The Supreme Court has issued three decisions that provide critical context and guidance in determining the appropriate scope of "waters of the United States" covered by the Clean Water Act: United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc., 474 U.S. 121 (1985); Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001); and Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 (2006). 

• United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc. - December 4, 1985 (PDF)(10 pp, 169 K)
• Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps - January 9, 2001 (PDF)(39 pp, 162 K)
• Rapanos v. United States - June 19, 2006 (PDF)(104 pp, 806 K)