What Weakening Clean Water Act Implementation Means for Wetlands and the Mississippi River
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Recent changes to how the Clean Water Act is implemented could strip protections from countless wetlands and streams that help keep the Mississippi River clean and healthy. These waters play a vital role in filtering pollution, buffering floods, and supporting wildlife — and weakening protections put drinking water, habitats, and communities at risk. One Mississippi opposes efforts to weaken protections for rivers, wetlands, and streams that support our communities.
What's at stake?
Everyone deserves access to clean, safe water, yet proposed changes to the Clean Water Act (CWA) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers threaten this right. Weakening CWA protections endangers drinking water for 20 million people in the Mississippi River watershed, increases flooding and disaster costs, and harms wildlife habitats. In April 2025, we urged the EPA to maintain protections for wetlands and streams and not significantly reduce them.
Unfortunately, the new rule proposed on November 17, 2025, favors polluters and risks significant wetland loss in the Mississippi River mainstem states. The table below details the potential loss of wetlands across the 10 mainstem states.
The 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision has already led to a significant reduction in the number of wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act and to the removal of protections for countless miles of streams. As such, the proposed rule, which we are calling “the Polluted Water Rule,” is nothing more than a gift to polluting industries.
Key Definitions:
Clean Water Act Keystone environmental law to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”
Learn more here (National Wildlife Federation).
Sackett v. EPA Decision Court ruling that gutted protections for millions of wetlands in the US.
Stronger protections for rivers and wetlands are urgently needed to address the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, and pollution.
We identified several issues with the new proposal and shared our longer-form comment letter during the comment period.
A Voice for the Mississippi River
Protecting and restoring the Mississippi River isn’t just about water–it’s about the people, land, wildlife, and local economies that depend on it. One Mississippi is a growing, people-powered movement of more than 20,000 people and 75+ organizations working together to protect the River’s future.
We spoke up for wetlands and the River in April and December 2025, and we made sure our Mighty Mississippi had a strong, unified voice. Alongside submitting our own public comments, we supported and amplified the voices of our members and communities by:
- Breaking down complex policy and sharing clear, accessible information about the rule
- Creating a Mississippi River-specific advocacy toolkit to help people take action with confidence
- Connecting members with experts and each other to strengthen shared understanding and strategy
- Amplifying action alerts, blogs, and media outreach from across our network so unique voices were heard
Together, these actions ensured that the Mississippi River—and all who depend on it—were not just included in the conversation but also unified and stronger together. This work is not over, and these are strategies we will continue to employ. As we continue to stand up for clean, safe water and vital wetlands, we will continue to monitor the proposed ruling and share opportunities with our supporters.
“This does not help any of the issues the basin is facing,” said Kelly McGinnis, executive director of One Mississippi, a group that advocates for the river. “Whether we’re talking water quality and pollution, trying to mitigate the impact of the more frequent floods and droughts we’re seeing — removing even more wetland protections … is devastating.”
–From the “Under new EPA rule, protections would dry up for wetlands across the Mississippi River basin” article published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tennessee Lookout, Louisiana Illuminator, WNIJ, and Arkansas Times
How To Get Involved
Join our River Citizen community to stay informed about the clean water protection, conservation issues, and opportunities to speak up for the people, land, water, and wildlife of our Mighty Mississippi! Together, we seek meaningful opportunities to engage the public and advocate for vital policies that impact the River.
Marie Risalvato
Policy Manager, One Mississippi