Over the objections of Audubon California and other conservation organizations, Congress over the weekend passed major water infrastructure legislation that included last-minute language that has the potential to undermine the Endangered Species Act and destabilize the wetland habitat that millions of birds need to survive.

The issue was difficult, because members of Congress were eager to pass the larger Water Resources Development Act that contained vital funding for projects around the country, and this controversial language was inserted into the bill in the last few days, giving representatives very little time to remove it.

More than 3,700 Audubon activists joined the chorus objecting to the language, but the language still passed.