Somach Simmons & Dunn

Profile

Ms. Dunham is a shareholder with the firm. Ms. Dunham's practice emphasizes water quality law including NPDES permitting, total maximum daily load issues, waste discharge requirements, conditional waivers from waste discharge requirements for irrigated agriculture, and agricultural resources. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Dunham provided environmental consulting services to public agencies and private entities, and was Director of Water Resources for the California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization with more than 94,000 members in California. Ms. Dunham is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (Class 29). She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in 1996, and is a member of the State Bar of California.

Areas of Practice Emphasis

Clean Water Act, Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting, total maximum daily load issues, waste discharge requirements, conditional waivers from waste discharge requirements for irrigated agriculture, and agricultural resources.

Prior Positions

Legal Counsel and Regulatory Affairs Specialist: Larry Walker Associates, Davis, CA, 2003-2007.

Director of Water Resources, Governmental Affairs Division: California Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento, CA, 1998-2003.

Legal Counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel: California Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento, CA, 1996-1998.

Law Clerk: California Resources Agency, Sacramento, CA, 1995-1996.

Special Assistant to the Director: Department of Conservation, Sacramento, CA, 1993-1995.

Education

Agricultural Leadership Program, Class 29, 1998-2000.
McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1996).
Boston University (B.A., 1988).

Bar Admissions

State Bar of California, 1996.

Publications

Dunham, South Delta Standards Prompt Financial Contributions for the Development of Central Valley Salinity Management Plan, California Water Law and Policy Reporter, May 2007.

Dunham, A Review of the Administrative Record for the Central Valley's Water Quality Control Plan 1975-1994, September 2003.

Dunham, Old MacDonald Had a Farm and on His Farm He Had Some Nutrients and Pesticides and Sediment and . . . (2002), U.S.

Presentations

Speaker, California Irrigation Institute Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California, Are the Ag Waivers Working', January 2007.
Panelist, Great Valley Center Annual Conference, Sacramento, California, Regulation of Salinity in Wastewater Permits, 2006 and 2007.
Speaker, County Counsels' Association of California, San Diego, California, Latest Developments in NPDES Permits (presentation with Paul Simmons), May 2005.
Speaker, Central Valley Clean Water Association, Sacramento, California, Understanding Water Quality Standards, Annual Conference 2004.