The Culture of Water

Watering the West: The Evolution of Ownership, Control and Conflict in the West

October 13 - 15, 2005
Buffalo Bill Historical Center

Water is life. In the 19th century American West, water rights laws were developed to stabilize access and control this precious resource. However, attainability and rights to water are still sources of conflict today. In the arid lands of the American West, the federal government, states, sovereign tribes, corporations and individuals all want increased amounts, creating ongoing struggles.

The Culture of Water symposium brings together water specialists from the fields of law, commerce, history and environmental studies to explore this important and timely topic.

Sponsorship

A cooperative event with the University of Wyoming College of Law. Supported by a generous gift from the William H. Donner Foundation.

Schedule for October 13-15, 2005

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Opening Reception
5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery

Friday, October 14, 2005

Symposium is held in the BBHC's Coe Auditorium unless otherwise noted.

Opening Lecture - Friday Morning, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Charles Wilkinson, Ph.D., author, Crossing the Next Meridian: Land, Water and the Future of the West

Session I - Friday Morning, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The Emergence of Conflict: From Unregulated Use to Preservation and Conservation

Moderator: Reed Benson, Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming College of Law

Speakers:
John Echohawk - Native American Rights Fund
Anne MacKinnon - Journalist, writer, historian
Janet Neuman - Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon
Elizabeth Rieke - Bureau of Reclamation, Area Manager, Lahontan Basin

Lunch & Guest Speaker - 12:45 - 2:15 p.m.
John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery

Speaker: The Honorable Alan K. Simpson, United States Senator (Ret.)

Session II - Friday Afternoon, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

The Platte River: Case Study for Interjurisdictional Conflicts

Moderator: Betsy Rieke, Bureau of Reclamation, Carson City, Nevada

Speakers:
David Freeman, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Colorado State University
"The Platte River Basin: The Context for the Conflicts"

Roger Patterson, President, Patterson Consulting, Inc.
"Growth & Drought: Stresses on the Supply Create the Conflicts"

Dan Luecke, Ph.D., Board President, Colorado Conservation Fund
"The Endangered Species Act: The Law Creates the Conflicts"

Banquet & Keynote Speaker - 6:30 p.m.
John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery

Keynote Speaker: Tom Sansonetti, Holland & Hart, Former Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources, U.S. Department of Justice

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Session III - Saturday Morning, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Future Water Outlook: Emerging Issues

Moderator: Harold Bergman, Ph.D., Director, Institute and School for Environment and Natural Resources

Speakers:
Mark Gordon, President, Merlin Ranch, Inc.
Daniel Luecke, Ph.D., Board President, Coloraddo Conservation Fund
Tom Jensen, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, LLP
Edward Barbier, Ph.D., John S. Bugas Professor of Economics, University of Wyoming
Lisa Graumlich, Ph.D., Executive Director, Big Sky Institute for Science & Natural History, Montana State University

Keynote Lunch & Tour of BBHC, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Bill Bradley, United States Senator (Ret.)

Session IV - Saturday Afternoon, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Summation & Closing Remarks

For more information please contact Dr. Robert Pickering.