Water Resources Law

Catalog description

This survey course examines the legal and policy issues governing water quality and resource allocation in the United States. Students will be introduced to both the Prior Appropriation systems of the western United States and the Reasonable Use systems dominating the eastern states. We will study key laws that affect water quality and quantity, including the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and others. Students will also explore emerging issues in water policy, including the regulation of 'forever chemicals,' protection of wetlands, and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, among other policy issues. Throughout the course, students will study how environmental justice relates to water resource management.