Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2005

H.R. 1356, the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2005, seeks to expand the scope of federal protection over American waterways by replacing the legal term "navigable waters" with a broader definition titled "waters of the United States." This change would explicitly grant the federal government regulatory authority over various bodies of water regardless of their size or flow, including intermittent streams, wetlands, ponds, and prairie potholes. For citizens, this would mean that activities affecting these specific types of water—such as land development, farming, or industrial discharge—would be subject to federal permits and standards under the Clean Water Act. The bill's primary objective is to ensure that all waters with a geographical or ecological connection to the nation's water system receive consistent federal environmental protections.