On December 30, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the final “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States'” rule. On January 18, 2023, the rule was published in the Federal Register; the rule will be effective on March 20, 2023. 

The agencies have gone back to the 2015 version of WOTUS, but with some changes, particularly to the excluded waters. Before this new version of the rule, there were only two exclusions: prior converted cropland and wastewater treatment systems.

Click here for more information about the new rule.