The lessons on Waters of the United States, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, and Water Quality Standards covered the important issues of what waters are protected by the Clean Water Act and how those waters are protected from pollution. But none of these issues matter if the public can’t access and use any of the protected waters. In this lesson, you’ll learn about the public trust doctrine, which guarantees the public the right to access waterways and the beach.

Public Trust...