Chisato Jacobson – Undergraduate - Political Science 
The La Plata Basin Treaty: A Cooperative Water Framework for International Success

​The La Plata River Basin Treaty was the first multinational water treaty that involved all nations of the Río de la Plata. Located in the fifth largest river basin of the world, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay all signed the historical water agreement in 1969. This treaty created the largest hydroelectric project in the world in 1982, the Itaipu dam on the border of Paraguay and Brazil, as well as other accords on hydropower development, transportation, and investment among the five countries. The La Plata River Basin Treaty provides the critical framework for the joint management, development and preservation of the La Plata as well as other water treaties in other regions around the world. By assessing the background and history of the treaty, I will analyze the impacts of this cooperative water framework on water usage and domestic policy for all five nations involved. The agreement will be evaluated for its effectiveness and influence on other transboundary water basin treaties. As water is the most important resource in the world, the cooperative sharing of water resources is of utmost importance to a globally connected world. Water and politics have become interwoven between Paraguay and Brazil where hydroelectricity has been used to pay political favors to water treaties stopping Brazilian military encroachment on the Paraná River. The La Plata River Basin Treaty is not only a critical treaty for the five involved South American countries but a key example for all countries in river basins worldwide.

Morgan Lake – Undergraduate - Environmental Science
Does Prior Appropriation Doctrine Encourage Water Waste in the West

​In the arid West, adequate water supply will always be a necessity. With increasing climate change and low precipitation levels in most areas, but the fastest growing urban development, the West depends on reliable and plentiful water sources. One of these sources for many parts of the Western U.S. is the Colorado River, where the Prior Appropriation Doctrine is used to manage water supply and distribution. There is some controversy over how well this historical doctrine supports water conservation, particularly in the “use it or lose it” aspect- where water rights could be permanently cut back for an individual if a certain amount of that water is regularly unused or not put to beneficial use. With that, and especially in agriculture, it can lead to more water being used than is necessary, for the sake of keeping a right to as much water as possible. Western droughts and dried up farmland is a reasonable fear- and that is why farmers and individuals work to secure as much water as they can for each coming year. This project will analyze if this “use it or lose it” part of the doctrine does inadvertently “encourage” excess water use, and in what ways reasonable reform of the doctrine can take place. 

Olivia Meyer – Undergraduate - Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Approaches to Restoring the Salton Sea in California

​The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline rift lake located in southern California, near the US-Mexico border. It was originally created by accident in 1905 when the Colorado River escaped its banks during construction of irrigation canals. The river flowed into the prehistoric basin for over a year creating a shallow lake. In recent years, inflow has dramatically decreased due to water conservation efforts by surrounding agricultural communities, and therefore water levels have dropped, revealing a toxic playa that lies underneath. Lower lake levels present three main problems: increased salt concentrations that impact aquatic species, loss of the Sea as an avian habitat during migration, and windblown particles and contaminants that affect the health of Southern California residents. There have been debates in recent history about the merits of restoring the Salton Sea. In terms of an approach to restoration in the past two decades, the water sources have been focused on: 1) water sourced across a national border from Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, or 2) water from the Pacific Ocean that has been desalinated. This poster provides background on the decline of the Salton Sea and the problems it has created; examines debates over whether to restore the Sea, and examines the benefits and risks associated with the two water sources proposed for restoration.

Rena Shimizu – Undergraduate – Environmental Science
50 Years of the Wild and Scenic River Designation for the Rogue River in Oregon

​The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was first applied to the Rogue River in southern Oregon in 1968. The Rogue River was one of the first of the eight rivers to be designated when the Act was passed by President Lyndon Johnson. Currently, the National Wild and Scenic River Act protects 209 rivers in 40 states nationwide which is a total distance of about 13,000 miles and along the Rogue River, it covers 84 miles of river that are managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The Act prohibits the construction of new dams, channel infrastructure, or other developments on rivers and extends to managing human activities, such as fishing, swimming, and hiking, to reduce contamination of river water. This poster examines how the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has been applied to the Rogue River in an attempt to protect it from certain human activities and to preserve the river and its ecosystem. The study also provides background on the Act itself and why the Rogue was designated so early.