2026 SYMPOSIUM

2026 Denver Water Law Review Symposium

Oil & Water: Energy Across the West

Thursday, April 2 – Networking Reception and Student Presentation 
Friday, April 3 – Symposium  

The University of Denver’s Water Law Review is delighted to welcome you to our 18th annual symposium. This year’s theme is Water & Energy Across the West. We look forward to welcoming an interdisciplinary group of experts, who will lead us through discussions about the intersection of water and energy in Colorado and the West. 

Schedule:

Networking Reception and Student Presentation, Thursday, April 2  

On Thursday, April 2, we will host a student-oriented presentation designed to give an overview of water and energy law, as well as a high-level understanding of the panel topics. Following the presentation, students will have the opportunity to network with attendees. Light refreshments, including alcoholic beverages, will be provided. Please note: if you attended past conferences, this mingle-and-munch previously occurred on Friday after the symposium. It is now being held on Thursday.


At 6 p.m., the Water Law Review is delighted to host Amy Bowers Cordalis for a presentation about her book, The Water Remembers. The Water Remembers is a moving multigenerational memoir of Indigenous resistance, environmental justice, and a family’s fight to preserve its legacy. 


Denver Water Law Symposium, Friday, April 3 

On Friday, April 3, we will host the main conference, which will include four 50–90-minute panels and two keynote speeches. Breakfast, lunch, and break-time refreshments will be provided.  


Panels and Speakers

Thursday, April 2

  • The Water Remembers

    Amy Bowers Cordalis


    For the members of a Northern California tribe, salmon are the lifeblood of the people—a vital source of food, income, and cultural identity. When a catastrophic fish kill devastates the river, Amy Bowers Cordalis is propelled into action, reigniting her family's 170-year battle against the U.S. government. In a moving and engrossing blend of memoir and history, Cordalis propels readers through generations of her family’s struggle, where she learns that the fight for survival is not only about fishing—it’s about protecting a way of life and the right of a species and river to exist. Her great-uncle's landmark Supreme Court case reaffirming her Nation’s rights to land, water, fish, and sovereignty, her great-grandmother’s defiant resistance during the Salmon Wars, and her family's ongoing battles against government overreach shape the deep commitment to justice that drives Cordalis forward. When the source of the fish kill is revealed, Cordalis steps up as General Counsel for the Yurok Tribe to hold powerful corporate interests accountable, and to spearhead the largest river restoration project in history. The Water Remembers is a testament to the enduring power of Indigenous knowledge, family legacy, and the determination to ensure that future generations remember what it means to live in balance with the earth.

Friday, April 3

More speakers to be announced soon!

  • Keynote

    Eli Pillaert, Artist

    Zachary Kanzler, Documentarian

     

    Eli and Zachary are partners in art whose work examines sustainability and the human impacts of environmental degradation through painting, textile work, photography, videography, and sculpture. Eli created the artwork for this event.  

  • Powering Sovereignty? Energy Development on Tribal Lands  

    How do Tribal Nations choose to develop—or not to develop—energy resources on their lands? This panel will explore the historic, current, and future relationships between Tribal Nations (particularly in the American Southwest) with the energy industry and state and federal governments.   


    • Moderator: Krystalyn Kinsel, Special Counsel, Jenner & Block  
    • Affie Ellis, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
    • Carletta Tilousi, Havasupai Tribe Anti-Uranium Committee Member, Havasupai Tribe

  • The AI Boom: Converging Water and Energy Demand in Data Centers 

    As use of AI and digital technology grows, so does the water and energy demand for data centers to support this developing sector. This panel will dive deep into how data centers are developing in the West, their impact, and policy considerations for this burgeoning industry. 


    • Moderator: Gregor MacGregor, Teaching Professor, University of Colorado
    • Sarah Porter, Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University 
    • Sarah Young, Assistant General Manager of Planning, Engineering and Technology, Aurora Water 
    • Bart Miller, Healthy Rivers Director, Western Resource Advocates 
    • Bri-Mathias Hodge, Professor of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder 

  • Fluid Assets: Colorado’s Transitions in Water & Energy  

    This panel will consider how Colorado water used to generate energy is changing, particularly in the context of state energy transition goals and federal priorities. We’ll discuss how water used to cool retiring coal-fired power plants may be used in the future, technological advancements in geothermal and nuclear energy, and the future of water in Colorado’s energy sector. 


    • Moderator: Jason Turner, Deputy General Counsel, Colorado River Water Conservation District  
    • Mark Detsky, Shareholder, Dietze and Davis PC
    • Jackie Brown, Water and Natural Resources Policy Advisor, Tri-State Generation and Transmission  
    • More speakers to be announced soon!

  • Produce, Reuse, Recycle: The Landscape of Produced Water 

    Produced water is increasingly seen as a water source, rather than a waste product. This panel will take a regional view of the rapid changes occurring in the field of produced water. We will examine recycling methods, the regulatory landscape, standards for different types of reuse, and more amid the historical backdrop of oil and gas development in western states. 


    • Moderator: Kevin Rein, Water Resources Engineer, Wilson Water Group
    • Hope Dalton, Director of the Colorado Produced Water Consortium, Colorado Department of Natural Resources
    • Mimi Larsen, Of Counsel, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schrek, LLP 
    • Zach Smith, Counsel, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

  • Closing Remarks

    Nikki Hernandez, University of Denver Water Law Review Editor in Chief  

CLE credits pending!

Expectations 

Recognizing that our panelists and attendees represent a variety of perspectives, the Water Law Review will prioritize civility, curiosity, and respectful discourse throughout the symposium. We expect those in attendance to engage kindly with one another. This is not an opportunity for “gotcha” moments; any behavior that serves to disrespect fellow attendees or panelists is unacceptable. In turn, the Symposium will provide an environment safe for those representing opposing viewpoints to have frank and productive conversations.  


Sponsorships  

We are still seeking symposium sponsors! Without the support of our sponsors, we would not be able to host this important event each year. We welcome your support of the symposium and hope you join or continue to participate in the Water Law Review community—a thoughtful, committed, and engaged group of water practitioners. The University of Denver and Sturm College of Law is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts made in support of the Water Law Review Symposium are tax-deductible. 


Reach out to Symposium Editor Eleanor Hasenbeck (eleanor.hasenbeck@du.edu) if you are interested in more information about sponsorship.