16th Annual Conference – LIVE!
LAW of the RIO GRANDE
Colorado, Texas & New Mexico Issues
April 14-15, 2016 • La Fonda • Santa Fe
Dear Colleague:
In this 16th year of the Annual Law of the Rio Grande Conference, the need to bring
together experts and practitioners from across our three states to discuss current law
and policies related to the river has never been greater.
Conference Location &
Hotel Accommodations
This year’s conference will include experts representing a wide range of perspectives on
topics including:
• Introduction to the Rio Grande Basin
• Legislative and Litigation Update
• Ongoing Groundwater Management in Colorado
• Water Quality Issues in the Rio Grande
• Diligence Requirements for the Development of Water
• Southwestern States Water Commission
• Use It or Lose It Dialogue
• Priority Administration vs. Shortage Sharing Along the Rio Grande
• Texas v. New Mexico
• Waters of the US
• Interstate Stream Commission in New Mexico
… and more!
La Fonda on the Plaza
100 E. San Francisco St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
We look forward to seeing you in April.
Reports of an inn on this corner
stretch back nearly 200 years, or
twice as long by some accounts.
Famed Santa Fe architect John
Gaw Meem and celebrated
Southwest designer Mary Elizabeth
Jane Colter collaborated on the
hotel’s distinctive appearance,
creating the friendly ambiance that
has made La Fonda on the Plaza a
beloved landmark for generations.
Sincerely,
Hotel Reservations
Plus, you will have numerous in-person networking opportunities with your colleagues
and Rio Grande experts.
Timothy L. Brown, Esq.
Program Co-Chair
Sledge Law & Public
Strategies, Austin, TX
1-800-523-5002 or
(505) 982-5511
www.lafondasantafe.com/booking
Tessa T. Davidson, Esq.
Program Co-Chair
Davidson Law Firm
Corrales, NM
David W. Robbins, Esq.
Program Co-Chair
Hill & Robbins
Denver, CO
Enjoy the newly-renovated
La Fonda at special discount
rates exclusively for
Conference attendees.
Hotel sold out last year, so
reserve and register today!
PS – Join us for the Thursday evening private networking happy hour –
free to Conference attendees!
REGISTER NOW! cle.com/Rio16 or (800) 873-7130 Schedule and Information INSIDE
Thursday, April 14
8:00
8:30
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Welcome and Introduction to the
Rio Grande Basin
Timothy L. Brown, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Sledge Law & Public Strategies, Austin, TX
Tessa T. Davidson, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Davidson Law Firm, Corrales, NM
David W. Robbins, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Hill & Robbins, Denver, CO
9:00
9:45
10:00
Legislative and Litigation Update
3:45
4:00
9:45
10:00
Diligence Requirements for the
Development of Water
Colorado’s Conditional Water Rights
Sarah Klahn, Esq.
White & Jankowski, Denver, CO
New Mexico’s Relation Back Claims
Elizabeth Taylor, Esq.
Taylor & McCaleb, Corrales, NM
Networking Break
Southwestern States Water Commission
Welcome Back
Priority Administration vs. Shortage
Sharing Along the Rio Grande
Lower Rio Grande: Priority Administration v. Shortage Sharing Proposals
Greg Ridgley, Esq., General Counsel
Office of the State Engineer, Santa Fe, NM
New Groundwater Regulations
Bill Paddock, Esq.
Carlson, Hammond & Paddock, Denver, CO
So Secret, Occult, and Concealed:
An Overview of Groundwater Management in Texas
Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator
Water Science and Conservation Texas Water Development
Board, Austin, TX
Networking Break
Texas v. New Mexico
Irrigation District Perspective
Sarah Bond, Esq., Assistant Attorney General
State of New Mexico, Office of the Attorney General, Santa Fe, NM
Steve L. Hernandez, Esq.
Law Office of Steven L. Hernandez, Las Cruces, NM
Stuart Somach, Esq.
Somach, Simmons & Dunn, Sacramento, CA
Chad Wallace, Esq., Senior Assistant Attorney General
Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Denver, CO
Ongoing Groundwater Management
in Colorado
New Mexico Copper Mine Rule
Tannis Fox, Esq., Assistant Attorney General
State of New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, Santa Fe, NM
Malaga Bend Salinity Alleviation Project, Texas
Suzy Valentine, PE, Engineer Advisor
Texas Interstate River Compact Commissions
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Austin, TX
Animas River Spill: Could it Happen in the Rio Grande?
Pat Pfaltzgraff, Esq., Water Quality Control Division Director
Colorado Department of Public Health, Denver, CO
2:45
8:35
An Update from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Estevan López, Commissioner
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, DC
Networking Break
The Proposal for New Subdistricts
Steve Vandiver, General Manager and
Amber Pacheco, Deputy Program Manager
Rio Grande Water Conservation District, Alamosa, CO
12:00 Lunch Break (on your own)
1:15
Water Quality Issues for the Rio Grande
Continental Breakfast
Overview of Day Two
Timothy L. Brown, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Tessa T. Davidson, Esq., Program Co-Chair
David W. Robbins, Esq., Program Co-Chair
Featured Presentation
Developments in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas
Seth Fullerton, Esq.
Stein & Brockmann, Santa Fe, NM
Brian L. Sledge, Esq.
Sledge Law & Public Strategies, Austin, TX
Kate Ryan, Esq.
Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, Boulder, CO
11:15
Friday, April 15
8:00
8:30
11:15
12:15
1:30
“Waters of the US”
Point/CounterPoint
Mark Pifher, Esq.
Colorado Springs Utilites, Colorado Springs, CO
Melinda Kassen, Esq., Principal
Waterjamin Legal & Policy Consulting, Denver, CO
Lunch Break (on your own)
Ethics
Expert Witnesses and Discovery
Steve Leonhardt, Esq.
Burns, Figa & Will, Greenwood Village, CO
2:45
Interstate Stream Commission in
New Mexico
An Update from the Commission
Deborah Dixon, Deputy State Engineer and Director
New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, Santa Fe, NM
3:30
Q&A
4:00
Members of the Faculty
Evaluations and Adjourn
What It Is and What It Means for Us
Representative Lyle Larson
Texas House of Representatives, Austin, TX
4:45
5:30
Use It or Lose It Dialogue
What Does It Really Mean
Reagan Waskom, Director
Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO
Adjourn to a Private Networking Happy Hour –
Free to Conference Attendees
Earn up to 12 Hours MCLE Credit
Including One Hour of Ethics
Earn up to 12 Hours Engineering Credit
REGISTER NOW! cle.com/Rio16 or (800) 873-7130
MEET YOUR DISTINGUISHED FACULTY
PROGRAM ATTORNEY: Kristi Disney, [email protected]
PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS
FACULTY
Timothy L. Brown has focused on water law,
having dealt for almost 50 years with water
rights, administrative law, and governmental and
legislative practice. He is the former Chief of the
Environmental Protection Division of the Texas
Attorney General’s Office, general counsel of the
Texas Water Rights Commission, and served for
over 20 years with the Texas Bar Association’s
Administrative and Public Law Section, including
several terms as its chairman.
Sarah Bond, Esq., Assistant Attorney General
State of New Mexico, Office of the Attorney
General, Santa Fe, NM
Deborah Dixon
Deputy State Engineer and Director
New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
Santa Fe, NM
Tannis Fox, Esq., Assistant Attorney General
State of New Mexico Office of the Attorney
General, Santa Fe, NM
Seth Fullerton, Esq.
Stein & Brockmann, Santa Fe, NM
Steve L. Hernandez, Esq.
Law Office of Steven L. Hernandez
Las Cruces, NM
Melinda Kassen, Esq., Principal
Waterjamin Legal & Policy Consulting
Denver, CO
Sarah Klahn, Esq.
White & Jankowski, Denver, CO
Representative Lyle Larson
Texas House of Representatives, Austin, TX
Steve Leonhardt, Esq.
Burns, Figa & Will, Greenwood Village, CO
Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator
Water Science and Conservation Texas Water
Development Board, Austin, TX
Amber Pacheco, Deputy Program Manager
Rio Grande Water Conservation District
Alamosa, CO
Tessa Davidson has twenty years of experience
practicing in the areas of water law and natural
resources. She is the founding member of
the Davidson Law Firm, LLC in Corrales, New
Mexico, and represents clients in the acquisition
and protection of water rights, and in waterrights litigation.
David W. Robbins emphasizes water and
natural resources law, water quality, and
environmental law. Since 1981, he has served
as General Counsel to the Rio Grande Water
Conservation District, where he has led efforts
to defeat proposals to mine the ground water of
Colorado’s San Luis Valley.
FEATURED PRESENTER
Estevan López, Commissioner
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, DC
4 EASY WAYS
TO REGISTER
1 cle.com/Rio16
2
FAX
(303) 321-6320
YES! Please register the following:
Name___________________________________________________________________
Email_________________________________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________ Email_________________________________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________ Email_________________________________________________________________
Firm____________________________________________________________________
3
Bill Paddock, Esq.
Carlson, Hammond & Paddock, Denver, CO
Pat Pfaltzgraff, Esq.
Water Quality Control Division Director
Colorado Department of Public Health
Denver, CO
Mark Pifher, Esq.
Colorado Springs Utilites, Colorado Springs, CO
Greg Ridgley, Esq., General Counsel
Office of the State Engineer, Santa Fe, NM
Kate Ryan, Esq.
Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, Boulder, CO
Brian L. Sledge, Esq.
Sledge Law & Public Strategies, Austin, TX
Stuart Somach, Esq.
Somach, Simmons & Dunn, Sacramento, CA
Elizabeth Taylor, Esq.
Taylor & McCaleb, Corrales, NM
Suzy Valentine, PE, Engineer Advisor
Texas Interstate River Compact Commissions
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Austin, TX
Steve Vandiver, General Manager
Rio Grande Water Conservation District
Alamosa, CO
Chad Wallace, Esq.
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Denver, CO
Reagan Waskom, Director
Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO
PHONE
(800) 873-7130
4
Course Materials provided in electronic format.
Tuition – same price as last year!
q $895 per person
q $795 each for two or more
q $795 each for government, 501(c)(3) organizations, full-time judges,
law students and paralegals
q $695 each for two or more government, 501(c)(3) organizations, fulltime judges, law students and paralegals
Home Study – available after the Conference
Audio transcript and course materials
q $895 plus $10 shipping and handling
Address_ _______________________________________________________________
Course Materials Only
q $250 plus $10 shipping and handling
City____________________________________________________________
Payment
State________________________Zip+4_ _________________________________
Phone______________________________Fax_ _________________________________
MAIL
7995 East Prentice Avenue
Suite 200
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Check payable to CLE International $_______________________ or
q charge my:
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Cancellation
Cardholder Name________________________________________________
Full tuition refunds (less a $75 administrative charge) will be given only if
notice of cancellation is received by 5:00 pm MST on the Friday prior to
the Conference. Substitutions may be made at any time.
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Signature_ ______________________________________________________
©2016 CLE INTERNATIONAL SFERIO16
REGISTER NOW! cle.com/Rio16 or (800) 873-7130
LAW of the RIO GRANDE
Colorado, Texas & New Mexico Issues
April 14-15, 2016 • La Fonda • Santa Fe
Earn up to 12 Hours MCLE Credit
Including One Hour of Ethics
Earn up to 12 Hours Engineering Credit
16th Annual Conference – LIVE!
REGISTER NOW! cle.com/Rio16 or (800) 873-7130
LAW of the RIO GRANDE
The Latest from Experts in Colorado,
New Mexico & Texas!
April 14-15, 2016 • La Fonda • Santa Fe
Featured Presentation
Featuring Experts From:
An Update from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Estevan López, Commissioner
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, DC
Estevan López is the 22nd Commissioner of the Bureau of
Reclamation, which is the largest wholesale water supplier in
the United States and the nation’s second largest producer of
hydroelectric power. As Commissioner, López directs an agency of
more than 5,000 employees who help maintain 475 dams and 337
reservoirs that provide more than 30 million acre-feet (10 trillion
gallons) of water for 31 million people in the West. The Commissioner
is also responsible for Reclamation’s maintenance of 53 hydroelectric power plants that
generate 40 billion kilowatt hours annually – about 15 percent of the nation’s hydropower
– and provides one out of five Western farmers with irrigation water for farmland that is
the source of much of the nation’s produce. Since his confirmation on December 17, 2014,
Commissioner López has been a key player in ensuring the sustainability and security of
water and power supplies for our economy and future generations.
• Colorado Attorney General’s Office
• Colorado Department of Public Health
• Colorado Water Institute at
Colorado State University
• New Mexico Attorney General’s Office
• New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
• New Mexico Office of the State Engineer
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Texas House of Representatives
• Texas Water Development Board
• Rio Grande Water Conservation District
• US Bureau of Reclamation
… and top law firms across the country.
REGISTER NOW! cle.com/Rio16 or (800) 873-7130