Taylor Walters - April 14, 2026: Clean Water Act (Outside Reading Entry)

Since we've been talking a lot about water lately, I wanted to read more about policies involving water. Based on an article from History.com, the Clean Water Act, which passed in 1972, was basically the foundation of water pollution regulation in the United States. Before it existed, industries could dump waste directly into rivers and lakes with almost no consequences. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio actually caught fire multiple times because it was so polluted with industrial chemicals (who knew a river could catch on fire!!). I believe this incident was what finally pushed Congress to help. The Clean Water Act made it illegal to discharge pollutants into navigable water without a permit and I think that a lot of American waterways are much cleaner today because of it. What really stuck with me is how some people are still opposed to it! There have been ongoing legal battles about what actually counts as "navigable waters" and falls under federal protection. It made me realize that environmental protections are never really permanent, especially since we've been discussing how water is being treated as a privilege rather than a public resource.