International Arbitration, Natural Resources, and Climate Change
U.S. Transboundary Water Map
U.S. Supreme Court Decisions and Compacts Regarding Allocation of Interstate Waters
Welcome to Draper & Draper’s database of U.S. interstate water allocations and disputes. The map's red lines are the USGS-designated boundaries of all interstate water basins in the continental United States.
To use the interactive map:
Click on any water drop to access that water basin's freshwater-related Supreme Court decisions and interstate compacts.
Magenta water drops indicate a basin with a dispute over interstate water allocation that is currently before the Supreme Court.
Blue water drops indicate basins with Supreme Court decisions or interstate compacts that allocate water between states.
White water drops indicate basins with no Supreme Court cases or compacts.
What the Database contains:
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U.S. Supreme Court interstate water decisions
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Interstate water compacts
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Where disputes are ongoing, links to the U.S. Supreme Court's dockets and, if the Court has appointed a Special Master, to the Special Master's docket
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International water allocation treaties to which the United States is a party
For a selection of Draper & Draper's transboundary water disputes publications, click here.
Have a suggestion on how we can improve the Draper & Draper Transboundary Water Disputes Database? Click Here
Historical Background
Gunboats on the Colorado: Interstate Water Controversies Past & Present
John B. Draper & Jeffrey J. Wechsler - 55 Rocky Mountain Law Institute Journal 18-1 (2009)
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A practitioner's view of the unique issues raised when interstate water disputes are heard by the United States Supreme Court.
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Measuring Damages
Secondary Damages in Interstate Compact Litigation
John B. Draper (co-author) - 48 Nat. Res. J. 679 (2008)
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Analysis of secondary economic damages caused by upstream States delivering less water to downstream States than required by interstate compact.
Resolving Transboundary Water Disputes
The Evolving Role of the Supreme Court in Interstate Water Disputes
International Law
The Challenges of Resolving International Non-Navigable Water Disputes
Matthew E. Draper, ABA SEER Alternative Dispute Resoultion Newsletter, Vol 12. No. 1, January 2016
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A review of the enforcement mechanisms applicable to international non-navigable water disputes, including those provided in the UN Watercourses Convention.