An ongoing, historic drought in California has compelled California state legislators to rethink the state’s long-standing treatment of water rights. While the recent heavy snowpack and wet spring and summer have alleviated...more
Water banks, long-used in Eastern Washington to compile and transfer water rights, are emerging as a useful way to allocate water rights in Western Washington. However, water banks may also be undergoing significant changes...more
In August 2020 we previewed four notable interstate water rights cases that would soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case of Mississippi v. Tennessee is now one step closer to a decision. On 5 November, 2020, the...more
As climate change accelerates, clashes between states over water rights are heating up due to this resulting strained resource. The only court with authority to adjudicate these interstate disputes is the U.S. Supreme Court....more
New California Laws Stress Efficient Water Use for Cities and Farms -
From 2012 to 2016, California endured its worst drought on record, drier than any four-year period in the last 450 years. ...more
The California legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) nearly four years ago and its impacts are finally beginning to take shape....more
What exactly does the “Hirst fix legislation” fix?
On January 19, 2018, after months of water rights and real estate uncertainty and legislative deadlock, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the “Hirst fix” into law....more