We fight for clean, free-flowing rivers
Our Mission
We fight for clean water and healthy rivers, and for the communities that depend on them.
Founded in 2023, the Wild & Scenic Law Center is the nation’s first and only public interest, nonprofit environmental law firm focused exclusively on water quality and river protection. We provide legal representation and policy analysis for river advocates, watershed organizations, and conservation groups of all sizes, supporting their fight for clean, free-flowing rivers.
What we do
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We have the capacity and the experience to litigate cases in federal and state courts around the country, from federal Clean Water Act citizen suits to state court permit appeals. This experience extends to all phases of litigation, from case initiation, discovery, and motions practice through trial and appeal if necessary.
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On behalf of our clients, we engage in the administrative process before federal and state agencies to advocate for rivers and the people who use them. This work often includes submitting written comments on draft permits, EA’s and EIS’s, and proposed rules, and the filing of objections and administrative appeals where appropriate.
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We assist our clients in developing policy proposals to advance their river conservation goals. From model legislation to white papers, our legal expertise makes your advocacy stronger.
Recent Cases and Projects
Protecting the Rogue River from nutrient pollution
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The City of Medford’s wastewater treatment plant has discharged excess nutrients - nitrogen and phosphorus - for years, contributing to the growth of nuisance algae and aquatic weeds and causing other water quality impairments. As a result, EPA added the Middle Rogue River to Oregon’s list of “impaired waters” under the Clean Water Act - but has not yet developed a clean up plan to restore the Rogue to its naturally pristine condition.
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First we worked with local citizens groups to have EPA identify the Middle Rogue on Oregon’s list of “impaired waters” under the Clean Water Act. Then we filed a lawsuit in federal court, obtaining a ruling that found Medford liable for violating its discharge permit. Later, after Oregon DEQ reissued that permit with insufficient effluent limits, we appealed it to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Appropriately stringent nutrient limits will require Medford to make significant investments in its outdated wastewater treatment plant to protect water quality.
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We represent Northwest Environmental Advocates in both cases.
Working towards the decommissioning of Glen Canyon Dam
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A combination of decades of mismanagement and an ever worsening drought have brought the Colorado River Basin to a crisis, and the Bureau of Reclamation is not prepared to operate Glen Canyon Dam in this new era of declining water levels. The end goal is a full decommissioning of the dam, but until that happens it must be operated in a way that protects downstream resources and accounts for the unavoidable realities of future climate change.
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We brought suit against the Department of Interior, challenging the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) for Glen Canyon Dam under NEPA. We have asked the court to order the Department to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement that fully considers climate change impacts on dam operations. The case remains pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Save the Colorado, Living Rivers/Colorado Riverkeeper, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
Fighting toxic industrial runoff in Portland, Oregon
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Urban and industrial runoff in north and northeast Portland adds toxic pollutants like lead, copper, and zinc to area waterways, making them unsafe for fish and people. Waters like the Columbia Slough - a popular urban waterway for boating and other forms of recreation - often fail to meet water quality standards.
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We use the Clean Water Act’s citizen suit provision to bring enforcement actions against those who violate Oregon’s industrial stormwater NPDES permit, securing compliance as well as funding for local water quality improvement projects. Partnering with Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC), we have achieved beneficial settlements with several industrial facilities and have directed over $150,000 in Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) funding to the Columbia Slough Watershed Council and other organizations.
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We frequently represent the Northwest Environmental Defense Center in our industrial stormwater enforcement cases.
These cases and projects remain ongoing in 2024; each was started while our Founder and Executive Director, Jamie Saul, was employed at Lewis & Clark Law School’s Earthrise Law Center (2015-2023).
About us
Jamie Saul
Founder and Executive Director
Jamie is a public-interest environmental attorney with a passion for rivers and a successful track record of fighting to protect them. Since 2007 Jamie has litigated cases in federal and state courts under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Endangered Species Act, and has advocated before state and federal agencies for improved implementation of the Clean Water Act’s NPDES permitting program. His docket has included federal citizen suits against recalcitrant polluters; actions challenging flawed decisions by federal and state environmental agencies; and administrative hearings to strengthen wastewater discharge permits.
Prior to founding the Wild & Scenic Law Center in 2023, Jamie spent nine years as a Clinical Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School, teaching students and practicing law through the school’s domestic environmental litigation clinic, Earthrise Law Center. He has also spent time in private practice, and began his legal career as a Staff Attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates in Madison, Wisconsin. Jamie holds a B.S. in Geology from The College of William & Mary (1997), and earned his J.D. cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School (2007) with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law.
Jamie is an avid whitewater kayaker, canoeist, and rafter, and a budding fly-fisherman. Prior to attending law school he worked in outdoor education as a kayak instructor and wilderness trip leader. These days Jamie devotes much of his spare time to multi-day river trips with his wife Alex, their daughters Kate and Charlotte, and their dog Harper.
Our Board of Directors
Charles Carroll
Chip is a former professional raft guide and trip leader on the Rogue, Middle Fork Salmon, and Kern Rivers, among others. He is a financial planner by trade and the former principal of New Outlook Financial, LLC. Chip serves as Treasurer of the Board.
Katherine Luscher
Katherine is an experienced river advocate and community organizer who spent decades with River Network and the Waterkeeper Alliance before becoming a Senior Coordinator with the National Audubon Society. An experienced raft guide, Katherine still leads trips on the Rogue River.
David Moryc
Dave is the Senior Director of the River Protection Program at American Rivers, and brings more than two decades of experience in river conservation, campaign strategy, and environmental advocacy. An avid flyfisherman, Dave serves as the Secretary of the Board.
Jamie Saul
Jamie is an environmental attorney and is the founder and Executive Director of the Wild & Scenic Law Center. He serves as President of the Board.
Support our work
With your help, we can continue to fight for clean, free-flowing rivers.
Your financial contribution, no matter its size, is meaningful to us and allows us to serve the river protection movement. Use the form to the right to make a one-time or recurring donation to the Wild & Scenic Law Center. We are a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and your donation may be tax-deductible; please consult with your accountant or other tax professional to confirm.
Our EIN is 88-3628264
Thank you for your support!
Purchase Gear
You can now purchase Wild & Scenic Law Center gear, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and mugs! Profits support our cause while the branded gear helps to spread the word about our organization and its mission.
Visit our Bonfire Storefront to place an order.
