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The 1972 Clean Water Act is a central piece of federal legislation that forms the cornerstone of water quality regulation in the US today, and it's being chipped away. First, the Sackett decision removed many wetlands and small streams from protection, and then subsequent changes to the definition of Water of the US (WOTUS) provided detail and codified the decsion in law. Now there are two bills before Congress ( the PERMIT Act and SPEED Act bills) that seek to limit the government's ability to regulate sources of water pollution. As of April 1, 2026, the U.S. House has passed both the PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898) and the SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), aimed at accelerating federal reviews under NEPA and the Clean Water Act. These bills focus on shortening lawsuit timelines, limiting environmental review scope, and enhancing electronic permitting. These bills are now in the US Senate.
You can also send letters to your US Senators, letting them know about your concerns. LWV UMRR's "Take Action" page includes information on how to reach your Senators. Text of the letters sent to US Senators in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri:
The purpose of this letter is to share concerns from the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region (UMRR) and League of Women Voters of Minnesota, on two proposed laws: the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act (PERMIT Act) and the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED Act). UMRR represents more than sixty local Leagues throughout the five states of the Upper Mississippi Basin – Minnesota (MN), Wisconsin (WI), Iowa (IA), Illinois (IL), and Missouri (MO). We work through education and advocacy to ensure sound policies that protect water quality and quantity in the Mississippi River Basin. Both the PERMIT Act and the SPEED Act are currently being considered in the Senate and could generate sweeping changes to long-standing federal environmental protections, particularly under the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. These laws have served for decades as foundational safeguards protecting water quality, ecosystems, public health, and democratic participation in environmental decision-making. Our concerns are as follows: PERMIT Act The PERMIT Act was developed to streamline infrastructure and energy projects by accelerating environmental reviews under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and reducing red tape for construction, agriculture, and energy projects by shortening review timelines. This includes:
The PERMIT Act’s proposed narrowing of protected waters and extension of permit durations would significantly weaken federal oversight of discharges and dredge-and-fill activities. This poses heightened risks to Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater systems, which are central to the state’s economy, outdoor heritage, and drinking water supply. Reduced EPA authority and shortened timelines for legal challenges would limit accountability and public recourse, potentially allowing harmful projects to proceed without adequate review. Of particular concern is the reduced liability for contaminants such as PFAS, which are persistent chemicals linked to serious health and environmental harms. SPEED Act: The SPEED Act proposes actions to streamline review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for projects and permitting of federal infrastructure and energy projects. The changes include:
Together, the PERMIT and the SPEED Acts could accelerate fossil fuel infrastructure development while weakening environmental safeguards designed to prevent pollution, protect water resources, and ensure informed public participation. For the Upper Mississippi River Region—home to extensive freshwater systems, Tribal treaty-protected resources, and climate-vulnerable ecosystems—the implications are particularly serious. Given the scale of the proposed regulatory changes and their potential to affect water quality, public health, climate stability, and community oversight nationwide, these issues warrant careful scrutiny and deliberate consideration by the Senate. We urge you to oppose the passage of PERMIT and SPEED Acts to prevent the potentially disastrous outcomes to the environment and climate change. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have been dubbed emerging contaminants of concern in the Mississippi River Basin and beyond. These synthetic chemicals have been widely used in everyday products such as nonstick pans and waterproof fabrics since the 1950s. They’ve also been a key ingredient in industrial applications such as firefighting foam. Today, Wisconsin is passing legislation to address them. PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to the bond between their carbon and fluorine atoms. While this strength may help repel water, grease, and oil from our goods, it also makes it difficult to remove PFAS from our bodies. This poses a high health risk as studies show links between contamination and cancer, fertility issues, development delays, and more. In Wisconsin, bills addressing PFAS have been under debate for years. The state is one of several in the Upper Mississippi River Region facing a widespread presence of the chemicals. In 2019 Starkweather Creek, a Madison waterbody near the Dane County Regional Airport and Truax Field Air National Guard Base, had the highest levels of PFOA (43 ppt) and PFOS (270 ppt) out of all Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tested waters. In 2023, a survey found that 71% of shallow private wells across Wisconsin contained PFAS.
cause it or were in compliance with a prior permit and are willing to allow the DNR to perform remediation at their expense.
Assembly Bill 131 creates several new PFAS grant programs, including funds for municipal water supply testing, well reconstruction, treatment technology, emergency bottled drinking water, and more. Notably, the bill also seeks to finance long-term studies, including one to “analyze the migration of PFAS into the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries”. The bipartisan legislation is set to be signed by Governor Evers in the coming weeks. He celebrated the state’s success in a recent press release, saying “I’ve always believed that every Wisconsinite should have access to clean drinking water that’s free of harmful pollutants, which is why I’ve spent seven years working to clean up our water and get contaminants out of our water supplies for good, including PFAS, which has been a top priority for my administration from the get-go. Today is the culmination of years of work by my administration and marks a historic win for the people of Wisconsin and the health and safety of our kids, families, and communities. It’s a great day for Wisconsin.” On October 28, LWV UMRR hosted a discussion on the protection of public waters through education, restorative action and litigation. The video of this program follows. In this video, you will learn how the Upper Mississippi River Driftless Area was formed (not by glaciers!) and how this unique landform is susceptible to pollution from CAFOs and modern row crop practices that threaten our public waters. And learn, too, about new efforts underway to bring about change. This program is both educational and inspirational! This video features Cameron Aker from Trout Unlimited talking about water protection in the Karst region through education and cooperative projects, and Jim Larew from Driftless Water Defenders talking about the litigation they are doing to put more teeth into protecting water. Jim Larew's talk starts at about 31 minutes in the video, and a summary is available on the LWV UMRR blog at this link. Trout Unlimited is a conservation group working with land owners to restore trout habitat. Their Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE) focuses on restoring trout streams with an added side benefit of improving water quality and diversity of other creatures besides trout. They do this by working with private landowners, farmers, conservation advocates and government agencies to restore and conserve our cold-water resources. Cameron Aker, Trout Unlimited's Engagement Coordinator, will talk about the geology, agricultural practices and cold-water resources in the Driftless Region and similar karst landscapes in Missouri. Like the Driftless Area, Missouri's Ozark region is characterized by thin topsoil and exhibits sinkholes, streams that sink into the ground and extensive caves. Jim Larew is with Driftless Water Defenders, a group that started in Iowa and and is shaking up the water world there. Driftless Water Defenders is a non-profit Iowa environmental law and advocacy organization founded in May 2024 and focused on reducing farm-related water pollution and pollution-caused threats to public health in the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa, and statewide. The DWD got started because some Iowans decided enough is enough, and it’s time to confront head-on industrialized agriculture’s assault on our water resources. Driftless Water Defenders is intent on changing public policy, engaging citizens and, when necessary, litigating matters to protect and enhance Iowans’ access to clean water for personal, business and recreational purposes. Driftless Water Defenders manages a comprehensive program of focused litigation, persistent public engagement, and effective fund-raising to accomplish its mission.
Cameron Aker, Engagement Coordinator, Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration
conservation focused groups, including Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association. Cameron and his wife Vivian live in Ames, Iowa. They enjoy hiking, canoeing, camping, and many trips to the beautiful Driftless Region of Iowa together. Cameron also enjoys hunting, fly fishing, and fly tying, whenever possible. Cameron started with Trout Unlimited in mid-April of 2024 and is connecting Trout Unlimited with many partner groups and visiting potential project sites with landowners. Cameron has also been working with the Iowa Trout Unlimited Chapters to build momentum with the Wise H2O project on water quality and listening to concerns and ideas around member engagement. Cameron was a guest on the Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast - click here to listen in and learn about his work! Cameron's talk starts at about 39 minutes. James Larew, Esq. - Registered agent for Driftless Water Defenders and Attorney at law
From 2007-2011, Jim was called to serve as General Counsel to Iowa Governor Chet Culver, and also served as Policy Director and Chief of Staff in the Office of Governor.
Upon his return to private practice, Jim expanded his general law practice in Iowa City to include an office in Des Moines. He broadened the focus of his law practice to include advocating for the interest of Iowa policy holders against insurance companies who acted in bad faith; against environmental polluters; and against owners of nursing homes and care facilities who injured residents through indifference or neglect. Data Centers and other large water users... looking at more effective groundwater governance3/5/2025
development while maintaining a sustainable water supply, and specifically managing groundwater for the long term. Data centers are growing especially quickly - there are already 400 data centers in the five Upper Mississippi River Basin states, and many more are proposed throughout the region.  These data centers provide cloud storage, AI servers and cryptocurrency mining services. Their energy use is intensive, and many propose to use water for cooling. Data center builders look for areas with reasonable land costs, a stable power grid with good interconnections, water for cooling, and a favorable regulatory environment. With them come concerns about water use, power demand and environmental factors such as noise and light pollution. Carrie Jennings will address the question: How can we support economic development while ensuring water availability to support communities and the environment into the future?
Thirty million acres of unprotected wetlands in the upper Midwest, including over 640,000 in Iowa and 1 million in Illinois, are at risk of being destroyed, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. These same wetlands provide nearly $23 billion in annual flood mitigation benefits and have the potential to provide hundreds of billions of dollars of mitigation benefits as climate change increases precipitation across the region." The Iowa Farmers Union, Iowa Environmental Council, Dakota Rural Action, and Food & Water Watch were approved to intervene in this federal lawsuit in Iowa District Court. Read more about this here.  Retired Chicago lawyer James Conlan, owner of the 71-acre Iowa farm property seen here, has sued to overturn a voluntary federal wetland conservation program called Swampbuster. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) Our speakers were Katie Garvey, Staff Attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago, and Elle Gadient, Delaware County Farmer & Iowa Farmers Union Beginning Farmer Representative. Katie is representing members of the Iowa Farmers Union who formally entered the case as intervenors earlier this month. It marks the first time farmers directly implicated in the lawsuit will be involved. Elle and her husband, Steve Besler, are two of those farmers. In our video, you will hear about the case, their views of the merits of the case and what's at stake if the law is abolished. Katie discusses how the Swampbuster lawsuit threatens federal wetlands protection as well as the foundations of American farm policy, and Elle followed up with her experience as a first-time farmer trying to get a foothold in a landscape where corporate farms dominate. Elle believes that "Iowa farmland should be owned and managed by Iowa farmers and that our farmland and watersheds need to be protected for the future, for Iowans, for the environment, and for those downstream from us. These small streams and local watersheds eventually flow into the Mississippi River." Katie Garvey (photo ELPC) Besler-Gadient farm (photo Chicago Tribune) Elle Gadient (photo Forbes)
 Besler-Gadient Farm (photo Elle Gadient) Two recent stories reported in the December Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Snapshots newsletter focus on success: success in cleaning up lakes by working to reduce phosphorus inflows in their watersheds, and success in the growth of climate-smart agriculture practices.
With help from a grant from the Mississippi River Network, LWV UMRR and artist Christine Curry will be showing up at venues up and down the river with this display. Come and see it when it's in your area! Here's a partial list - sign up to get updates as we travel!  Friday, April 12-20: Pure Iowa Water—Pop Art Exhibit Opening Reception Friday, April 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Galena Public Library, Galena, Illinois. Exhibit remains on display until April 20th. For more details, click here. Monday, April 22-23: Pure Iowa Water—Pop Art Exhibit will be at the Musser Public Library in Muscatine, Iowa with a special Earth Day program starting at 6 p.m., Monday, April 22nd. For more details, click here. Wednesday, April 24-25: Pure Iowa Water—Pop Art Exhibit will be at the Environmental Learning Center in Muscatine, Iowa, with a special presentation at Thursday, April 25th at 10 a.m. For more details, click here. Many more dates to come, from St. Paul to St. Louis! Sign up to get updates and come see the exhibit when it comes to a river town near you! ILLINOIS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!  Of the streams that Illinois EPA has assessed for water quality conditions from 2020–2022:
This campaign that aims to change the way Illinois thinks about and cares for its water. Starting in southern Illinois and working their way north, PRN will support downstream communities by listening to their concerns and helping to identify and implement locally-informed solutions and financial resources. Through these efforts, PRN will support communities as they build climate resiliency and advance their vision for the future. Clean Water Forever starts with telling the truth about the water quality crisis in the Midwest and ends with finding long-term solutions to protect Illinois communities. Robert Hirschfeld is the Director of Water Policy for the Prairie Rivers Network. The Prairie Rivers Network is based in Champaign, Illinois.
Illinois’ communities, rivers, and habitat. He also works on many of PRN’s communications and social media campaigns, and he produces videos and podcasts. Background: Robert joined PRN in March 2011. Before joining the professional staff, Robert was a legal intern for PRN, working on Clean Water Act compliance and enforcement. Robert sometimes dabbles in music. Education: B.A. in religion and Asian studies from the University of Puget Sound and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law About the Prairie Rivers Network:
The Prairie Rivers Network works to protect water, heal land and inspire change, using the creative power of science, law, and collective action. Prairie Rivers Network is the independent, state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. You can read the PRN 2020-2024 Strategic Plan for more information on their mission and vision for Illinois’ rivers and streams. Here are links to information about PRN's organization: MISSION & HISTORY ACCOMPLISHMENTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS STAFF
Our guest speaker was Rob Lee, staff attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates (bio below). Rob provided a brief history of the Clean Water Act (CWA) prior to 2015 regulations defining Water of the US (WOTUS), and the 2020 Navigable Water Protection Rule. He followed this up discussing the May 2023 Supreme Court Ruling and the now revised regulations just issued by US EPA and the Corps of Engineers with a final revised definition of Waters of the US. Following Rob's remarks, LWV UMRR's Gretchen Sabel presented information on the status of wetland regulation in the UMRR states based on a 2022 analysis by the Environmental Law Institute, followed by a look at LWV positions that relate to actions supporting strong implementation of the CWA. The program wrapped up with a discussion period led by LWV UMRR Chair Mary Ellen Miller.  Priest Lake in Idaho; photo NBC News You'll find more information on the Sackett decision here and here on the LWV UMRR blog. Here's a link to an excelllent blog article by Jared Mott of the Izaak Walton League that also provides background. 
 Photo credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The implications of this decision will vary by state, depending on how the state regulates ephemeral waters. (Ephemeral waters are waters that present in wet times but vanish in dry times. A permanent wetland can be isolated in dry times, but connected to a lake, river or stream in wet times.) The author of this blog post checked State Departments of Agriculture in the five states now part of the LWV UMRR family. Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Minnesota had no mention of the Sackett decision as of May 29. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, applauded the decision as bringing needed certainty to farmers. In states where state regulations do not prohibit removing isolated wetlands or preserving ephemeral watercourses, it's reasonable to think that there will be significant pressure to develop or farm in these areas. Even if something like this is allowed now, those who do the developing and farming will still face the reality that water 'seeks its own level', meaning that in large rainfall events or wet seasons these areas will again be inundated and the water will need to be dealt with. Where will this water go?
The Minnesota is degraded by excess nutrients and sediments that erode streambanks and bury aquatic habitat. The increased flow in the river due to the drainage of the extensive wetlands that covered the land before European settlement has caused significant damage to the river.  Th is has led to the Minnesota being not only a major source of nutrient pollution to the Mississippi, but also being "a river where aquatic life struggles."  Rivers and streams across the Midwest are similarly degraded. The Sackett decision can lead to more drainage and more development. This expansion will alter the hydrology, leading to two major concerning outcomes. One will be reducing the time that water has to sink into the soil and replenish groundwater; the other will be the direct discharge of more runoff to surface waters, making them hotter and dirtier. (Want to learn more about the role of groundwater in the hydrologic cycle? Read here.) Hotter and dirtier water will mean more struggles for aquatic life, and less 'fishable and swimmable' waters overall.
Now that the federal government has opened this door, it will be up to individuals, local governments and state leaders across the country to decide how protected our waters will be for the foreseeable future. |
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