Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it was repealing a controversial federal rule known as Waters of the United States. or WOTUS.

Implemented during the Obama administration, WOTUS gave the federal government the power to regulate much more land in the U.S. be redefining a "navigable" waterway. The rule also forced farmers, ranchers, fruit growers, and other rural land owners to seek federal permission to make any changes to their property.

Digging a drainage ditch or filling in a ditch where water no longer collected without EPA approval could bring heavy fines or even jail time.

The rule paralyzed rural land owners. National Center for Public Policy Research Senior Fellow Dr. Bonner Cohen says the threat of government reprisal turned the rule into the "Sword of Damocles" for land owners.

In this podcast. Dr. Cohen explains the drastic changes made by the Obama administration and the impact of the Trump administration's forthcoming repeal.