(For this past program, we offer two options for purchase: a Homestudy (DVD and written materials) or written materials alone.)
Attorneys, environmental and real estate professionals, corporate managers, governmental officials, tribal representatives, resource managers and planners
The Spokane Valley - Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) aquifer represents the sole source of drinking water for more than 400,000 residents in Spokane County, Washington, and Kootenai County, Idaho. This area includes the rapidly growing cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, Idaho. Recent and projected urban, suburban, and industrial/commercial growth has raised concerns about potential future impacts on water availability and water quality in the SVRP aquifer and Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers. Water resource concerns include growing demands on groundwater and declining groundwater levels, low streamflow in reaches of the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers, and water-quality problems associated with changing land use activities. Management of the SVRP aquifer system is complicated by the interstate, multi-jurisdictional nature of the system.
The legal, policy and environmental landscape for water law continues to be of critical importance in both Idaho and Washington. Building on prior years' water law seminars in both states, we will explore recent developments in the legislature and courts, regulatory initiatives at the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and the Washington Department of Ecology, the latest on watershed planning, and efforts to address water quality issues. We will hear about the process of adjudicating water rights in both states, and about how other states are working to resolve interstate water disputes.
This conference brings together experts from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, including representatives from federal, state and local governments, to share their experiences, challenges and success stories regarding this evolving landscape, as well as other pressing issues. The program also provides critical updates and thought-provoking discussions for water law practitioners, water users and resources managers.
~ Joe Mentor, Jr., Esq. and Christopher H. Meyer, Esq., Program Co-Chairs
Joe Mentor, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
Mentor Law Group PLLC / Seattle, WA
Christopher H. Meyer, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Givens Pursley LLP / Boise, ID
Overview of the USGS study of groundwater and surface water resources in the SVRP area, including its regional groundwater/surface water flow model of the SVRP aquifer
Paul Hsieh, Ph.D., Research Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey / Menlo Park, CA
State perspectives on cooperative management of bi-state water resources
Robert G. Haynes, P.E., Regional Manager
Idaho Department of Water Resources / Coeur d'Alene, ID
Guy J. Gregory, L.G., L.Hg., Senior Hydrogeologist
Washington State Department of Ecology / Spokane, WA
Update on Washington's watershed planning process for the Spokane water resources inventory areas
Bryony Stasney, L.Hg., Senior Project Hydrogeologist
Golder Associates / Coeur d'Alene, ID
Idaho's Comprehensive Aquifer Management Planning (CAMP) process
Christian Petrich, Ph.D.,PE,PG, Principal Engineer/Hydrologist
SPF Water Engineering / Boise, ID
The Hon. Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr.
Colorado Supreme Court / Denver, CO
Municipal water rights in Washington
Margaret J. King, Esq.
Kenyon Disend PLLC / Issaquah, WA
Idaho's Municipal Water Rights Act and IDWR's new guidance on processing municipal water rights applications
Jeffrey C. Fereday, Esq.
Givens Pursley LLP / Boise, ID
Water for agriculture: Meeting future water use requirements for irrigated agriculture and stockwater
John Stuhlmiller, Director of Government Relations
Washington Farm Bureau / Lacey, WA
Interstate cooperation and local land use planning in the Palouse Basin of Idaho and Washington
Barbara Cosens, Esq., Associate Professor of Law
University of Idaho / Moscow, ID
Achieving instream flows: Tools and techniques to establish and protect instream flows in the Spokane River
Rachael Paschal Osborn, Esq., Executive Director
Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Spokane, WA
Hydroelectric power in the Spokane Basin: Update on Avista Utilities' FERC licensing process for the Post Falls and Spokane River hydroelectric projects
Bruce Howard, Environmental Programs Manager
Avista Corp. / Spokane, WA
Sponsored by Givens Pursley LLP and Mentor Law Group
Joe Mentor, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
Mentor Law Group PLLC / Seattle, WA
Christopher H. Meyer, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Givens Pursley LLP / Boise, ID
Water quality issues: Update on the 303(d) process, TMDLs and developing water quality protection plans for the Spokane Basin
Rachael Paschal Osborn, Esq., Executive Director
Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Spokane, WA
Update on the North Idaho Adjudication: The State of Idaho's progress to adjudicate water rights in the upper Spokane River Basin
Eric J. Wildman, Esq., Staff Attorney
Snake River Basin Adjudication / Twin Falls, ID
Preparing for the upcoming Washington adjudication: Using the adjudication process to quantify water rights; Federal and tribal issues
Joe Mentor, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
Mentor Law Group PLLC / Seattle, WA
Commencing Washington's Spokane Basin adjudication: Overview of the State of Washington's plans to initiate a general adjudication for the lower and middle Spokane River Basins
Alan Reichman, Esq., Assistant Attorney General Ecology Division
Washington State Office of Office of the Attorney General / Olympia, WA
Introduction: Macro Approaches (compacts, equitable apportionment, congressional allocation, informal agreements) and Micro Approaches (export restrictions, cross-state transfers, private enforcement of priority across state lines)
Christopher H. Meyer, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Givens Pursley LLP / Boise, ID
Interstate Compacts in the Pacific Northwest: The Northwest Power Act, the Snake River Compact, the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area Act and the Columbia River Compact: Lessons from our region's past experiences with interstate compacts
John Shurts, Ph.D., Esq., General Counsel
Northwest Power and Conservation Council / Portland, OR
Experiences in other states with equitable apportionment, interstate compacts, and congressional allocation of interstate water resources
Karl J. Dreher, P.E., D.WRE
Dreher Consulting, LLC / Parker, CO
Lawrence J. MacDonnell, Esq., Professor of Law
University of Wyoming College of Law / Laramie, WY
There is a $25 cancellation fee for Course Materials orders and $50 for Homestudy orders
This program qualifies for 13 WA CLE credits and Idaho CLE credits are pending. Upon request, we will apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.
Our complete Homestudy Course, consisting of a DVD recording and the course materials (either a binder or searchable CD), is available for $1005. The course materials alone are available for $100. We will ship your Homestudy order via UPS ground within two weeks after the seminar or from the date we receive payment.
Order Homestudy
Joe Mentor, Jr., Program Co-Chair, principal with Mentor Law Group PLLC, focuses on water and natural resources development and represents Skagit County in the rulemaking process and related litigation over the Skagit instream flow rule. He was named a "Super Lawyer".
Christopher H. Meyer, Program Co-Chair, partner with Givens Pursley LLP, focuses on water, land use, environmental and constitutional administrative law. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Mountain States Super Lawyers and Chambers USA.
The Hon. Gregory J. Hobbs, Special Address, has been a Justice in the Colorado Supreme Court for ten years. Previously, he practiced law with emphasis on water, environment, land use, and transportation.
Barbara Cosens, University of Idaho Associate Professor of Law for Property, Water Law and Interdisciplinary Water Resource, helped launch the "Water of the West" Initiative for a new interdisciplinary graduate program in water resources which includes a concurrent JD option. Previously she mediated water distribution disputes.
Karl J. Dreher, P.E., D. WRE is an independent consultant for disciplines related to water resources engineering and water rights. He was Director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources and Chairman of the Western States Water Council.
Jeffrey C. Fereday, partner in Givens Pursley LLP's Natural Resources, Environmental and Energy Group, is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and The International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers.
Guy J. Gregory, L.G., L.H.G., Technical Unit Supervisor and Senior Hydrogeologist of the Washington Department of Ecology Water Resources Program, is responsible for technical assessment of water supply issues in Eastern Washington. He led Washington’s effort on the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer study.
Robert (Bob) G. Haynes, P.E. is Regional Manager of the Idaho Department of Water Resources and Chairman of the Department of Water Resources' Rathdrum Prairie Ground Water Management Area Advisory Committee.
Bruce Howard is Director of Environmental Affairs for Avista Corp. Previously, he managed the relicensing process for the Spokane River Hydro Project, and worked in consulting, private industry, and at the Washington Department of Ecology.
Paul Hsieh, Ph.D. is Research Hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, where his research includes the study of fluid flow and solute transport in fractured rocks, subsurface deformation in volcanic areas and development of computer simulation models. He was the lead scientist of the modeling team that developed the groundwater flow model for the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer.
Margaret J. King focuses on all areas of municipal law, with emphasis on land use and water rights issues. She is City Attorney for Roslyn and Sultan, WA. Previously, she was the primary attorney responsible for advising on water issues for the Washington State Senate Water, Energy and Technology Committee.
Lawrence J. MacDonnell, Professor of Law at the University of Wyoming College of Law, teaches water law, public land law, and natural resources law, and focuses on water resources and ways to make a natural resource development more environmentally compatible.
Rachael Paschal Osborn is Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Law & Policy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the public interest in fresh water resources of the Columbia watershed and western Washington.She also teaches water law at Gonzaga Law School.
Christian Petrich, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., Principal Engineer/Hydrologist for SPF Water Engineering, is experienced in aquifer characterization, water resource investigations, water right permit and transfer applications, and municipal water planning and water policy.
Alan Reichman, Assistant Attorney General for the Ecology Division of the Washington State Attorney General's Office, is Section Manager for Water Resources and lead counsel to the Department of Ecology's Water Resources Program.
John Shurts, Ph.D. is General Counsel for Northwest Power and Conservation Council and an Adjunct Professor at Lewis and Clark College teaching courses in energy law, natural resources law, environmental history and natural resources policy and politics.
Bryony Stasney, L.Hg. is Senior Hydrogeologist for Golder Associates based in Coeur d’Alene office. She focuses on watershed planning and water supply development and protection for clients in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.
John Stuhlmiller is Director of Government Relations for the Washington Farm Bureau. He is responsible for leading a four member lobby team, and lobbying general agricultural, energy, environmental and natural resource issues, with a special emphasis on water law.
Eric J. Wildman, Staff Attorney for the Snake River Basin and Coeur D'Alene-Spokane River Basin Adjudications, is responsible for the management and progress of the adjudications including advising and assisting the presiding judge.
