The Colorado River: Lifeblood for the American Southwest
As seen on 9News
The Colorado River water scarcity crisis is nothing new. Though the Colorado River’s Lower Basin states – California, Arizona, and Nevada – agreed to use 13% less water through 2026, it’s not enough. The 9NEWS three-part series discussing the Colorado River crisis features Eklund. He shares his insights on the Prior Appropriation System, the Colorado River Compact, over-usage in the lower basin states, and the need for a long-term plan.
Sherman & Howard water law attorney James Eklund is considered an authority on water management in the American West. He is passionate about water law rights and is an advocate for smart water infrastructure. Eklund capitalizes on his experience as former director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and 20 years as a water law attorney by bringing awareness of water issues to the public. He has made several media appearances discussing the water rights of the Colorado River, water conservation, and water scarcity.
Watch or listen as James Eklund shares his insights on water in the West.
Water Rights Are At the Heart of Protecting the Colorado River
As seen on FT Climate Capital
The Colorado River Valley, the Grand Canyon equivalent of waterways in the US, is drying up amid the fighting for, and trading of water rights.
Upstream in Colorado mountain country, near the source of the majestic river itself, rancher, attorney, and former state water official James Eklund explains how some states ended up with greater shares of river water than others.
Water Conservation Tech
As heard on Florida Specifier Podcast
In this episode, Ryan and Brett discuss some of the past, present, and future of water conservation in Florida and how the state has stepped up in the last two decades to enlarge the “water pie”. Their conversation partners are Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Greyter Water Systems, John Bell, and renowned water law expert, James Eklund of the Sherman and Howard Law Firm.
Water Under Pressure
Sherman & Howard’s water law attorney James Eklund is a featured speaker in three episodes of the podcast series “Water, Under Pressure: The Uncertain Future of Colorado’s Most Valuable Resource,” sponsored by the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
In episode No. 2, Eklund explains how water rights work in Colorado, including the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation, which is unique to Colorado. In episode No. 4, Eklund discusses creating the first Colorado Water Plan in 2015, which addressed the growing demand for water. In the bonus episode on power and speculation, he discusses how government intervention can affect water users and water rights holders.
He is one of 18 voices in this series of six episodes discussing how Colorado communities must face tough choices about dwindling water resources, especially the crisis on the Colorado River. Eklund has been shaping Colorado water law for more than a decade.
To listen to the entire series, go the “Water Under Pressure” webpage hosted by the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.