October Term 2005 · Docket 04-1527
Does water passing through a dam count as a discharge under the Clean Water Act?
S. D. Warren argues water moving through its dams is not a discharge. Maine and the United States argue it is a discharge.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Mr. Rowe argued the water flow through the dams is a discharge.
Mr. Kayatta argued the river is a single body of water.
Mr. Minear argued the term discharge means flowing out.
Justice Scalia asked if the water is unchanged below the dam.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-17 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 9-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 47-54 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 47-54
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-11 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 39-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-13
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case tests whether water flowing through a dam is a discharge. This status triggers state water-quality certification requirements.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 21, 2006.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 5-15
What each side wants
S. D. Warren wants the Court to rule that water passing through its dams is not a discharge.
Maine and the United States want the Court to rule that water passing through the dams is a discharge.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
What each side says
S. D. Warren argues the river is a single body of water. It claims moving water through a dam is not a discharge into that same body.
Maine and the United States argue the term discharge means flowing out. They claim operating the dams results in a discharge into navigable waters.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
What the justices asked
Justice Stevens asked if the water has a slightly different chemical composition.
Chief Justice Roberts asked if the water is a discharge even if it is the same water.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-17 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 9-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 47-54 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 47-54
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-11 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 39-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-13
Why it matters
The outcome determines whether states can require water-quality certifications for hydropower dams. This affects how states regulate water quality near dams.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 9-17 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 9-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 47-54 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 47-54
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-11 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 39-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 43-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-13
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 32, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 35-5 — Transcript, file page 51, lines 35-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 19-3 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 19-3
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.