As a fifth-generation rancher and farmer with kids and grand-kids who also farm, I am very glad to see the Environmental Protection Agency’s long-overdue clean-water rule – “Waters of the U.S.” Clean, reliable water resources are, of course, the lifeblood of agriculture. But farmers and ranchers like myself across the arid West not only pay close attention to how these resources are protected and managed, but also to the water policies and regulations themselves. While the Clean Water Act has been enormously successful since its passage in 1972, recent decisions by the Supreme Court had arbitrarily rolled it back to just waters deemed “navigable.” Few understood either the rationale or applicability of this ill-advised move. The new clean-water rule addresses this problem by accounting for the bodies of water that directly feed into America’s water supplies. It also maintains exemptions for agriculture engaged with producing our food and fiber, however. The new rule therefore represents a win-win for everyone. It ensures cleaner water for Americans and rural communities and common-sense, straightforward guidelines for agriculture. Since my own ranch is at the headwaters of the Conejos River in southern Colorado, I know, first-hand, the critical need for both of these worthy goals. The new clean-water rule has been a long time in the coming.
Alfonso Abeyta
Antonito
