Great Lakes Article:

Editorial: Time to fix the water act to protect nation's wetlands
Detroit Free Press
Published December 6, 2007

It has been 1 1/2 years since the U.S. Supreme Court muddled through a decision on wetlands that only muddied these vital waters.

Only Congress can restore clarity. That process starts with a hearing today in the U.S. House on a bill to improve oversight of wetlands.

Its chief cosponsors are U.S. Reps. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, an indicator of how important it is to Michigan -- and to any state that counts on wetlands to sponge up storm water, filter out contaminants, and provide nurseries, shelter and food for fish and waterfowl.

Known as the Clean Water Restoration Act, the bill makes clear that all waters of the United States are subject to scrutiny for environmental purposes. It removes the word "navigable" -- the source of all the court controversy -- so that opponents of wetlands regulation no longer can argue that certain inland areas don't ever contribute to the quality of major bodies of water.

In Michigan, almost every bit of land eventually drains into the Great Lakes or seeps rainfall downward to groundwater that feeds the lakes. Maintaining good water quality and storm water control here demands that just about all proposed changes to wetlands be examined for potential downstream impact.

This should not be a partisan issue. But other than Ehlers, no Republican in Michigan's House delegation is among the 172 cosponsors. All of the Democrats have signed on, and both of Michigan's senators are cosponsors of a similar bill in their chamber.

Even though the value of wetlands to Great Lakes water quality here seems obvious, the Supreme Court ruling came in two Michigan cases. Michiganders need to be clear with their representatives that they want solid wetlands protections restored.