Water: Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds
Laws, Regulations, Treaties
Related Links: General Water Laws | Wetlands | Oceans, Coasts, & Estuaries | Watersheds
Key federal statutes governing water resources in the United States
The Clean Water Act (CWA); 33 U.S.C. s/s 121 et seq. (1977)
The Clean Water Act is a 1977 amendment to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, which set the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); 43 U.S.C. s/s 300f et seq. (1974)
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
Amended through the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) of 1990 and P.L. 104-150, The Coastal Zone Protection Act of 1996Summary of Section 6217, The Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found.
Full text
Rivers & Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899
Section 10 establishes a program to regulate activities affecting navigation in United States waters, including wetlands.
Text of Section 10 (33 U.S.C. 403)
Army Corps of Engineers, Section 10 Program (PDF) (1 pg, 16.4K)
National Environmental Policy Act
NEPA is the basic national charter for protection of the environment. It establishes policy, sets goals, and provides means for carrying out the policy.National Environmental Policy Act summary and full text
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention 16 USC 1001
Refuse Act of 1899, navigable waters 33 USC 407
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (Ocean Dumping)
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 [broken link]
Search other Federal Laws related to Clean Water
Search other Federal Laws related to Coastal, Wetlands, Rivers, and Land Protection
Summaries and text of Other Major Environmental Laws
The Clean Air Act; Superfund; The Emergency Planning & Community Right-To-Know Act; The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act; The Freedom of Information Act; The Occupational Safety and Health Act; The Oil Pollution Act of 1990; The Pollution Prevention Act; The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act; The Toxic Substances Control Act.
Thomas Legislative Information on the Internet
Available from the Library of Congress is a resource providing access to current legislation, uncompiled Public Laws, the Congressional Record, committee information, and information about the legislative process
The Federal Register,Congressional Record, Congressional Bills and other Federal Government information are available online via GPO Access, a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO)
Browse Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations