Water Rights

BB&K has been a nationally recognized force in water law since James Krieger's significant role in implementing the State Water Project. Today, BB&K's water rights practice enjoys such national prominence that a BB&K attorney has had the honor of being selected by the United States Supreme Court to serve as Special Master of a large water rights dispute between two states.

As general counsel to both large and small water providers, BB&K represents dozens of public agencies that serve water to more than 21 million people in addition to countless developer, agricultural, and manufacturing clients. We regularly advise public agency and private clients across California on all aspects regarding allocation of scarce water supplies. As part of this service, we aid in the acquisition, development and maintenance of surface and ground water rights as well as navigating issues related to regional management of water supplies and water transfers. We routinely appear before federal and state courts across California and the West, as well as the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, in water rights cases.

We are also regularly involved in drafting water legislation, and many of our attorneys regularly teach university seminars and courses on water rights law. We serve as outside counsel to a variety of emerging nations, including South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia and St. Lucia, as they develop their water laws.