Panel 1 I Organized by Stanford Law and UC Berkeley Law
Frameworks for Addressing Transboundary Governance Issues
In light of mounting tension between California and the federal government over water management, this panel will explore the mechanisms available for resolving disputes that shape California’s water future. From clashes between state and federal authority to conflicts among western states and even international agreements with Mexico, California sits at the center of increasingly complex governance challenges. The panel will examine how legal frameworks, compacts, treaties, and judicial decisions mediate these disputes, and what new pressures—climate change, biodiversity loss, and population growth—mean for the durability of existing arrangements.
- Buzz Thompson, Professor, Stanford Law School
- JB Hamby, Colorado River Board of California
- Maria Giner, Former International Boundary and Water Commission
- Meredith Nikkel, Partner, Downey Brand (moderator)
Panel 2 I Organized by Santa Clara Law and UC Davis Law
Mechanisms for and Barriers to Providing Vulnerable Communities Access to Safe Drinking Water
Earlier this year, the Trump Administration terminated the EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Grant Program. The program, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, allocated billions of dollars in grant funding to vulnerable communities, advocacy groups, local governments, and academic institutions nationwide for climate and environmental justice initiatives. Cuts to federal grant funding have placed additional pressure on state and local funding sources to support clean drinking water projects. Our panelists will discuss the mechanisms local communities, governments, and environmental non-profits have historically relied on to ensure Californians have access to safe drinking water, current threats to those mechanisms in light of federal cuts, and preparation for the future.
- Tseming Yang, Santa Clara University School of Law (moderator)
- Jennifer Clary, Clean Water Action
- Additional panelists TBA
Keynote I Organized by UC Law San Francisco
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Delta Aerial by Ken James, California Department of Water Resources
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Panel 3 I Organized by McGeorge School of Law
State and Local Approaches to Reforming Hatcheries to Further Salmon Recovery in California
California’s 2024 Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future identifies improvement of salmon hatcheries as an important step for species protection and climate resilience, a call to action echoed by the Public Policy Institute of California. This panel will examine how evolving hatchery policies intersect with broader strategies for recovery of wild, native salmon under both federal and state law, comparing and contrasting the interplay between the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and exploring how these frameworks shape conservation objectives and hatchery operations. Speakers will discuss issues deeply connected to salmon recovery such as ecosystem-based management and habitat restoration, and assess the potential for using modern climate-smart conservation tools related to genetics and diversity.
Panel 4 I Organized by University of San Francisco School of Law
Watershed Health and Deregulation
This panel will examine how California state agencies, regional water boards, local governments, and community partners are advancing watershed health in a time of federal turbulence. Despite weakened federal protections, innovative state and local efforts are safeguarding water quality, biodiversity, and community resilience. Panelists will share perspectives from state regulators, regional boards, local water managers, litigators, nonprofit advocates, and a tribal representative, highlighting how enforcement, litigation, community action, and tribal stewardship are filling federal gaps. The discussion will emphasize strategies that ensure watershed health, promote environmental justice, and secure equitable access to safe and resilient water resources for all communities.
