Water Resources

GDB’s technical and legal expertise covers the wide range of water resource issues, from water supply and water quality to hydrology, stormwater management, and permitting for impacts to wetlands and U.S. waters. 

There is perhaps no resource of greater value in California than water. GDB’s attorneys and resource specialists work with various experts in the water subdisciplines – such as water chemistry, wetlands biology, fish and amphibian habitat and behavior, and water supply and conservation – to assist public and private sector clients whose projects increase water demand and/or affect streams, drainage courses, U.S. waters, wetlands, or vernal pools. GDB assists clients in preparing necessary CEQA and NEPA compliance technical documents, where impacts to such resources must be assessed and mitigated. As part of this work, GDB often brings together experts in different fields, such as water quality and biology, to address impacts where two or more technical disciplines interface.

GDB also assists clients in securing permits under the federal Clean Water Act (Section 401/404) for dredging and filling of U.S. waters, and under the California Fish & Game Code (Section 2081) for altering streambeds within the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition, GDB works with consultants to prepare Water Supply Assessments, which are required under the California Water Code for most medium to large-scale projects in the state. GDB also helps clients navigate satisfaction of requirements set forth in Municipal Stormwater Permits and National Pollution Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Further, GDB has developed expertise in California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which governs how groundwater resources will be developed, used, and conserved for the next 50 years. Lastly, GDB routinely litigates water resource issues on behalf of the firm’s clients.