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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed changes to the water quality standards (WQS) regulation to improve its effectiveness in helping restore and maintain the Nation's waters. The core of the current WQS regulation has been in place since 1983. Since then, a number of issues have been raised by stakeholders or identified by the EPA in the implementation process that will benefit from clarification and greater specificity. The proposed rule addresses the following six key areas: 1) Administrator's determination that new or revised WQS are necessary, 2) designated uses, 3) triennial review requirements, 4) antidegradation, 5) variances to water quality standards, and 6) compliance schedule authorizing provisions. These revisions will allow the EPA, States and authorized tribes to better achieve program goals by providing clearer more streamlined requirements to facilitate enhanced water resource protection.