Tough times dictate that we cut our discretionary spending. Property owners may defer some maintenance and other due diligence. But spending money on education and protecting your property interests must be considered a continued important investment that is not discretionary. Hunkering down and waiting for it to pass us by will not work. Business as usual […]
Advanced Oregon Water Law Seminar Read More »
Most Western states allow an exemption from water right permitting for domestic wells. In New Mexico this exemption was recently challenged as being inconsistent with the prior appropriation doctrine. Other western states seek to legislatively limit the scope of such exemptions. Oregon which has perhaps the broadest statutory groundwater exemption is seeking in this legislative
Limiting the Domestic Well Exemption Read More »
The Oregon Water Coalition has asked Laura Schroeder to present Chet Prior with its annual “Friend of Farmer” award on January 27, 2009, in Hermiston, Oregon. The Oregon Water Coalition actively supports water development projects including the recently funded research to develop aquifer recharge and aquifer storage in the critical ground water areas located in Morrow and Umatilla
Oregon Water Coalition Friend of Farmer Award Read More »
Accepting associations and referrals in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada, Schroeder Law Offices recently opened its new office in Reno, Nevada. With a population of 250,000, Reno is at the center of water controversies on the Truckee, Carson, and Walker rivers. Each of these desert rivers interestingly terminate at a lake with an associated Indian
Reno Center of Northern Nevada Water Issues Read More »
Colm Moore and Laura Schroeder will present a 4-hour seminar on Nevada water rights in Winnemucca on December 9 and in Elko on December 10. For more information click here.
Last 2008 Bootcamp Read More »
PAYETTE NATIONAL FOREST RELEASES A DRAFT EIS AS RELATED TO BIGHORN SHEEP AND DOMESTIC SHEEP THAT OMITS COMMITMENTS MADE IN 1997 AND THAT OMITS ANALYSIS OF MANY CRITICAL ELEMENTS By Alan Schroeder To view the full text of this press release please click here. Weiser, Idaho. October 7, 2008. Is removing domestic sheep from the
Payette National Forest Draft EIS Released Read More »
With food prices at all time highs, agricultural market prices rising, and water rights at a premium, now is the time to plan for the future.  We suggest that water users create and update water management plans with an eye to water rights security, stability, and development.  A water management plan will analyze the current state
Time to Create Water Management Plans Read More »
Retired Reclamation Commissioner John Keyes passing is sad news. I first “engaged” Reclamation with John at the helm in the Boise Regional office in 1992 when working for the Teel Irrigation District. We were dealing with issues surrounding “water spreading” then making headlines in the Umatilla Project by Water Watch of Oregon. Over the years,
Remebering John Keyes Read More »
Focusing on the soon to be launched adjudication in north Idaho, water and real estate lawyers gathered in Coeur d”Alene, Idaho May 15 and 16, 2008. As in other McCarran adjudications in which we are involved, issues expected to be included will be federal including Indian, Forest Service and Reclamation issues; instream including hydro, water
Northern Idaho Adjudication Read More »
An historic agreement has been reached in a dispute over water in the Rio Grande Project. It has taken 29 years in a process stagnated by several lawsuits to prepare an operating agreement negotiated between the Bureau of Reclamation, Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID), and the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1. No
Rio Grande Project Agreement Reached Read More »
Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has suggested that new operator contracts with Yerevan Water require provisions requiring audit controls. Given some commentator’s thoughts on the management failures of the present agreements this request is not surprising. Providing contract requirements for audits is not uncommon. However, determining what audit level is appropriate for a domestic
Auditing Management Contracts Read More »
The government of Armenia is inaugurating a new president on Wednesday, April 9, at 2 in the afternoon. Large crowds are expected in the downtown area in connection with the official events, which will include a military procession through Freedom Square and evening festivities at Republic Square. It is not expected that much dramatic change
Elections and Water Code Revisions Read More »
Armenia’s current water code requires a water system use permit (WSUP) without exception for any system of facilities. The WSUP is issued by the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC). It has been suggested municipalities and small community water associations that own and operate their own domestic water delivery system should be exempt from the requirement
Water Facilities Permitting in Armenia Read More »
Development of public owner-private operator contracts in the water sector is largely a reflection of the extent of private sector participation. International literature on the subject generally describes the various forms of these Private Sector Participation Contracts (“PSP contracts”) as (1) Service contracts; (2) Management contracts; (3) Leasing contracts; (4) BOT type contracts; (5) Concessions;
Private Participation Contracts for Water Section Read More »
In Armenia, domestic water supply and sewer services are supplied either by local municipalities or State owned stock companies. There are five State owned stock companies in Armenia, the State owns 100% of the shares in Armenian Water, Nor Akung and Yerevan. The State owns 51% of the stock in Lori and Shirak while the
“Ownership” of Water Facilities in Armenia Read More »
Personal service means just what it says! On March 28, 2008, in United States v. Alpine Land and Reservoir Co., Judge Lloyd D. George reaffirmed that only those 281 individual water right holders who returned their acknowledgement of service must defend the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s suit challenging the existence of their water rights. The
Many Newland Farmers See End in Sight Read More »
Like most former soviet countries, Armenia continues to confront law and regulation of its natural resources from the top down. USAID through PA Consulting requested my consulting assistance approximately 16 months ago to assist it in redrafting and de-centralizing the approach to water management. I am currently on my fourth “mission.” Many important laws and
Current Armenian Water Issues Read More »
Our work in Armenia involves reviewing contracts between the State and a couple of the largest water purveying companies in the world, Veolia and Suez, which are headquartered in France. Interestingly, we have found that these French companies, through their subsidiaries Veolia Water North America and United Water, also have contracts in Oregon, Washington, and
Northwest Connection to International Water Read More »
Yesterday, I had the privilege of teaching a Water Law Bootcamp for Water for Life. Over forty people attended at the Baker County Fairgrounds in Baker City Oregon. Unlike previous presentations, attendees focused their questions primarily on due diligence water rights review in real estate transactions and valuations of water rights when lending on water
Water Rights Bootcamp in Baker City, Oregon Read More »
Armenia’s Presidential election unrest may delay our next mission to assist the government in a review and updating of contracts between the State and the French contractors now purveying water to Yerevan and a few other cities in Armenia. In preparing for this work, Katherine Thomas has found many cities in the West that also
Political Unrest Complicates Armenian Water Delivery Read More »
