Senate Bill 787, the Clean Water Resonation Act, is designed to "clarify" the jurisdiction of the federal government over the waters of the United States. The proposed clarification in S. 787 would remove the term "navigable" from the language of the original Clean Water Act of 1972, effectively giving the federal government jurisdiction over all surface water in the country.

According to U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the deletion of that single word - "navigable"-could facilitate "the largest federal land grab in our nation's history." By controlling all water (think intermittent streams and large puddles in fields after it rains), the federal government can control land use. We have come a long way since 1972 and we've still got work to do to preserve and protect our water, but we can do it without what Hutchison correctly describes as "an egregious infringement of private–property rights."

I vehemently object to this proposition. As a citizen, I feel this Federal Land Grab is fundamentally wrong. They have no right to take private property because I have a pond, or even a puddle on it. But beyond my outrage as a citizen, I have serious concerns as a professional in the real estate industry. As a title insurance agent, I understand that this change would create huge problems in the transfer and insurance of real property in the United States, further impeding home ownership and debiliating an already suffering section of our economy.

Please contact your Senators and tell them what you think of Senate Bill 787.

Please also contact The Environmental Works Committee at 202-224-6176.  They do not want this bill and are tabulating the support against it.