On Wednesday, March 20, SCOTUS heard arguments in Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado which have major implications in water usage from the Rio Grande River.
Salt Lake City partner and water law expert, Gage Zobell, spoke to national and local media outlets about the arguments and what the SCOTUS decision would mean for the states in regard to the Rio Grande River - and even the Colorado River.
"The Supreme Court’s decision will have far-reaching effects above and beyond the water allocation and usage with the Rio Grande system,” said Gage. “The decision changes the legal landscape as to whether the US, in particular the Bureau of Reclamation, will push to be a party to any future compact settlement.”
Gage spoke to reporter Jennifer Yachnin from E&E News by Politico about how the Supreme Court Rio Grande case will tee up more western water fights.
Read the full article on E&E News.
In an interview with ABC News affiliate in Colorado, Denver 7, Gage told reporter Jessica Crawford that “Colorado is in two major river basins, Rio Grande, and the Colorado River Basin, where we’re going to be having potential ongoing litigation as we move forward in drought conditions. The thing we want is for the United States government to be granted the status of an intervener.”
Watch the full Denver 7 news report.
Gage was also interviewed on KXAN-NBC in Austin, Texas about what this SCOTUS case means for the state and Rio Grande water rights when the decision comes in this spring. Watch the full interview from KXAN below: