California Surveyors Forums

The ruling last month by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enormous ramifications for the health of the nation’s waterways. In fact, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to call Sackett the most important water-related Supreme Court decision in a generation. Unfortunately, a majority of the justices used the case as a tool for dramatically weakening the Clean Water Act—by deciding for themselves, without any scientific support whatsoever, what wetlands deserve protection from pollution and destruction.

Here is a breakdown: https://reason.com/volokh/2023/05/25/in ... -wetlands/

I once used a GLO map and instructions from the 1855 Manual to dispute the historical existence of a "drainage channel". Interestingly, nearby creeks to the west and east were shown on the map as well as the old Mission Trail from Santa Cruz to San Juan Bautista. But no "drainage channel" in my focus area. Very convincing.