 01:55 PM
Mary-Thomas Hart, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, discusses the latest WOTUS developments and their implications for agriculture.
November 19, 2025 03:05 PM
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The new WOTUS proposal narrows federal jurisdiction, restores key agricultural exclusions, and gives farmers clearer permitting rules after years of regulatory uncertainty.
November 18, 2025 10:58 AM
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“I’m optimistic that this agency, this administration again, made WOTUS a real priority.”
