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Jun 14, 2016

Dawson members explain SCOTUS ruling impact on Congress, Army Corps of Engineers

Credit: Dave Davis, Pine Barrens, NJ On May 31, a unanimous Supreme Court issued a decision with significant implications for federal clean water laws and especially the Obama Administration’s “Waters of the U.S.” regulation. The Court held that landowners could challenge an Army Corps of Engineer’s assertion of Clean Water Act jurisdiction over a parcel of land in Minnesota more than 120 miles from the Red River. So what will be the implications for Congress as it tries to

Jun 10, 2016

Understanding the Corps planning process for hurricane and flood risks

The latest issue of Municipal Water Leader features an article on hurricane and flood planning by D&A’s Ed Dickey. Congrats to our colleague Ed Dickey, who has an important article in the new issue of Municipal Water Leader on the Army Corps of Engineers’ hurricane and flood planning processes. During Ed’s long career with the Corps, he served in several capacities including Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Works. He also was Chief of the P

Feb 11, 2016

A Narrow View of the Appropriations Process May Mislead Readers

Congress has authorized $405 million to improve the river locks and dams of the United States over the next fiscal year. Recently, The Wall Street Journal posted an article about federal spending on lock and dam repair along the Monongahela River in Ohio. Excerpts: The Ohio and Mississippi River lock-and-dam systems are slated to receive an influx of federal money for much needed repairs, despite an uncertain future for the coal shipping industry they serve. [River infrastruc

Jan 5, 2016

Scott Cameron takes Water Conservation District oath

D&A Senior Advisor Scott Cameron Congratulations to our colleague Scott Cameron, who recently took the oath of office as Director of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). This is an elective office and Scott received nearly 91,000 votes in last month’s election. This was his first attempt at elective office. Scott joined our firm three years ago, after more than 20 years of government service at the federal and state levels. The NVSWCD’s mission

Dec 17, 2015

Colorado’s “New” Water Plan

Colorado’s comprehensive water plan may face funding issues, but may represent a more prosperous future for the state. Since the writings of Solomon nearly 3,000 years ago, it has been said that “there is nothing new under the sun.” He was not referring to the continuous planning by water officials in the West, but he could not have described it better. Last month, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced what he called Colorado’s “first-ever” comprehensive water plan. I

Nov 20, 2015

The future of federal water policy

Policies affecting water and environmental permitting will change in the coming years. Despite Federal water policy currently being in a state of legal limbo (for more, see here), it seems a near certainty that policies affecting water and environmental permitting will change in the coming years. Our colleague Don Riley addressed this issue in speeches at Harvard Law School and MIT. An excerpt: Let’s talk about Federal water policy and answer the question “Why is the Army in

Nov 12, 2015

The Tenn-Tom Waterway Honors Don Waldon

Tenn-Tom Lock When Don Waldon retired in 2005 after 21 years as Administrator of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, Bob Dawson was honored to welcome him to Dawson & Associates. It was an easy decision for him: Under Don’s leadership at the Tenn-Tom Authority, the organization significantly improved the economic well-being and quality of life in the four-state region and the nation. D&A Senior Advisor Don Waldon Recently, the Authority held a ceremony fo

Sep 1, 2015

Obama Administration’s “waters” rule enjoined by Federal judge

The Waters of the United States rule expands the control of the Federal Government over land and water resources traditionally regulated at the state and local level. On August 27, North Dakota federal judge Ralph Erickson blocked implementation of the Obama Administration’s controversial “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule the day before it was to formally take effect. Judge Erickson ruled that the 13 states suing to block the rule were entitled to a preliminary injun

Mar 29, 2015

Bridge over troubled…

Few issues are as important to Florida as water protection and maintenance. Last November, Florida voters by an almost 3-1 margin approved a ballot initiative funding the state’s Land Acquisition Trust to further its environmental efforts. Last Friday, our colleague (and Florida native) Estus Whitfield weighed in on the State Legislature’s need for action on this issue. For nearly 20 years, Estus served as the principal environmental advisor to four Florida Governors. In The

Sep 30, 2014

EPA moves on Great Lakes clean-up

A satellite view of the Great Lakes The Federal Government’s recent announcement of Phase II of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is important news. The Great Lakes are a national and international treasure. Outside of the polar ice caps they are the largest surface freshwater system on Earth. They are essential to the over 30 million people living in the Great Lakes Basin, providing water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses. Pollu

Apr 22, 2013

Water, water everywhere

The Housatonic River Forty years ago this week, President Richard Nixon signed the Clean Water Act of 1972. That legislation spawned a generation of both major improvements in our water supplies and (alas!) much ongoing litigation. Earlier today, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies held a policy forum in Washington, DC to commemorate this legislation and explore how the Act’s Congressional intent matches today’s reality. The forum’s highlight was a panel discuss

Nov 7, 2012

Hurricane Sandy – Another Stark Reminder

The flooding devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. (Photo courtesy of FEMA) Even a brief look at television news these days shows the immense devastation from Hurricane Sandy. Worse, this is yet another depressing reminder of the consequences of our inadequate attention to infrastructure planning and investments that can mitigate damage from a major storm. The numbers alone are stunning: Sandy was more than 1000 miles in diameter with sustained winds of 110 miles per hour

Feb 27, 2012

Dawson advisor appointed to Gulf Coast research organization

Dawson & Associates is proud to announce that one of our Senior Advisors, Retired Major General Thomas Sands, has been appointed to the board of The Water Institute of the Gulf (TWIG), a newly formed independent, applied research organization dedicated to research advancing the understanding of coastal and deltaic systems and applying this knowledge for the benefit of society. We are pleased that Tom is applying his strong leadership skills of a lifetime and his always creati