National, Oklahoma Cattle Groups Press EPA for Clear WOTUS Rules
Ranchers seek consistency as EPA revisits federal water definition
National and state cattle organizations are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt an easy-to-understand Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition, arguing that decades of regulatory confusion have placed unnecessary burdens on agricultural producers.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), joined by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, recently submitted formal comments to the EPA as the agency works to revise the WOTUS rule under the Clean Water Act.
Industry groups call for clarity after decades of legal battles
In their comments, the cattle groups emphasized that producers need regulatory certainty after more than half a century of shifting interpretations and court rulings.
“America’s cattlemen need an easy-to-understand WOTUS definition that allows for straightforward implementation, and the Agencies have taken significant strides toward achieving this goal,” the organizations wrote, according to the Oklahoma Farm Report.
The groups pointed to the long-running legal disputes between federal agencies and the U.S. Supreme Court over which waterways fall under federal jurisdiction, describing it as a “jurisdictional tug-of-war” that has left landowners uncertain about compliance obligations.
Clean Water Act application remains a central concern
The cattle associations stressed that producers are not seeking deregulation, but rather consistency and practicality in how the Clean Water Act is applied.
“After over 50 years of jurisdictional tug-of-war between the Supreme Court and the Agencies, regulated stakeholders want nothing more than consistency in the Clean Water Act’s application,” the comments stated.
According to the groups, unclear definitions can complicate everyday ranch operations, including grazing, fencing, water access, and land improvements, particularly in rural states like Oklahoma, Texas, and other major cattle-producing regions.
Producers want a rule they can actually follow
In their filing, the organizations urged the EPA to finalize a WOTUS definition that producers can interpret without legal assistance or fear of enforcement surprises.
“In the final rule, cattle producers need a practical and interpretable WOTUS definition,” the groups concluded.
The EPA has not yet announced a final timeline for completing the revised WOTUS rule, but the outcome is expected to have broad implications for agriculture, energy development, infrastructure projects, and land use nationwide.
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