For more than four decades, the Clean Water Act has worked as a strong partnership between the federal government and the states. The EPA's new definition of federal waters would force property owners to prove that large mud puddles and ditches on their property shouldn’t be federally regulated. I have been speaking with local farmers, land owners, and employers in my district, and they know they will now be facing higher legal fees, increased costs for doing business, and pressure to reduce hiring. Some say the EPA rule could run them out of business.