Sunday, January 03, 2021

NYT: Wall Street Eyes Billions in the Colorado’s Water

"Investor interest in the river could redefine century-old rules for who controls one of the most valuable economic resources in the United States."





Saturday, July 28, 2018

Water crisis in Texas?

"Even in the best of times, water in Texas has always been an ornery and mercurial resource. It falls from the sky in torrents in the sodden eastern counties along the Gulf of Mexico and falls sometimes not at all in the parched counties to the west where, in a good year, a foot or less of rain might make it to the ground."

https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2018/07/26/water-crisis-texas/

Sunday, February 01, 2015

Audits show irregularities at Pittsburg County RWD No. 9

The News Capital reports that audits show irregularities at Pittsburg County RWD No. 9.  The audits show advances to employees and provision of free water.  The Sheriff passed the information along to the DA, who told the News Capital that the case would be moving forward.  Meanwhile, the District's board meetings are held on property marked as posted, members-only.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Extreme conservation in extreme drought

SFGate reports on the effects of drought on the San Francisco Peninsula:
The historic statewide drought has struck especially hard along the southern San Mateo County coast. While other parts of the Bay Area are served by big water agencies with steady if shrinking supplies, most of the homes and small farms here, less than an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley, rely on creeks and wells, many of which have stopped flowing.
That’s left scores of people struggling mightily to get by with little or no water.
“People don’t think there are rural communities on the San Francisco Peninsula that have run out of water,” said Chelsea Moller, project coordinator with the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District, which is trying to help families shore up their water needs. “I think they really get overlooked.”

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Supreme Court: Oklahoma water statutes stand; 10th Circuit affirmed; Oklahoma wins

I will be updating this post with information on the decision as it develops.  Here are my quick takeaways:
  • 10th Circuit decision is affirmed.  In this posture, that is a win for Oklahoma.
  • Oklahoma laws passed in response to Tarrant Regional's actions are allowed to stand.  Among them, 82 O.S. 1086.1(A)(3) says: "Water use within Oklahoma [should] be developed to the maximum extent feasible for the benefit of Oklahoma so that out-of-state downstream users will not acquire vested rights therein to the detriment of the citizens of this state."
  • The Oklahoma Attorney General stated: "We can find no intention to create the possibility that such a valuable resource as water may become bound, without compensation, to use by an out-of-state user."
  • The decision is limited to the Red River Compact waters -- surface waters within the Red River and its tributaries and basins.
  • Red River Compact does not preempt Oklahoma water laws.
  • The decision depends greatly on the text of the Red River Compact and the course of dealing between Texas and Oklahoma over the past 40 years.
  • If the Compact intended to allow Texas to take part of its water from the Oklahoma side of the river, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Compact would have said so.
  • Oklahoma water laws do not violate the Dormant Commerce Clause, because all of the water covered by the Red River Compact is allocated.
  • Open door: The decision does not address water that falls outside the Red River Compact.
  • Remember that Tarrant Regional asked for an allocation -- which means a permit from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board that allows a member of the Oklahoma public to use surface water that, under Oklahoma law, is public water.
  • Tarrant Regional's current effort offered no compensation and sought to be treated as a citizen of Oklahoma.
  • In the past, Tarrant Regional tried to purchase water from the State of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw, and the Choctaw.  These efforts failed.  Perhaps there will be further efforts.
Text of decision: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/pdf/11-889.pdf