Understand the complex and contentious process of allocating California’s water resources. Gain a comprehensive overview of the legal and regulatory framework for surface water and groundwater rights, as well as the environmental laws that regulate water use. Topics include:
- Allocation of surface water through appropriative and riparian rights
- California's system of groundwater rights
- Authority of the State Water Resources Control Board
- Protecting Northern California’s area of origin laws
- Environmental protections under the public trust doctrine, the Endangered Species Act, CEQA, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Fish and Game Code
- California water institutions: the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Water Resources and local water agencies
- Federal Reclamation Law and the Central Valley Project Improvement Act
- Legal constraints on water transfers
- Allocating interstate rivers: Colorado River Basin and Klamath River Basin
- California's water hub: understanding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta and its regulatory and planning context
Course Format and Pacing
This is an online remote learning course delivered through UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, Canvas, with supplemental live sessions hosted on Zoom. The course consists of approximately 6.5 hours of content, combining pre-recorded lectures with a mandatory live Zoom session led by the instructor(s).