Water Laws and Regulations
DISCLAIMER
Before undertaking any on-demand effort, you should review the rules of your licensing/certifying entity.
It’s your responsibility to determine whether this on-demand course meets your continuing education requirements.
You must take and pass a quiz to receive credit. You can take the quiz as many times as needed and there is no time limit on the quiz.
Once the quiz is completed, you will be asked to download your certificate.
**Any on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Streamable MP4/PDF
You will receive an automated email letting you know when your On-Demand package is available approximately 3 business days after the date of the live event or the date of your order, whichever is later. This email will contain links to the video recording, materials, and program quiz.
To track your purchase, you will need to create an account on the website using the email address used for your registration.
For AIA requirements only, the on-demand recording will have occasional question prompts that will not allow the video to progress unless they are answered, and you will not be able to skip forward while watching the video.
Please note, if you attempt to resume watching the video on a separate device, your progress will not be saved.
Click the link which appears at the end of the video to be taken to the course quiz.
You will have unlimited access to the on-demand video recording, and it will never expire.
**Any streamable on-demand programs that qualify for AIA or LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
USB MP4/PDF
HalfMoon will mail these materials via USPS.
USB orders ship approximately 3 business days after the program takes place or after the order is placed, whichever date is later. Please allow an additional 7-10 business days for shipping.
The link to the quiz will be available in a PDF in your USB drive marked QUIZ.
HalfMoon will contact you and issue a full refund if the product you ordered is not available. However, refunds will not be issued if completion certificates are requested.
Please contact HalfMoon Education if you have any questions during the process of taking this course. (715) 835-5900 or qchapman@halfmoonseminars.org
**Any USB on-demand programs that qualify for LACES credit will require an additional 2 business weeks for processing.
**AIA credit is not available in USB format.
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 – 11:45 am
Lunch (On your own): 11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Afternoon Session: 12:45 – 4:30 pm
History & Development of Water Laws in Montana J. Connors
Development of the statutory and common law of water rights in Montana
Development of the law on water quality preservation
Overview of applicable federal, state, and local regulators
Comprehensive water planning issues for clients
Water Utility Regulation After CFC v. Tubbs R. Keogh
How CFC v. Tubbs changed Montana’s exempt well rules
Water utilities for new subdivisions?
Small private water utility regulation
Design and planning considerations for water system regulation
Understanding Montana Groundwater Rights J. Merritt
Surface water and groundwater – legal definitions
Historic (pre-1973) groundwater appropriations
Post-73 groundwater regulations
Controlled groundwater areas
Stream depletion zones
Fundamentals of Groundwater Supply and E. Clark
Current Issues in Groundwater Regulation
Types of aquifers
Areas in Montana studied by Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
DNRC pump test requirements and variance requests
Current issues in groundwater regulation
Urban Water Management: M. Meredith
Issues Facing Growing Municipalities in Montana
Stormwater management
Wastewater disposal
Construction dewatering
Water Rights Adjudication in Montana D. Pepper, J. Weiner
The process: decrees, objections, counter objections,
notice of intent to appear, adjudication, motions to amend
Recent case law: public service companies, burden of proof, abandonment
Ethical Issues in Water Law: Working With the A. Brown
Self-Represented Litigant in Water Court Proceedings
Water Court Rule 33: licensed attorney representation
Ethical challenges for attorneys litigating against self-represented litigants
Ethical considerations for judicial staff and
non-attorney professionals: information vs. legal advice
DNRC Combined Appropriation Guidance J. Nave
DNRC implementation of the Sherlock Ruling
DEQ–DNRC Memorandum of Understanding and DNRC subdivision reviews
Credits
Montana Attorneys & Paralegals
6.5 CLE Hours (1.0 Ethics Hour)
Montana Professional Engineers
6.5 PDHs
6.5 MSE Approved PDHs
Montana Geologists
Non-Mandatory CE
Idaho Attorneys
CLE Approval Pending
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public. The State Bar of Montana has approved this activity for 6.5 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hour. HalfMoon Education has applied to the Idaho State Bar for attorney CLE course approval, which is pending.
The Montana Society of Engineers has recommended the approval of 6.5 PDHs for this event. Professional engineers licensed in most other states will be able to claim continuing education credit for completing this seminar. Refer to specific state continuing education rules to determine eligibility or contact HalfMoon Education for assistance.
This course offers a continuing education opportunity to Montana geologists. Continuing education is not required for license maintenance in Montana.
Attendance will be monitored and reported, as required by the course approval entities. Attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Abigail Brown
Moore, O’Connell & Refling, P.C.Partner, Moore, O’Connell & Refling, P.C., BozemanMs. Brown practices primarily in the area of water law. She represents individuals and entities from all corners of Montana in water rights adjudication proceedings before the Montana Water Court, administration proceedings before the Montana DNRC, enforcement actions in Montana district courts and water rights issues in real estate transactions. She is a member of the Montana State Bar Dispute Resolution Committee and was recently appointed as co-chair of the Montana Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on Self-Represented Litigants.
Emily Clark
WGM GroupHydrologist, WGM Group, MissoulaMs. Clark has over five years of experience managing water resources in government, academic, and private settings, and has a strong educational background in Watershed Hydrology. She has designed and conducted surface water, groundwater, and soil investigations to ensure that comprehensive and accurate information is available for management decisions.
Jack Connors
Shareholder, Doney Crowley P.C.
Mr. Connors is a shareholder with Doney Crowley P.C. His practice areas include environmental litigation, regulations, permitting, construction law, natural resource development, real property and easement litigation, administrative law and appeals from agency actions, water law and Water Court litigation. Mr. Connors is a member of the Montana Bar Association. He brings a unique perspective to the practice of law. After obtaining a degree in Mathematics from Montana State University, he founded and operated Connors Construction, LLC, which specialized in building multi-million dollar custom residences in Big Sky, Montana. He always had an interest in the complex nature of the law and chose to couple his ten years of small business, real estate, and natural resources expertise with a Juris Doctorate degree. In 2013, Mr. Connors graduated with honors from the University of Montana School of Law. Since then he has focused on construction litigation, real property disputes, environmental litigation, business disputes, and water law.
Ross Keogh
Worden Thane, P.C.Associate Attorney, Worden Thane, P.C. in MissoulaMr. Keogh’s practice focuses on issues of corporate formation, natural resources, business planning and succession, and taxation. He previously worked as a planner and analyst supporting the development of renewable energy projects across the western United States. Mr. Keogh has a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Montana and is licensed to practice law in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
Michael Meredith
HydroSolutions,Hydrogeologist, HydroSolutions, BillingsMr. Meredith has a decade of professional geologic, hydrogeologic and environmental experience in Wyoming and Montana. In his current position, he focuses on the application of field studies, analytical models and statistical methods. Mr. Meredith’s work involves investigating property damage associated with groundwater or surface water, water rights permitting, construction dewatering plans and modeling, groundwater and soil contamination investigations, and analysis in support of energy and natural resource projects.
Julie Merritt
WGM GroupWater Resource Specialist, WGM Group, MissoulaMs. Merritt has spent more than 19 years working closely with private property owners involved in state and federal water conservation programs and preparing water right analyses for public and private organizations. Her experience includes locating and analyzing historical documents, maps and aerial photographs, analyzing Montana Water Court decrees for water right clients, and preparing water right permit and change of use applications with the Montana DNRC.
Jim Nave
DNRC Water Resources Regional ManagerDNRC Water Resources Regional Manager, MissoulaMr. Nave has 19 years of experience working in water resources. He worked for five years with a local water rights consulting firm before taking a position with DNRC as a water resource specialist. In that position Mr. Nave maintained water right ownership records, performed claims examination and processed water right permit and change applications. He was promoted to deputy regional manager and to regional manager, and he oversees Mineral, Granite, Ravalli and Missoula Counties.
Dana Pepper
Pepper Law Firm, PLLCPepper Law Firm, PLLC, BozemanMs. Pepper served as a water master at the Montana Water Court for six years before opening her own law practice in 2014. This experience resulted in a unique knowledge of the water adjudication system and the distribution of water across the state. Ms. Pepper received her JD and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Montana.
Jay Weiner
Montana Assistant Attorney GeneralMontana Assistant Attorney General, HelenaMr. Weiner spent nine years as a staff attorney for the Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission before becoming an assistant attorney general. He represents the State of Montana in the Montana Water Court on issues relating to the non-perfection or abandonment of state law-based water rights claims filed in the Montana General Stream Adjudication and other issues of state-wide importance, including the decree of compacts settling the reserved water rights claims of Indian tribes and federal agencies in Montana. Mr. Weiner also serves on the Water Adjudication Advisory Committee.