Water Resources Practice
Water law has a controversial and complicated history arising from competing demands placed upon the water supply by cities, industry, farms, tribes, recreation, fish and wildlife. The water in the Pacific Northwest’s rivers, streams, and aquifers may seem plentiful, but current and projected uses indicate that adequate water will be difficult to maintain, particularly in this era of climate change. Policymakers and stakeholders throughout the West are daily challenged by such contemporary issues as municipal water supply, instream flows for endangered species, and federal and tribal reserved rights.
Marten Law Group helps clients resolve water resource issues involving rights to surface water and groundwater. Our lawyers have handled challenges over water rights before administrative hearings boards, as well as advising clients in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hydropower proceedings. We identify, analyze, and implement plans to help our clients obtain, use, and preserve water sufficient to meet their needs through watershed planning, general stream adjudication, water right litigation, well licensing, mitigation, and municipal water system development.