Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/11pdf/10-1062.pdf
Page Number: 5.0

Cite as:  566 U. S. ____ (2012) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

guidance “on precisely how to read Congress’ limits on the
reach  of  the  Clean  Water  Act”  and  would  be  left  “to  feel 
their way on a case-by-case basis.”  Id., at 758 (concurring 
opinion).

The  Sacketts  are  interested  parties  feeling  their  way.
They  own  a  2⁄3-acre  residential  lot  in  Bonner  County, 
Idaho.  Their property lies just north of Priest Lake, but is
separated from the lake by several lots containing perma­
nent  structures.  In  preparation  for  constructing  a  house,
the  Sacketts  filled  in  part  of  their  lot  with  dirt  and  rock. 
Some months later, they received from the EPA a compli­
ance  order.  The  order  contained  a  number  of  “Findings 
and Conclusions,” including the following: 

“1.4  [The Sacketts’ property] contains wetlands with­
in  the  meaning  of  33  C. F. R.  §328.4(8)(b);  the  wet­
lands  meet  the  criteria  for  jurisdictional  wetlands  in 
the 1987 ‘Federal Manual for Identifying and Deline­
ating Jurisdictional Wetlands.’
“1.5  The  Site’s  wetlands  are  adjacent  to  Priest  Lake 
within the meaning of 33 C. F. R. §328.4(8)(c).  Priest 
Lake is a ‘navigable water’ within the meaning of sec­
tion  502(7)  of  the  Act,  33  U. S. C.  §1362(7),  and  ‘wa­
ters  of  the  United  States’  within  the  meaning  of  40 
C. F. R. §232.2.
“1.6  In  April  and  May,  2007,  at  times  more  fully 
known to [the Sacketts, they] and/or persons acting on 
their  behalf  discharged  fill  material  into  wetlands  at 
the Site.  [They] filled approximately one half acre. 
 . 

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“1.9  By  causing  such  fill  material  to  enter  waters  of 
the  United  States,  [the  Sacketts]  have  engaged,  and 
are  continuing  to  engage,  in  the  ‘discharge  of  pollu­
tants’  from  a  point  source  within  the  meaning  of  sec­
tions  301  and  502(12)  of  the  Act,  33  U. S. C.  §§1311 
and 1362(12). 

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