Breaking Down California's Negotiations Over Water

In a deal struck during the Clinton administration, Southern California’s excessive reliance on Colorado River water must be planned out by the end of this year. The consequences of not meeting this demand would be severe, with the federal government cutting off the Colorado River to California. With mass desalination still part of the future, the solution to meet California’s water demand had to come from conservation and the optimized use of existing water supply. The recent agreement between the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the San Diego Water Authority was a key to solving the region’s water problem. To analyze the deal, MIR is pleased to present this interview with David Hayes, Washington, D.C. partner of Latham & Watkins and the former Deputy Secretary of the Interior under President Clinton.

Thanks to Larry Segal