Law Week Colorado interviewed Taft water law attorney and architect of Colorado’s Water Plan James Eklund on the complex legal issues surrounding the Colorado River Compact and the river’s water supply. Eklund discussed the dispute between the Upper and Lower Basins, the role the Supreme Court of the United States could play in future negotiations, and the need for collaborative diplomacy to reach a long-term solution.

“The path forward isn’t found in a courtroom,” said Eklund. “It’s found in smart infrastructure, public-private partnerships, flexible market-based conservation strategies and fully integrating the senior water rights of sovereign tribal nations into a collaborative framework.”

Read the full article HERE.

Eklund leads Taft’s Water and Natural Resources practice area. He is a strong advocate for smart water infrastructure and a recognized authority on water management in the American West. Eklund works with sovereign governments, multi-state authorities, state agencies, and private interests to deliver critical water infrastructure projects and to design policy regarding water law, natural resources, infrastructure, and environmental protection.