Volumes 1 and 2 of Groundwater Laws and Regulations: A Preliminary Survey of Thirteen U.S. States, written entirely by law students, is available here.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Texas Tech University a five-year, $26 million grant to establish the Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER). The goal of the project is to protect surface water quality by creating a nitrogen circular economy. Prof. Hardberger is a co-principal investigator listed on the grant. You can learn more about CASFER in the newest episode of Fearless, which goes inside the research to discover more about CASFER through the eyes of a farmer who will feel its impact.

Prof. Amy Hardberger took part in "The Rain We Keep," a compelling four-part documentary series that explores the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer and the innovative efforts to manage and mitigate this critical issue. The series premiered in November on Panhandle PBS, with the final episode airing this Thursday. All episodes are available free on-demand at PanhandlePBS.org/Rain, on the PBS app, and on the Panhandle PBS YouTube channel.

Prof. Amy Hardberger has received the Fulbright Specialist Award for a project at The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania. This initiative aims to foster knowledge exchange and partnerships within Environmental Science, benefiting communities in both the U.S. and Tanzania. Prof. Hardberger is one of 400 U.S. recipients selected for their academic achievements, professional leadership, and potential to promote long-term cooperation between institutions globally.

Articles & Reviews

• Get in the Flow: Policy Changes That Can Increase Texas's Surface Water Transfers
  Published in the Texas A&M Law Review, this article explores regulatory reforms that could facilitate more efficient surface water transfers in Texas.
  Read the article
• Expanding Emissions Markets to Reduce Agricultural Nitrogen Run-Off
  Co-authored with recent graduate Samantha Tweet '24 and supported by the CASFER grant, this piece appears in the William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review and examines the potential of emissions markets to address nitrogen pollution from agriculture.
• Greening Up the City with Native Species: Challenges and Solutions
  Published in Diversity, this article investigates the ecological and policy considerations involved in using native species for urban green spaces. One of the co-authors, Danielle Craig ’12, is a former student and current Ph.D. candidate.
  Read the article
• Innovative Approach to Sustainable Fertilizer Production
  Appearing in ACS Omega, this article presents a novel, electrically assisted process for converting sewage sludge into usable nutrients—offering a sustainable solution to fertilizer production.
• The Importance of Environmental Flows in International Water Agreements
  This book chapter appears in Volume 1: Cooperating Over Shared Freshwater Resources Using International Law, part of the World Scientific Handbook of Transboundary Water Management: Science, Economics, Policy and Politics. It explores how international legal frameworks incorporate environmental flow protections.
• The Challenges and Opportunities of Beneficially Reusing Produced Water
  Published in the Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum, this article examines legal, environmental, and regulatory issues surrounding the reuse of produced water from oil and gas operations.
  Read the article
• New Strategies for Groundwater Litigation in Texas
  Published in the William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review, this article analyzes emerging trends and legal approaches in Texas groundwater disputes. Professor Hardberger presented this work at the 2021 Texas Groundwater Summit.
  Read the article
• Groundwater Governance for Conflict-Affected Countries
  Co-authored with international collaborators and published by UNESCO, this report addresses legal and policy challenges in managing groundwater in areas experiencing conflict.
  Read the report

Previous articles written by Prof. Hardberger can be found here

Op-Eds

Prof. Hardberger, It’s Debatable: Taking a long look at Texas’ recently passed abortion law, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, (Nov. 21, 2021; 8:00 am), available at: https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/opinion/2021/11/21/its-debatable-taking-long-look-texas-recently-passed-abortion-law/8671477002/.
 
Prof. Hardberger, Lack of water could cut the power, San Antonio Express-News, (Apr. 24, 2021), available at: https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/Amy-Hardberger-Lack-of-water-could-cut-the-power-16124700.php.

In the News

Prof. Amy Hardberger was featured in the following article: Texas Tech Law Professor Advocates for a Different Approach to Water, Texas Tech Now (Oct. 24, 2024), available at: https://www.ttu.edu/now/posts/2024/10/texas-tech-law-professor-advocates-for-a-different-approach-to-water.php. 

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Meteorologists say severe drought is over in San Antonio. Local experts beg to differ., San Antonio Report (Oct. 9, 2024), available at: https://sanantonioreport.org/meteorologists-say-severe-drought-is-over-in-san-antonio-local-experts-beg-to-differ/. 

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: The Debate Around Fluoride Is Changing: What It Means For Your Drinking Water, The Epoch Times (Oct. 6, 2024), available at: https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/debate-around-fluoride-changing-what-it-means-your-drinking-water. 

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Wendi Aarons, My HOA Wants My Lawn to be Green and Lush. The City Says I can Only Water Once a Week., Texas Monthly (July 3, 2024), available at: https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/texas-lawns-hoa-city-drought-battle-humor/.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Alejandra Martinez and Berenice Garcia, U.S. Supreme Court blocks the state’s Rio Grande water deal with New Mexico, The Texas Tribune (June 21, 2024), available at: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/21/supreme-court-rejects-texas-new-mexico-water-agreement/.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Lindsey Carnett, SAWS board approves new stricter drought rules, San Antonio Report (May 23, 2024), available at: https://sanantonioreport.org/saws-board-approves-new-stricter-drought-rules/.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: SAWS trustees send new drought rules to City Council for approval, San Antonio Express-News (May 2024), available at: https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/san-antonio-water-system-drought-watering-rules-19470805.php.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, US says cyberattacks against water suppliers are rising, and utilities need to do more to stop them, Associated Press (May 20, 2024), available at: https://apnews.com/article/water-utilities-cyberattack-epa-russia-1435b3e6a569aa046e05c7947f0a0f3d.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Lindsey Carnett, SAWS plans to do away with city-issued citations for water use, billing violators directly, San Antonio Report (May 7, 2024), available at: https://sanantonioreport.org/saws-plans-to-do-away-with-city-issued-citations-for-water-use-billing-violators-directly/.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Forrest Wilder, Texas Developers Love Big Thirsty Lawns. That’s a Huge Problem for the State’s Water Supply, Texas Monthly (Apr. 30, 2024), available at: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-lawns-water-conservation/.

Prof. Amy Hardberger was quoted in the following article: Martha Pskowski and Dylan Baddour, Texas Companies Eye Pecos River Watershed for Oilfield Wastewater, Inside Climate News (Apr. 28, 2024), available at: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28042024/texas-pecos-river-oilfield-wastewater/. The article was also picked up by The Texas Tribune. 

Prof. Hardberger is quoted in the following article: Lindsey Carnett, Hill Country residents helpless as developer advances wastewater plan, San Antonio Report, (Oct. 10, 2022), available at: https://sanantonioreport.org/guajolote-tract-development-lennar-homes-edwards-aquifer/.

Presentations

On February 28, 2024, Prof. Hardberger presented at the 7th Biennial Texas Panhandle Water Conservation Symposium in Amarillo. Her presentation, "Thinking Beyond the Next Drought," is available to view online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIp212DuHq8. 

On September 27, 2022, Prof. Hardberger participated in the Governance insights for groundwater management challenges webinar hosted by the International Water Resources Association. The webinar introduced the "Global water security issues" publication Series 3.

On August 23, 2022, Prof. Hardberger participated in an online presentation Governing groundwater: Achieving the SDGs through accelerating inclusion and participation hosted during World Water Week by the UN and UNESCO. 

On March 22, 2022, Prof. Hardberger participated as a moderator for a webinar titled Future Gazing: Groundwater Action as Climate Action hosted by the International Water Resources Association for World Water Day.
 
Prof. Hardberger presented on the topic “Land Use and the Legal Future of Water” at Texas Tech University's 54^th Comparative Literature Symposium: "Perspectives on Water on the Llano Estacado". 

Appointments

The Texas Tech University Arts Committee appointed Prof. Hardberger to the committee. 

Important Links

• About the Center
• Faculty and Student Fellows
• Water Law Concentration
• Water Law Symposium