FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 24th, 2025
Contact: Robert Hirschfeld, Director of Water Policy, Prairie Rivers Network rhirschfeld@prairierivers.org, 217-417-3302
96 percent of Illinois wetlands could be at risk; Illinois Wetlands Protection Act needed to protect them
Illinois (April 24, 2025) — The Trump Administration has announced that it is drafting a new rule that will drastically narrow the scope of water bodies protected by the Clean Water Act. In Illinois, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Under the most damaging scenario outlined in a new Natural Resources Defense Council report, up to 96% of Illinois’ remaining wetlands–more than 970,000 acres–could lose federal Clean Water Act protections. These wetlands, which filter drinking water and buffer our communities from floods, could be drained, bulldozed, or paved over with no federal oversight.
Illinois lawmakers are already considering action. Senate Bill 2401—the Wetlands Protection Act (Senator Laura Ellman)—would create a state permitting program to protect wetlands that are no longer covered by federal law. It’s a vital step toward preserving the natural infrastructure that keeps our communities safe, especially as federal protections collapse.
“If Illinois wants to call itself a safe harbor from the threats coming out of the Trump administration, then we need to act like it,” said Robert Hirschfeld, Director of Water Policy at Prairie Rivers Network. “Wetlands shield our communities from flooding and filter our drinking water. Destroying them is both reckless and expensive.”
The new EPA rule will interpret the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision, which held that wetlands can only be federally protected under the Clean Water Act if they have a “continuous surface connection” to a traditionally navigable lake or river.
Wetlands are our first line of defense. They absorb billions of gallons of floodwater, saving billions in disaster costs. Illinois has already lost more than 85% of its original wetlands. Without SB 2401, the remainder could be wiped out.
Southern Illinois, home to some of the state’s most extensive wetland systems, is particularly vulnerable. In Gallatin County alone, nearly 1,700 individual wetlands critical for reducing floods could be destroyed without consequence. These systems protect some of the most flood-prone areas of the state.
This year, the Mississippi River was named the most endangered river in the country, driven by increasing floods and a dangerously inadequate federal response. Flowing through ten states—including Illinois—the river provides drinking water for 20 million people and sustains hundreds of communities. But decades of levee construction and wetland destruction have disconnected the river from its natural floodplains, making floods more frequent, more intense, and more damaging. In 2019, one flood event persisted for over 100 days, costing $20 billion and claiming a dozen lives.
And yet, just as this threat grows, the federal safety net is shrinking. The Trump administration is moving to cut FEMA funding and scale back disaster aid. In a future where federal support is uncertain by design, natural flood infrastructure like wetlands become indispensable to preventing catastrophe.
“While the Supreme Court narrowed what EPA can do, the agency still has tools it could use to protect wetlands and streams. But let’s be honest: under this administration, it won’t,” said Hirschfeld. “That’s why states like Illinois have to step in. We can’t sit around hoping a federal agency bent on deregulation suddenly finds its backbone. Our communities—and our water—deserve better.”
Illinois Has a Choice
As federal safeguards vanish and FEMA retreats from its mission, Illinois must take the lead. SB 2401 is a clear opportunity to protect the wetlands that protect us. The bill would restore oversight where the federal government has walked away, ensuring that our remaining wetlands aren’t lost to bulldozers and short-term profit.
Lawmakers should pass SB 2401—before the next flood makes the cost of inaction impossible to ignore.
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At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. PRN is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
