When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case about an Idaho couple’s ability to build their dream home near a lake in the region, it significantly narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act — and how much the Environmental Protection Agency could regulate the nation’s wetlands.
While Arizona doesn't have a ton of wetlands, experts say that the decision could still severely hamper any federal regulation of development along the ephemeral streams, of which Arizona is full.
Tony Davis is an environmental reporter for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and he’s reporting that the ruling may be a big win for two major projects in southern Arizona that have been tied up for a long time, partially because of the Clean Water Act.