Law Commons^™

Slides: New Era Of Water Banking And Refined "Water Accounting", Bonnie Colby

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Professor Bonnie Colby, Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona

23 slides

Plain Meaning, Precedent, And Metaphysics: Interpreting The “Navigable Waters” Element Of The Federal Water Pollution Offense, Jeffrey G. Miller

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Article, the third in a series of five, examines the meaning of “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act. It traces the traditional judicial interpretation of navigable waters and how Congress and EPA attempted to extend its meaning, then examines how the term has been applied in the context of tributaries and wetlands, isolated waters, groundwater, and EPA’s unitary theory of navigable waters. The author then analyzes EPA and the Corps’ 2014 proposed amendments to the definition of “waters of the United States,” and concludes that those amendments may resolve much of the interpretive crisis.

White Mountain Apache Water Rights Quantification Settlement Judgment And Decree, Superior Court Of Apache County, Az.

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Post- Settlement Court Decree, White Mountain Apache Water Rights Quantification Settlement Judgment and Decree, Parties: WMAT, White Mountain Apache Tribe, AZ, Arizona, USA, United States of America,, Arizona Water Company, Buckeye Irrigation Company, Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District, CAWDC, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, City of Avalon, City of Chandler, City of Glendale, City of Mesa, City of Peoria, City of Phoenix, City of Show Low, City of Scottsdale, City of Tempe, Town of Gilbert, RWCD, Roosevelt Water Conservation District, SRP, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, Salt River Valley Water Users' Association,

Quantification of WMAT rights …

Slides: Oil, Gas And Water: Addressing Water Quantity And Quality Concerns, Laura Belanger

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

Presenter: Laura Belanger, P.E., Water Resources Engineer, Western Resource Advocates

14 slides

2014 Martz Summer Conference Poster Session, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment, University Of Colorado Boulder. Airwatergas Sustainability Research Network

Water and Air Quality Issues in Oil and Gas Development: The Evolving Framework of Regulation and Management (Martz Summer Conference, June 5-6)

1 page.

This Conference is presented by the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment, in conjunction with the Air-Water-Gas Sustainability Research Network. Technological advances for extracting oil and gas from shale deposits have ushered in a new era of energy development in key resource-rich pockets throughout the US. In this event, we review the ongoing efforts of governments and industry to develop the regulatory and management practices necessary to protect water and air resources, drawing on the latest scientific research to tackle areas of uncertainty and to inform future action.

Slides: Best Management Practices For Oil And Gas Development And Comparative Water Quality Database Of Regulations Relating To Shale Oil And Gas, Matt Samelson, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Presenter: Matt Samelson, J.D., Attorney, Consultant for Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices (BMP) Project, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School

34 slides

Scientific, Legal, And Ethical Foundations For Texas Water Law., Gabriel Eckstein, Amy Hardberger

Faculty Articles

Water law is the field of law concerned with the ownership, control, and use of water resources, both surface and subsurface. Although most closely related to property law, recent developments in other legal fields, especially in environmental law, have heavily influenced the interpretation, application, and development of water law. As a result, water law today encompasses a broad perspective and often takes into account individual and community rights, environmental issues, commerce and economics, and other societal and legal concerns. Significantly, modern water law is also an interdisciplinary practice. In light of the continuously expanding body of knowledge of the hydrologic …

Texas Groundwater And Tragically Stable “Crossovers”, Zachary A. Bray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

One recurring question in the academic literature on common-pool resources relates to the persistence of “tragic” commons regimes—systems that encourage, or at least tolerate, the inefficient, wasteful, hazardous, or unfair exploitation of a resource that is easily accessed for and diminished by individual use and consumption. Of course, not all commons are tragic: some common-pool resources invite individual access in efficient, fair, and durable ways. Yet many commonly held resources do lie under systems of governance that are not just tragic but persistently and stubbornly so. Often the tragic aspects of such commons regimes are well known; indeed, for some …

Partial Final Judgment And Decree Of The Water Rights Of The Navajo Nation, 11th Judicial District Court, San Juan County, New Mexico

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Partial Final Decree of the Water Rights of the Navajo Nation: Parties: Navajo Nation, NM, New Mexico, USA, United States.

Contents:

1. Jurisdiction, p.2; 2. Reserved Rights to the Use of Water p.2; 3. Reserved Rights for Specified Surface Water Diversions p.2, including a) Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, p.3, b) Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, p.3; c) Animas-La Plata Project, p.4; d) Municipal and Domestic Uses, p.4; e) Hogback-Cudei Irrigation Project, p.4; f) Fruitland-Cambridge Irrigation Project p.5; 4. Supplemental Carriage Water, p.6; 5. Conditions, p.7; 6. Diversions for Navajo-Gallup Project Uses in Arizona, p.17; 7. Groundwater Rights, p.18; 8. Hydrographic Survey …

Amended And Restated White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Agreement, Settlement Parties

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: Amended and Restated White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Agreement; Parties: WMAT, White Mountain Apache Tribe, AZ, Arizona, USA, United States, Arizona Water Company, Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District, Buckeye Irrigation Company, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, City of Avondale, City of Chandler, City of Glendale, City of Mesa, City of Peoria, City of Phoenix, City of Show Low, City of Scottsdale, City of Tempe, Town of Gilbert, Roosevelt Water Conservation District, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, Salt River Valley Water Users' Association. Contents: Agreement 117 pages: 1.0 Recitals p. 2; 2.0 …

Groundwater Challenges In Spain: Lessons From The Western Mancha Aquifer, Pedro Martinez-Santos

Publications

No abstract provided.

Aamodt Cost-Sharing & System Integration Agreement (2013), United States, State Of New Mexico

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Cost Share & Integration Agreement (Mar. 14, 2013); NM v. Aamodt, 66cv6639 USDC, DCNM. Parties: Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso & Tesuque, US, NM, Santa Fe County, City of Santa Fe. Conformed to Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 111-291, tit. VI, 124 Stat. 3064, 3134-56 (2010). Parties agree to fund and the United States agrees to plan, design and construct the Regional Water System (RWS). The Bureau of Reclamation will build the system. The Secretary of Interior shall conduct government-to-government consultation with the Pueblos regarding well locations and maintaining appropriate confidentiality to protect traditional Pueblo practices. US …

Aamodt Litigation Settlement Agreement (Pueblos Of Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso & Tesuque), United States, State Of New Mexico, Pueblo Of Tesuque, Pueblo Of San Ildefonso, Pueblo Of Nambé, Pueblo Of Pojoaque

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: Aamodt Litigation Settlement Agreement (Apr. 19, 2012). 66cv06639, USDC, DCNM. (final signatures Mar. 27,2013) Parties: Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso & Tesuque, US, NM, Santa Fe County, City of Santa Fe. The key provisions of the Aamodt settlement include: 1) constructing a Regional Water System; 2) providing non-Indians a choice of whether to join the settlement and upon joining, a choice of whether to connect to the Regional Water System for domestic water; 3) relinquishment of existing Pueblo claims against non-Indians who join the Settlement; 4) closing the Pojoaque Basin to new water right development following the …

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, United States, Taos Valley Acequia Assn & Its 54 Member Acequias, Town Of Taos, El Prado Water & Sanitation District, 12 Taos Area Mutual Domestic Water Consumers’ Assns.

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement. Abeyta Water Rights Adjudication Settlement Agreement among the US, Taos Pueblo, NM, Taos Valley Acequia Assn & it s 55 Member Acequias, Town of Taos, El Prado Water & Sanitation District & 12 Taos Area Mutual Domestic Water Consumers’ Assns. (Dec. 12, 2012) (final signatures Dec. 21, 2012) The Settlement Agreement goals are to resolve the water right claims of the Taos Pueblo; protect the non-Pueblos irrigation uses; restore and protect Buffalo Pasture; and foster cooperation among Taos Valley residents regarding the allocation and use of water resources. The agreement addresses ground and surface …

Slides: Overview Of Colorado Aquifer Systems, Christopher J. Sanchez

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Christopher J. Sanchez, P.G., BBA Water Consultants, Bishop-Brogden Associates, Inc.

28 slides

Slides: Colorado Law: Protecting Water Quantity And Quality, Alan E. Curtis

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

Presenter: Alan E. Curtis, White & Jankowski, LLP

23 slides

Agenda: Monitoring And Protecting Groundwater During Oil And Gas Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project, Colorado Water And Energy Research Center

Monitoring and Protecting Groundwater During Oil and Gas Development (November 26)

This workshop is cosponsored by the Intermountain Oil and Gas BMP Project and the Colorado Water and Energy Research Center, with financial support from the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Project and the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) recently initiated a rule making process to develop new, statewide regulations for baseline sampling and monitoring of groundwater near new oil and gas wells. COGCC’s first rule making hearing was held November 14; the rule is expected to be finalized December 10. This workshop will discuss oil and gas development procedures that can impact groundwater, the current rules …

Groundwater In New Mexico, Darcy Bushnell

Publications

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Transboundary Ground Water Resources Management: A Local Approach Along The Mexico-U.S. Border, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

Despite more than forty years of promises to the contrary, neither Mexico nor the United States have shown any inclination to pursue a border-wide pact to coordinate management of the border region’s transboundary ground water resources. As a result, these critical resources – which serve as the sole or primary source of fresh water for most border communities on both sides – are being overexploited and polluted, leaving the local population with little recourse. Imminently unsustainable, the situation portends a grim future for the region.

In the absence of national governmental interests and involvement on either side of the frontier, …

Order Of Determination Of Water Rights For The Owyhee River And Its Tributaries, Including The Rights Of The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Of The Duck Valley Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Of The Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Nevada, United States

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: Agreement to Establish the Relative Water Rights of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and the Upstream Water Users, East Fork Owyhee River (2006) contained, at the 368th page, as Appendix B to In the Matter of the Determination of the Relative Rights in and to the Waters, Both Surface and Underground, Within the Drainage Area of the Owyhee River and its Tributaries Located within the East For Owyhee River Area, Elko County, NV, Order of Determination, From the Office of the State Engineer of Nevada, 2012. Parties: the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley …

Slides: Master Development Plans (Mdps) / Geographic Area Plans (Gaps): Comprehensive Planning Tools For Oil And Gas Projects, Allen B. Crockett

Best Management Practices (BMPs): What? How? And Why? (May 26)

Presenter: Mary Bloomstran, Edge Environmental

20 slides

Supplemental Partial Final Decree Of The Water Rights Of The Navajo Nation, 11th Judicial District, San Juan County, State Of New Mexico

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Supplemental Partial Final Decree of the Water Rights of the Navajo Nation: Parties: Navajo Nation, NM, New Mexico, USA, United States.

Contents:

1. Jurisdiction, p.2; 2. Supplemental Decree, p.2; 3. Reserved Rights, p.2, including a) Livestock Water Use, p.4, b) Irrigation Water Use, p.6; 4. Water Rights Acquired under State Law, p.18; 5. Depletion Limits, p.22; 6. Allottees, p.24; 7. Limitations, p.24; 8. Disclaimers, p.27; 9. Jurisdiction after Entry of Decree, p.26; 10. Metering of Water Uses, p.26; 11. Records of Water Use, p.28; 12. Administration, p.32. [Source: https://sjrbadjudication.nmcourts.gov/navajo-inter-se-ab-07-1.aspx]

Buried Treasure Or Buried Hope? The Status Of Mexico-U.S. Transboundary Aquifers Under International Law, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

Transboundary aquifers found along the 2,000 mile-long border between Mexico and the United States are not governed by any treaty. Yet, these aquifers are the primary source of water for many of the twelve million people who live in this parched region. The region’s groundwater, however, is being over-exploited and contaminated, which is threatening the very life that it currently sustains. As populations continue to expand and current rates of haphazard development persist, the absence of an agreement for the management and allocation of this critical resource could lead to bi-national economic, social and environmental tragedies. This study reviews groundwater …

Water, Climate, And Energy Security, Elizabeth Burleson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Civil society participation can facilitate sound energy, climate, and water governance. This article analyzes the dynamics of transnational decision-making. Part II discusses sound energy strategy in light of a shrinking water-resources base due to climate change. Part III considers how public participation in international decision-making can sustain trust in governments and strengthen the legitimacy of legal decisions. Part IV concludes that process and outcome are both integral to addressing water, climate, and energy challenges.

Navajo Nation San Juan Basin In New Mexico Water Rights Settlement Agreement Of 2010, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, United States

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: Navajo Nation San Juan Basin, NM Water Rights Settlement (Dec. 17, 2010) Parties: Navajo Nation, US, NM. This Settlement relates to the Navajo Nation’s water rights in the San Juan River Basin located in NM. It is a part of the Juan River adjudication. It reconciles the Apr. 19, 2005 agreement with the Settlement Act. Allottees may make individual water right claims based upon historic and existing uses found in the Joint Hydrographic Survey Report. This Settlement finalizes all claims the Nation could make to the San Juan River Basin and settles all causes of action against the …

Crow Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2010, United States 111th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Title IV: Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement - Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement of 2010 in the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (PL111-291| 124 Stat 3097). The Act ratifies, authorizes, and confirms the water rights 1999 Compact between the Crow Tribe and MT. The DOI Secretary shall promptly execute the Compact and comply with applicable environmental acts and regulations. The Act provides for: 1) the Tribe to a) rehabilitate and improve the Crow Irrigation Project; and b) Reclamation to construct the municipal, rural, and industrial water system; 2) creates a Project Management Committee made up of the Tribe, …

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2010, United States 111th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Claims Resolution Act of 2010, Title V: Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement of 2010 (Sec. 501) Parties: Pueblo of Taos, NM, US, Town of Taos, El Prado Water & Sanitation District, Acequia Madre del Rio Lucero y del Arroyo Seco, Acequia Madre del Prado, Acequia del Monte, Acequia Madre del Rio Chiquito, Upper Ranchitos Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn, Upper Arroyo Hondo Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn, Llano Quemado Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn. Federal Legislation to approve, ratify, and confirm the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement; to authorize and direct the Secretary to execute the …

White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act Of 2010, United States 111th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Claims Settlement Act of 2010, TITLE III—White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification, PL111-291| 124 Stat 3064, 3073 (Dec. 8, 2010). Parties: White Mountain Apache Tribe, US, AZ. The Act ratifies, authorizes, and confirms the WMAT Water Rights Quantification settlement; authorizes the DOI Secretary to execute the and take all necessary action; to authorize appropriations; and, to permanently resolve certain damages and water rights in the general adjudication of the Gila River System and Little CO River System. The provides for: 1) environmental compliance; 2) tribal water rights; 3) CAP reallocation; 4) tribal leasing, distributing, exchanging or allocation …

Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act Of 2010, United States 111th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Title VI: Aamodt Litigation Settlement of the Claims Settlement Act of 2010 (PL 111-291, 124 Stat 3064, 3134). 66cv06639, USDC, DCNM. Federal Legislation to resolve the water rights of Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque. Key provisions include: 1) a regional water diversion, treatment and distribution system to serve the Pueblos and the customers of Santa Fe County; 2) a Regional Water Authority, a county utility, and Pueblo water facilities; 3) operation, cost-sharing, and system integration; 4) Reclamation design and construction of the system; 5) conjunctive management of surface and groundwater; 6) well fields, aquifer storage …

Slides: Evolving Policy On Shale Plays, John Martin

Shale Plays in the Intermountain West: Legal and Policy Issues (November 12)

Presenter: John Martin, Crowell & Moring, LLP, Washington, DC

17 slides