Junior Partner Sarah Liljefelt was recently admitted to the Utah State Bar, making her eligible to practice law in Utah. Liljefelt is the first attorney with Schroeder Law Offices barred in the state of Utah! In October, Shareholder Laura Schroeder will join Liljefelt in admittance to Utah State Bar. Utah water law adheres to the
Junior Partner Sarah Liljefelt Accepted to Utah State Bar Read More »
With the recent discoveries of lead in Portland Public Schools drinking water and the September 15th discovery at the University of Oregon, it becomes a reminder for us all to ensure that our groundwater supply is providing healthy and safe drinking water. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 90 percent of the population of the
How Safe is Your Drinking Water? Read More »
World Water Week 2016 is currently underway in Stockholm, Sweden, an annual event hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute (“SIWI”). World Water Week is the annual focal point for global water issues, consisting of more than 140 events covering a range of subjects. The main theme of the 2016 event is “Water for Sustainable
Water for Sustainable Growth Read More »
New laws and legislation may affect you, stay tuned for tomorrow’s work session on topics of adaptive management, domestic use, cloud seeding, basin management, and mine dewatering! Nevada’s Legislative Commission’s Subcommittee to Study Water will be holding a meeting on Friday morning, August 26, 2016 at 9:00AM at the Legislative Building, Room 4100, at 401
Forecasting 2017 Water Legislation in Nevada Read More »
California Water Right Ownership Updates Required The State of California wants to know when you sell or transfer water rights. As part of any land use transaction involving water rights, regulations require landowners to provide notice to the Water Resources Control Board (WRCB) when water rights transfer to new owners. The WRCB will accept any
California Water Right Ownership Updates Required Read More »
With the political race underway, one group has taken a hard look at land management objectives on federal lands. In response, this group prepared a list of the top ten ways to improve federal land management in an open letter to the United States Presidential Candidates. In summary, top ten items include: Retain federal ownership of
Top Ten Ways to Improve Federal Land Management Read More »
The Oregon Water Resources Commission’s (OWRC’s) rulemaking for the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (Area of Concern) became effective on April 15, 2016. The new regulations limit pending and new applications for groundwater use in the Malheur Basin. Citing concern over lowering groundwater levels in the region, OWRC passed the new regulations to
New: Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern Read More »
California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Regulations Issued California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) was passed in 2014. The SGMA requires local agencies to bear the burden of creating, implementing, and enforcing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (“GSP”) in certain groundwater basins to manage the aquifer in a “sustainable” manner. The California Department of Water Resources (“CDWR”) recently
New Sustainable Groundwater Regulations Read More »
On April 6, 2016, amendments to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) and the new Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA) were signed at a ceremony at the mouth of the Klamath River on the Yurok Indian Reservation. These changes come in the wake of the Congress’s decision not to pass legislation for the Klamath
Update: Klamath Basin Agreements in 2016 Read More »
The Oregon Water Code provides that construction of a water system must be completed within certain time limits from issuance of water use permits (5 years for non-municipal water use permits, and 20 years for municipal permits). ORS 537.230 (“…the holder of a water right permit shall prosecute the construction of any proposed irrigation or
New Oregon Water Permit Condition to Begin Construction Read More »
The Clean Water Act is an issue of gathering significance with the Environmental Protection Agency and adoption of a newly defined “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”), wherein civil and criminal penalties can attach if pollutant is discharged into jurisdictional waters. Thus, whether water is defined as “jurisdictional” becomes an important significance. On May 31,
U.S. Supreme Court Rules CWA Jurisdiction Reviewable in Federal Court Read More »
Forfeiture We’ve all heard “Use it or Lose it” referring to the Prior Appropriation System. The use it or lose it concept is the term we use for legal forfeiture which will apply to your water rights of use depending on your jurisdiction and type of water right. Generally, this concept requires beneficial use of
101 on Forfeiture vs. Abandonment Under Prior Appropriation Doctrine Read More »
Water resource users are some of the most environmental aware stewards since they must count every precious drop of water necessary to feed the world and provide safe drinking water. In the United States, we celebrate Earth Day: We have a bike-to-work week, we have recycling and environmental preservation programs in our communities, the list
World Environment Day: Sunday, June 5th Read More »
The debate continues on the prior appropriation system. During the 2016 Family Farm Alliance Annual Conference, the Alliance’s 2015 report on the prior appropriation doctrine raised some debate. This debate, now focusing on Nevada’s prior appropriation system, was again raised in equal vigor during the 2016 Nevada Water Resources Association annual conference. While many argue
The End of the Prior Appropriation Doctrine? Read More »
On May 9, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed an executive order making certain water conservation measures permanent. The measure is meant to build on temporary emergency water restriction in place since last year. Brown’s office reports that “between June 2015 and March 2016, Californians reduced water use by 23.9 percent compared with the
Executive Order Makes California Water Conservation Permanent Read More »
Nevada is taking a close look at water rights of use, thus now is the time to make sure your use rights are in good standing. With a shuffling of basin engineers within the Nevada Division of Water Resources, water rights are being reviewed to determine compliance! Are your rights of use in your name?
Nevada Cracks Down on Water Rights of Use Read More »
On September 18, 2015, the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and United States Forest Service (“USFS”) issued Records of Decision (“RODs”) related to land management in support of sage grouse populations on lands managed by the agencies. The RODs put land use plans in place in lieu of listing sage grouse under the Endangered Species
Sage Grouse Land Use Plans and Law Suits Read More »
BLM’s Sage Grouse Plan Collaboration-Implementation is underway. As part of the BLM’s effort to ensure collaboration and engagement during implementation of the sage grouse plans, the BLM is sending out invitations to stakeholders to begin the dialogue. These invitation only meetings will occur on: April 22nd in Salt Lake City, UT April 26th in Boise,
Sage Grouse Workshop Read More »
In the Northwest, a substantial percentage of our power comes from hydroelectric projects. California’s new legislation requires utilities to provide electricity from 50% renewables by 2030, and Oregon’s new legislation requires the same by 2040. The hydro power industry is viewing these renewable standards as creating continuing demand for hydro power, but several trends are
Renewable Energy Demand Grows; Hydro Power Faces Challenges, Opportunities Read More »
Spring is approaching on the West Coast and we all know what this means: watering season! Time to check your sprinkler systems for leaks, read and record meters, and make sure your system is ready for spring irrigation. Though forecasts were set for an “El Niño” winter on the West Coast, projections from the March
2016 Irrigation Season Read More »
