These data represent geographic terms used within the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA establishes the basic structure for regulating the addition of pollutants (discharges) into waters of the United States, a three mile territorial sea, a 12 mile contiguous zone, and the ocean. The goal of the CWA is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. This data includes two component boundaries, which delineate the seaward extent of various parts of the CWA. The boundary of a three mile territorial sea and 12 mile contiguous zone are relevant to application of various discharge standards associated with vessels or other floating craft, that vary depending on operational status. As referenced within the CWA, these two boundaries are based on the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, and not the contemporary extent of these respective boundaries. While the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is not specified with the CWA, it is denoted here for illustrative purposes. The CWA does not include inland waters because 1) it is difficult to properly identify the nationwide extent of all inland water bodies, and 2) there is current litigation with EPA of such water bodies falling under the jurisdiction of the CWA. When investigating geo-regulatory boundaries near the boundary edges, users should consult the most up-to-date applicable jurisdictional boundaries from all respective authoritative sources.

Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/federal-water-pollution-control-act-508full.pdf Date enacted: April 30, 1948 Codification: 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq. Authority: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency