Attorney Program – Groundwater Adjudications Past & Present: Lessons from Watermaster Counsel
May 6, 2026
Moderator, ACWA 2026 Spring Conference
We’re pleased to announce that Downey Brand partner Meredith Nikkel will serve as co-moderator alongside Brett Stroud for the ACWA 2026 Spring Conference panel, “Attorney Program – Groundwater Adjudications Past & Present: Lessons from Watermaster Counsel,” taking place on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This timely panel will explore the evolution of groundwater adjudications in California, beginning with the earliest cases in the 1930s as Southern California expanded into agricultural regions. Panelists will examine how stipulated judgments, court-appointed watermasters, and physical solutions shaped basin management across the state.
Drawing on decades of experience, the discussion will also address the impact of the Legislature’s 2015 reforms, which introduced new rules to enhance groundwater adjudications. Now, ten years and several comprehensive adjudications later, counsel for watermasters will share key successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
The panel will also provide insight into how traditional adjudication tools—such as water markets and court-supervised management structures—can be integrated with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). With recent appellate court guidance on the first adjudication filed under the updated statutes, and critical SGMA planning deadlines approaching for non-adjudicated basins, this session will offer valuable perspective on both the past and future of groundwater management in California.
Join us for an engaging and forward-looking discussion on what these developments mean for water law practitioners and basin stakeholders statewide.
The ACWA 2026 Spring Conference will be held in Sacramento at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, Hyatt Regency and Sheraton Grand from May 5–7, 2026, bringing together California’s water leaders to address today’s challenges and shape the future. Through intentional dialogue, discussion forums and informational sessions spanning state and federal policy, finance, legal issues and more, the conference is the premier destination for those committed to caring for California’s water resources now and for generations to come.
For more information and to register, visit the event website.