Proposed Definition of “Waters of the United States” Threatens Water Protections

MESSAGE FROM SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule on November 17 that would significantly narrow the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS), the cornerstone of federal Clean Water Act protections.  

By redefining which waters qualify for federal protection, the draft rule removes longstanding safeguards from many rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, and other critical waterways. If adopted, countless waters that communities, wildlife, and ecosystems depend on would be left vulnerable to unchecked pollution and destructive development. For Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, this could mean greater risks to clean drinking water, degraded habitat for fish and wildlife, and increased contamination flowing into the Pacific Ocean. 

The Clean Water Act has already suffered significant setbacks following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA, which sharply curtailed protections for wetlands and other waters across the United States. Instead of working to restore lost safeguards, the newly proposed WOTUS definition would deepen those rollbacks, further limiting federal authority to prevent pollution before it reaches rivers, aquifers, and coastal waters. 

This proposal also comes amid a broader pattern of proposed environmental rollbacks by the EPA. Earlier this year, the agency initiated efforts to revise wastewater standards for coal-burning power plants and reconsider Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, among other plans. The EPA has also announced plans to weaken limits on PFAS, dangerous “forever chemicals,” in drinking water and has shuttered key EPA offices responsible for addressing disproportionate pollution impacts in low-income, rural, and frontline communities. 

Together, these actions threaten to reverse more than half a century of progress toward cleaner water and healthier communities. Clean Water Act protections have been essential in reducing dangerous pollutants, restoring damaged waterways, safeguarding wetlands, and ensuring that industries cannot use rivers and streams as dumping grounds. 

Channelkeeper will be submitting detailed comments and urging EPA to restore, not dismantle, our nation’s clean water protections. We will recommend that EPA not finalize their proposed changes to the definition of WOTUS. Community members are invited to provide comments before January 5, 2026. Click below to provide comments.

SB Channelkeepers email: [email protected]

Shelby Housing Project Draft EIR released
for proposed housing site next to El Encanto Creek
north of Cathedral Oaks Rd., Goleta

The developer is proposing to encroach into the 100-foot Streamside Protection Area.

MESSAGE FROM THE CITY OF GOLETA

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Shelby Residential Project is now available online for the upcoming Environmental Officer Hearing (EHO) Meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.

Rincon Consultants has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA implementation guidelines. This NOA is being circulated pursuant to CEQA. A Draft EIR (DEIR) has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of CEQA (Public Resources Code, §§ 21000, et seq.), the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations, §§ 150000, et seq.), and the City’s Environmental Review Guidelines. The City is requesting written feedback from the public, interested organizations, and responsible trustee agencies about the scope and content of the environmental information that will be addressed in the DEIR. The DEIR will address the environmental issues discussed in the project’s initial study.

A meeting to take comments on the  Draft EIR will be held by the City Environmental Hearing Officer on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM.  

The Environmental Hearing Officer (EHO) will conduct a hybrid meeting to solicit comments on the adequacy of the analysis of the environmental issue areas, and alternatives to the Project studied within the DEIR. The Environmental Hearing Officer meeting will be held in the Goleta Council Chambers located at 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA.

ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION: Please register for Environmental Hearing Officer Meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT at: 

 https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zGonRjciS2it6KZ5G79kpg
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Webinar ID: 823 6641 9914
Passcode: 769637

A copy of the  DEIR can be found on Shelby Residential Project page here.

A copy of the Notice can be found here.

PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE  DRAFT EIR (DEIR):
The  Draft EIR is available for a 45-day public review period from November 26, 2025 - January, 2026. The  Draft EIR is available on the City’s website at:http://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/planning-and-environmental-review/ceqa-review/shelby-residential-development-project  Please limit comments to environmental issues only.

For more information about this project, contact Darryl Mimick, Supervising Planner at 805-961-7572 or via email at [email protected].  

Questions? Contact Us

New Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan Includes California Waters 

 MESSAGE FROM SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER

The U.S. Department of the Interior released a Five-Year Offshore Drilling Plan on November 20. The plan proposes six new oil and gas lease sales off the California coast—including the Santa Barbara Channel—in addition to twenty-one new lease sales in Alaska and seven lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. The six leases in federal waters off California’s Coast would be the first new lease sales since 1984. 

Channelkeeper opposes the plan to open up the California coast to new offshore oil and gas development offshore. As we know through experience, offshore drilling can lead to significant oil spills, which are catastrophic to the sensitive and biological rich Santa Barbara Channel, as well as the robust tourism and fisheries industries that are supported by these important coastal waters. 

The release of the new offshore drilling plan opened a 60-day public comment window, which will close on January 23, 2026. Because the Department of the Interior will not be holding public hearings on this significant proposal, organizations are coming together to host People’s Hearings during the public comment window to allow the community to learn about the proposal, hear from community leaders, and show support for protecting California’s coast from new offshore oil and gas development. Santa Barbara's People's Hearing is in development and currently slated for mid-January, 2026. Be on the lookout for more information as soon as details are finalized. Click here for talking points to consider as you draft your comments.

Submit comments:  https://www.regulations.gov/document/BOEM-2025-0483-0001

SB Channelkeepers email: [email protected]