Kate Poole
Senior Director, Water Division, Nature Program
Since 2004, Kate Poole has served as lead counsel in important cases such as NRDC v. Kempthorne and PCFFA v. Gutierrez, both of which helped reduce the impact of public-works projects in California on threatened and endangered species. Currently, she leads NRDC’s work to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems at the local, state, and national levels. Before coming to NRDC, Poole was a partner in a law firm and of counsel to the Seattle office of Earthjustice. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She is based in NRDC’s San Francisco office.
This website provides general information, not legal advice. If you need legal help, please consult a lawyer in your state. Kate Poole does not hold themself out as a specialist in a particular area of law or law practice.
Related content
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How California’s Water Rights System Gouges You and Me
Expert BlogCaliforniaKate Poole
It's time for California’s water managers to reform this antiquated system and prioritize water for human health and safety and for the shared environment over water for farms.
Californians Want Water Rights Reform
Expert BlogCaliforniaKate Poole
Even the most casual observer recognizes that a long-delayed reckoning is coming on the Colorado River.
CA Water Rights: An Unfair Foundation Yields Unfair Results
Expert BlogCaliforniaKate Poole
The inequity of this system has not diminished since the time it emerged—but rather, is glaringly apparent in times of drought.
Policy Resources
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Tapping the Power of Wetlands to Secure a Thriving Planet
Issue BriefUnited StatesKate Poole
Even though wetlands cover only about 5 percent of the land in the coterminous United States, they support nearly half of all species federally listed as threatened or endangered, harbor more than 30 percent of plant species, and provide essential…
30x30 for California: Protecting the State’s Natural Wonders for all Californians
OverviewUnited States, CaliforniaSandy Aylesworth, Kate Poole, Helen O'Shea
From the iconic redwood forests to coastal kelp forests, California is a biodiversity hotspot. Protecting at least 30 percent of these natural places will help make them more resilient to a changing climate.
How Would You Spend $10 Billion to Improve Water Supply Reliability in California?
Fact SheetUnited States, CaliforniaKate Poole, Doug Obegi
Unlike WaterFix, these proven, alternative investments would improve water supply reliability and infrastructure in California.