Co-Authored By: Attorney Therese Ure & Lisa Mae Gage In August 2015 the United State Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) put their stamp of approval on the Waters of the United States (“WOTUS”) final rule. The WOTUS rule significantly expanded the definition of “waters of the United States” […]
On February 1, 2017, Laura Schroeder, Alan Schroeder, and Therese Ure had the honor of attending the Society of Range Management’s Award Ceremony to honor friend of Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. and Schroeder & Lezamiz Law Office, LLP, Al Steninger, in the receipt of the Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award. From the words of the Society
Congratulations to Al Steninger’s Lifetime Achievement! Read More »
As the 2017 irrigation season approaches, Oregon water permit and certificate holders may want to review the terms of those permitted and certificated uses for measurement and reporting requirements. Many groundwater permits and certificates require annual reporting of various water measurements, most notably measurements for static water levels of wells, flow meter readings or perhaps
Measurement and Reporting Requirements for Water Use Read More »
I was able to attend the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s course on Advanced Public Lands held in Santa Fe this January. Between all agencies, there is approximately 652 million acres of federally managed lands. Given the timing of the conference, many speculated and discussed what development of public lands might bring under the current
Public Lands Development under New Administration Read More »
by Lisa Kane and Therese Ure The 2017 Nevada Legislative Session is currently in motion; the 79th legislative session began on February 6th and will continue through June of 2017. Meetings are being held daily by the senate and assembly committees as they review proposed changes to Nevada legislation. There are several already-proposed bills on
More Proposed Water Law Changes in Nevada Legislation Read More »
Oroville Dam is the tallest dam in the country. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, east of Sacramento, California. All of the recent storms and heavy rains have caused the water in the dam to rise rapidly. Last week, a giant hole appeared in the dam’s main spillway. This caused officials
The Danger of the Failing Water Reservoirs Read More »
During the month of January, the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association is hosting a series of workshops around the state regarding grazing permits on federal lands. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service agencies (and other agency representatives) will be giving presentations on their plans to implement land use changes that have been established for
Federal Land Grazing Permit Workshops in Nevada Read More »
The upcoming 2017 Nevada Legislative Session includes proposed water law changes that could affect water rights users across the state. The 79th legislative session, which starts on February 6, 2017 and ends on June 5, 2017, contains a number of proposed water law changes. It appears there will be four senate bills submitted by the
Proposed Water Law Changes in 2017 Read More »
The Nevada Farm Bureau has adopted new and revised policies, which are available in their 2017 Policy Book. The policy positions were approved by farmer/rancher voting delegates at the general session of the 2016 Nevada Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. One important new policy adopted by the Nevada Farm Bureau relates to supporting groundwater management plans
The Nevada Farm Bureau 2017 Policy Supporting Groundwater Management Plans Read More »
Oregon Legislative Updates A drought task force, authorized in 2016 by the Oregon Legislature, submitted their year-end report[1] to the Governor in November discussing how Oregon can better anticipate and adapt to increasingly common years of drought. Specifically, the report encourages the State to review the drought declaration process to better assist with drought response,
Schroeder Law Offices at Oregon Water Law Seminar for Annual Updates Read More »
Photograph by Maurice Mikkers Normally, we do not have a positive association with tears – typically, they are released in response to pain, whether physical or emotional. However, some recent photographic artwork can perhaps help reframe our concept of tears as an unexpected source of beauty. The Dutch scientist Maurice Mikkers prepares images
Schroeder Law spent a lovely Saturday morning with the ladies of the Yamhill County Chapter of Oregon Women for Agriculture, packing gift packs that are sold as the Chapter’s annual fundraiser. The activity is a 45 year tradition! Assembling and offering the gift packs is a community
As an update to the previous blog posted regarding the Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization and Public Comments, https://www.water-law.com/deadline-approaching-submit-nepa-scoping-comments-nevadas-fallon-range-training-complex/, the deadline to submit comments has been extended. The new deadline is December 12, 2016. If you are interested in submitting comments there are several ways to submit comments including online or by mail. Submit Comments
Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization EIS Public Comment Period Extended Read More »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Bureau of Reclamation (“federal agencies”) are engaged in a five year process to analyze the effects of the Federal Columbia River Power System on salmonid species. In May 2016, District Court Judge Michael Simon found the federal agencies had violated the Endangered Species
Snake River Dam Removal Public Meetings Read More »
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (“NDEP”) has been evaluating nonpoint source water pollution, occurring when rain, snowmelt and irrigated water flowing over developed land carries contaminants into Nevada waterways. Accordingly, NDEP implemented a Nonpoint Source Grant Program to provide funding to qualifying state, regional and county agencies, as well as conservation districts and nonprofit
New Grants Awarded to Improve Surface Waters in Nevada Read More »
In a move he hopes will ease the most arduous administrative burden faced by the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Director Gary Spackman has created the state’s largest groundwater management area, encompassing the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA) region. Hoping “to stop the drop” of the aquifer level, which has experienced an annual rate
Groundwater Management Area created for East Snake Plain Aquifer Read More »
The International Commission on Irrigation and Draining (ICID) hosted the World Irrigation Forum (WIF) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The 2016 conference serves as the second annual forum. The intent of the World Irrigation Forum is to bring together all stakeholders in order to provide a platform for the world irrigation community to work to find solutions to the problems the irrigation community faces. Some of
Washoe County is hosting a public forum to discuss the Public Lands Bill on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm at the Reno Sparks Convention Center. A few of the main priorities of the bill include: Make certain federal lands available for future economic development opportunities Expand recreational opportunities to include
Public Forum Scheduled to Address the Washoe County Public Lands Bill Read More »
The American Water Works Association (AWWA), Pacific Northwest Section’s October meeting focused on seismic resiliency and emergency preparedness by discussing strategies implemented by the Willamette Water Supply Program in building a water delivery system that should withstand a disaster. The meeting emphasized the importance of building a water supply distribution system on soils that will
Seismic Resiliency – A Topic for Discussion in the Water World Read More »
NEPA is the acronym for the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA’s purposes included setting national policy to encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between humans and their environment; promoting efforts that will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment; and, enriching the understanding of the ecological systems and important natural resources. See 42 U.S. C. 4321
