Definition of "Waters of the United States"—Addition of an Applicability Date to 2015 Clean Water Rule.

This Final Rule of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army adds an applicability date to the "Clean Water Rule: Definition of ‘Waters of the United States" to maintain the status quo by adding an applicability date to the 2015 Rule and thus providing continuity and regulatory certainty for regulated entities, the States and Tribes, and the public while the agencies continue to consider possible revisions to the 2015 Rule. Thus the 2015 Rule will not be implemented until February 6, 2020. Until the applicability date of the 2015 Rule and subject to further action by the agencies, the agencies will continue to implement nationwide the previous regulatory definition of "waters of the United States" and will continue to interpret the statutory term "waters of the United States" to mean the waters covered by those Regulations. The original Rule was challenged by (state) court proceedings.