Supreme Court scales back clean water protections. What does it mean for California?

LOS ANGELES — The Supreme Court’s landmark decision scaling back federal protections for many wetlands and streams has drawn criticism from scientists and environmental advocates, who say the gutting of safeguards will jeopardize water quality throughout the arid West.

California’s water regulators say the ruling will be harmful for protections nationwide, but the more stringent state protections of wetlands won’t be affected.

To examine the implications of the ruling, the L.A. Times spoke with Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, about the potential effects of limiting federal protections under the Clean Water Act and how the board will continue to regulate wetlands and streams under the state’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.

Esquivel stressed that because more than 90% of California’s wetlands have already been drained and destroyed, strong protections for those that remain are vital. He said California’s stringent protections will continue to safeguard wetlands