Your authoritative, multi-channel network for natural resources and environmental information since 1989 – by practioners for practitioners.

News Articles

Iowa’s Civil Water Wars Highlight the Mississippi Basin Water Quality Challenge

There is a court confrontation going on in Iowa that will help shed light on the extent to which the existing federal clean water regulatory…

Read More 2017-03-03

Second Circuit Court of Appeals Joins the Eleventh Circuit in Upholding EPA’s ‘Water Transfers Rule’

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Water Transfers Rule,” which exempts water transfers from regulation under…

Read More 2017-03-03

President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Advance the Keystone Xl and Dakota Access Pipelines

On January 24, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a series of Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda:   …in keeping with his promise to reduce the…

Read More 2017-03-03

Colorado Supreme Court Issues Ruling Regarding Transmountain Diversions and Historical Use Analysis In Water Right Change Applications

On December 5, 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court reversed the Division 2 Water Court’s decision approving Busk-Ivanhoe, Inc.’s (Busk-Ivanhoe) application for a change of place…

Read More 2017-02-14

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Final 2016 Biological Opinion For Water-Related Activities in the Upper and Middle Rio Grande

On December 2, 2016, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) issued the final Biological Opinion (2016 BiOp) providing for federal Endangered Species Act (ESA)…

Read More 2017-02-14

U.S. District Court Finds Mississippi Numerical Water Quality Standards Are Not Compelled By the Clean Water Act

A U.S. District Court in Louisiana has ruled that it is within the discretion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to compel states…

Read More 2017-02-14

U.S. District Court Finds EPA’s Approval of Rhode Island’s Clean Water Act TMDL Reports Did Not Constitute a Determination of Stormwater Discharges

Conservation Law Foundation (plaintiff) sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) alleging that it failed to carry out its non-discretionary duties under the federal Clean…

Read More 2017-02-14

California Supreme Court Limits Reach of the Public Records Act

The Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq. (PRA)) is frequently a feature of land use practice and litigation. Accordingly, land use practitioners…

Read More 2017-02-14

California Department of Water Resources Releases Interim Update of Bulletin 118 to Aid Timely Implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

On December 23, 2016, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released an interim update of Bulletin 118, DWR's compendium of information regarding the occurrence,…

Read More 2017-02-14

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources Release Final Environmental Documents for the California WaterFix Project

On December 22, 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued a joint news release announcing the…

Read More 2017-02-14