EPA's waters of the USA maps found

[rambler]

As I mentioned in the past, the EPA is attempting to control and regulate all waters of the USA, not just the navigable waters of the USA.

EPA is a bureaucratic entity, no one votes for or against them, they just exist and regulate laws that come down the way.

EPA is attempting to increase its power without any changes from congress, president, states.

Essentially the wording of their new rules allows EPA to control any drop of water from the time it hits the ground until it gets to the ocean. And anything touching that drop of water.

EPA head is constantly telling us this change in their policy really won't mean anything at all.

I suspect folks living in towns will have some buffer from the full force of the EPA, as the various towns won't let thrm run over everyone right away.

But, those of is in the country - homesteaders, farmers, people who love the rural life.....

Our wold will become extremely regulated and controlled under these new rules.

Just today, some maps were 'found' that the EPA had said never existed that show some 100,000 miles of streams and wetlands that would come under the EPA rule if this policy passes.

Like, the often dry stream going through your property perhaps?

http://farmfutures.com/story-epas-wa...ittee-0-116934

Congress has some small say in all this in an upcoming hearing on it.

If this is important to you, talk to your congress person, send an email.

We have many fedral and state rules and regulations in place to control erosion, pollution, stream banks, and so on already. In some areas we probably need more oversight and control of our waterways.

However, in many people's opinion, the EPA is -not- the group that should be in control of this. They are not on anyone's side here.

They will be in your back yard.

This is a real issue, and without some delays it will get decided next month.

I don't mean to be political, or stir things up, but this is very much a rural issue important to people that would use this web site. It will affect you.

Paul

[Waiting Falcon]

Some years ago one of the farmers in the area, noticed that his taxed acres were less than the year before. He got the older receipt out and compared the two. He was definitely short on land and had not sold any. He went to the tax department and wanted to know why. There was a creek /waterway going through his property and they took it off saying it belonged to the gov........ He got it put back on but I just wonder how many people do not pay attention to their tax documents and have lost their water ways without realizing it?
this is a very serious issue and it has been going on for years.
They do want to control all water , which means on your land and yes....your well.

[simi-steading]

Some timesI wish they'd come take some of my water.. I'm starting to feel like I live in a tropical rain forest.. Nothing out here ever seems to dry out..

But with that said, there's so many little creeks and streams and such out here, they could never hire enough people to keep an eye on them... They can hardly keep up with hunters in this area.. not enough DNR people... I'M NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH.. I'd be happy with a lot less..

[MO_cows]

Apparently they don't need people, Simi, didn't you see the article about the Wyoming family who put in a pond, got all their permits via the state, then EPA said it was illegal and they had to pay $75,000 per day in fines until it was removed. How did EPA find out about a small private pond in Nowhere, Wyoming? Computers reading satellite images, sweeping other databases, who knows how they find out, but they find out. The answer isn't for everyone to try and fly under their radar, it's to avoid such massive over-regulation in the first place.

ETA - the public comment period has already expired! Getting your elected rep to object on your behalf is the best that can be done now.

[where I want to]

I don't know how they did it but here all the smallest intermittent runnels are mapped , even the ones trickling under the redood canopy. It's on the goolge satellite maps. Mind you google can't get the names of the local roads right but manages to find those water ways.

[bigjon]

little creek outbk runs thru blackmuck swamp floods-floods-floods,has a watershed status&protected wetland status-yet,all us owners along this (muskrat)creek are taxed on our acreage.

[simi-steading]

I've been waiting for years and years to see how long it was before people lit their torches and found their pitchforks... I sure didn't expect the EPA to be much a part of it, but the more I watch, the more I realize it's the end run around us by the alphabet soup that's doing us in..