3:00 - 4:00 (MDT): Simulcast Presentation
Water is for Fighting (and Creative Compromises): International and Interstate Water Issues in North America
Presentation by ‘Cody’ Riley Denoon, Barrister & Solicitor, (AB, BC), SJD Candidate, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA
Although water can be a source of conflict, the general trend in international practice has been towards cooperation over precious shared freshwater resources. This presentation will provide a general overview of the law of international watercourses focusing on the sources and key principles found in public international law. Cody will introduce some of the most important legal instruments and institutions existing between Canada and the U.S. regarding shared international freshwater resources, such as the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the International Joint Commission, and the Columbia River Treaty. Cody will conclude by highlighting some key issues in Canada and U.S. relations regarding shared freshwater resources, such as the participation of non-state stakeholders and bulk water transfers from Canada to the USA.
Presentation by Rhett Billingsley, Director, Fennemore Craig, P.C.
The Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers are critical water resources for the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico with a legal history as rich as the diverse populations and uses that they serve. This presentation will provide a high level discussion of the complex mix of interstate compacts, court decisions and international treaties governing the use of these iconic rivers. The presentation will include an overview of two recent developments in the law governing these rivers. We will examine Minute 323, a very recent binational water sharing agreement relating to implementation of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico treaty on use of the Colorado River. We will also discuss the claims and recent developments in the Texas v. New Mexico litigation, a case in which Texas and the U.S. government each alleged that water diversions in New Mexico violate the Rio Grande Compact.
4:00 - 5:00 (MDT): Hosted On-Site Networking Reception