The mechanism. "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) is the single most consequential phrase in the Clean Water Act, because it decides which ditches, wetlands, and seasonal streams on private land require a federal Section 404 permit before a farmer can till, tile, or drain them. Every administration since Reagan has redrawn this line, and every redraw is a wealth transfer disguised as an environmental definition. A broader WOTUS means more acres classified as jurisdictional wetlands, more Army Corps permitting delay (routine individual permits can take a year-plus and tens of thousands of dollars in wetland-delineation consulting), and more farmers deciding it's cheaper to idle marginal, water-adjacent acreage than fight for a permit. Idle acres buy no seed and spread no fertilizer. The rule text never says "Corteva" or "Nutrien" — it doesn't have to. It just changes the denominator.