Navigable Waters Protection Rule Creates Controversy For Oklahoma Farmers

President Trump is redefining which bodies of water the federal government can regulate, giving more power to the states.

One rancher said this is means less government regulation and more freedom, told News on 6 it'll be detrimental to the environment.

Katie Plohocky started R&G Family Farm ten years ago to help grow food and stock her nonprofit mobile grocery store.

A self-described small farmer, she said hearing about President Trump's new rule to rollback federal protection on waterways is alarming.

"It's very disturbing to me because this is going to provide corporate farmers and developers of land to poison our waterways," said Plohocky with R&G Family Farm.

The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule replaces the Waters of the United States rule passed in 2015.

It narrows down the definition of waters that are federally protected by the Clean Water Act to navigable bodies of water, meaning now millions of miles of small waterways aren't under federal regulation.

Rancher Matt Boyer, who owns Beacon Hill Ranch near Vinita, thinks it's a win for private landowners.

"The new version is one of the greatest things that can happen to agriculture in the past few years," said Matt Boyer with Beacon Hill Ranch.

The EPA said before this, landowners were confused and often had to consult attorneys on whether water on their land was theirs or the governments.

"Any water on your property becomes a federal jurisdiction," Boyer said.

Boyer doesn't think it'll bring environmental impact, but Plohocky believes it will give anyone a right to dump pollutants into the water on their land.

"As a small farmer it doesn't benefit me at all," Plohocky said. "We use water to irrigate our crops, to feed our livestock, and when that poison comes in it makes me not able to farm."

The rule takes effect in March.