Water Policy

Catalog description

Offered spring. Restricted to students with at least junior status. This course explores the laws, policies, and judicial decisions that have shaped and continue to influence patterns of water allocation and access in the United States. The course offers a general introduction to U.S. water law, specifically highlighting regional and interstate differences in both surface and groundwater appropriation schemes. Important intersections between water policy and other major bodies of U.S. law and policy are investigated, including the U.S.-tribal trust responsibility, the Clean Water Act the Endangered Species Act, and federal hydropower relicensing processes. In addition, special attention is paid to unique aspects of Montana water law and policy as well as current issues of local and regional importance. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate