Water in the West: An Introduction for Land Trusts

This course is intended as a focused introduction to this vast topic, an entry point for staff, board and volunteers.​

Nothing unites the diverse landscapes of the American West like water. Often too scarce, sometimes too abundant, always contested — water is the fundamental determinant of ecological and human health across our region.

​Land trusts across the West recognize the need for a rigorous and holistic approach to water in conservation planning and delivery. But do you and your organization feel uncertain where to start? Over four 90-minute sessions, this course will cover relevant history, law and policy governing water. The course will dive into understanding, working with and stewarding water rights and will survey approaches to working with water at the project, program and organization levels. Along the way, we’ll hear from land trusts working with water: some just getting started, others pushing the boundaries of innovation. Finally, we’ll create ample space for peer learning and basin-specific conversations.

Session 1 | November 12

• Introductions and background.

• The West’s water: the big picture.

• Current challenges and opportunities.

• A first look at water rights.

Session 2 | November 13

• A deeper dive of water rights, including, due diligence, easements considerations, engaging experts and equity considerations.

• System-level strategies.

• Where we go from here: maximizing water values on land projects and vice versa.

Session 3 | November 14

• Stewardship considerations for water related work.

• Showcase of western land trusts innovating around water.

Session 4 | November 15

Regional focus groups. Dependent on registration, we expect to have regional breakouts covering the Colorado Basin, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Missouri/Mississippi/Rio Grande and the Great Basin.

Topics covered will be determined by participants’ interests and could include

• State and/or basin-specific law, policy and planning efforts.

• Climate impacts to water quantity.

• Groundwater issues.

• Partnership development and maintenance.

• Drinking water protection.

• Water and community-centered conservation, e.g. water access (or lack thereof) in urban areas.

• "Fluid" or "moving" easements.

Registered Attendees: Please log in to view the session recordings for this course.