Voters were informed the Congress is considering a measure that would expand the areas covered under the Clean Water Act, including to areas that are only intermittently wet. They were then provided brief arguments both pro and con on the measure and then asked whether they favored or opposed the proposal.

54% of those expressing an opinion oppose the measure, while 46% favor it, according to the survey. Among political independents, the margin was greater — 56% oppose the measure while 44% favor it.

“Americans reject the key feature of the Oberstar-Feingold proposal: Namely, that waters need not be navigable - nor even be waters - to be subject to federal regulation,” said David Ridenour, Vice President of The National Center for Public Policy Research. “It is significant that independents, who are increasingly seen as an important barometer of national mood, reject Oberstar-Feingold by a whopping 12 percentage points.”

The National Center’s survey is the second poll released in less than a week to find that a majority of Americans oppose CWRA. A poll released last week by the Western Business Roundtable found that 63% of Americans oppose the measure and 47% strongly oppose it.

The National Center poll found a majority of Americans from all regions oppose the proposed expansion of the Clean Water Act, led by the Mountain States (62%), the Farm Belt (59%), and New England (58%).

“These results are not surprising given the enormous, negative implications the Oberstar-Feingold proposal would have for farmers, ranchers, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts,” said Ridenour.

The poll was conducted by Wilson Research Strategies, which surveyed 800 registered voters who are likely to vote in the 2008 presidential election. The poll has a margin of error of 3.46% at a 95% confidence interval.

The National Center for Public Policy Research is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational foundation established in 1982.