Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00426/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00426-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 899
Nature of Suit: Other Statutes - Administrative Procedure Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision
Cause of Action: 05:702 Administrative Procedure Act

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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

DOWNEY BRAND LLP

KEVIN M. O’BRIEN (Bar No. 122713)

kobrien@downeybrand.com

MEREDITH E. NIKKEL (Bar No. 254818)

mnikkel@downeybrand.com

BRIAN E. HAMILTON (Bar No. 295994)

bhamilton@downeybrand.com

SAMUEL BIVINS (Bar No. 300965)

sbivins@downeybrand.com

621 Capitol Mall, 18th Floor

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: 916.444.1000

Facsimile: 916.444.2100

Attorneys for Intervenor-Defendants 

RECLAMATION DISTRICT NO. 108 and 

TEHAMA-COLUSA CANAL AUTHORITY, et 

al. 

SOMACH SIMMONS & DUNN

 A Professional Corporation

STUART L. SOMACH (Bar No. 090959)

ssomach@somachlaw.com

ANDREW M. HITCHINGS (Bar No. 154554)

ahitchings@somachlaw.com

BRITTANY K. JOHNSON (Bar No. 282001)

bjohnson@somachlaw.com

JARED S. MUELLER (Bar No. 257659)

jmueller@somachlaw.com

500 Capitol Mall, Suite 1000

Sacramento, CA 95814

Telephone: (916) 446-7979

Facsimile: (916) 446-8199

Attorneys for Intervenor-Defendants GLENNCOLUSA IRRIGATION DISTRICT, et al.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, FRESNO DIVISION

THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL 

RESOURCES AGENCY, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

WILBUR ROSS, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:20-cv-00426-DAD-SKO

STIPULATION AND ORDER 

REGARDING INTERVENTION

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 1 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

This stipulation is entered into by Plaintiff California Natural Resources Agency, 

California Environmental Protection Agency, and People of the State of California by and through 

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (“Plaintiffs”); Defendants Wilbur Ross, in his official 

capacity as Secretary of Commerce; Chris Oliver, in his official capacity as Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National 

Marine Fisheries Service; David Bernhardt, in his official capacity as Secretary of Interior; Aurelia 

Skipwith, in her official capacity as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service; Brenda Burman, in her official capacity as commissioner of Reclamation; and 

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (“Federal Defendants”); the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors 

(“SRS Contractors”)1and the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority (“TCCA”) (collectively 

“Sacramento River Intervenors”). Plaintiffs, Federal Defendants, and the Sacramento River 

Intervenors are collectively referred to hereinafter as the “Parties.”

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs filed the instant action naming only Federal Defendants as 

defendants. ECF No. 1. 

WHEREAS, the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority and Westlands Water District 

(“SLDMWA/WWD”) moved to intervene on several grounds, including that SLDMWA, as the 

representative of twenty-five member agencies, had an interest in the outcome of this litigation. 

ECF No. 13, at 1. The SLDMWA is a joint powers authority that serves the common interests of 

twenty-eight member agencies. Id. at 4. Twenty-five of SLDMWA’s members, including WWD, 

have a contract with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (“Reclamation”) for water supply 

 

1 The SRS Contractors constitute the following parties: Reclamation District No. 108; Sutter 

Mutual Water Company; Natomas Central Mutual Water Company; River Garden Farms Water 

Company; Pleasant Grove-Verona Mutual Water Company; Pelger Mutual Water Company; 

Meridian Farms Water Company; Henry D. Richter, et al.; Howald Farms, Inc.; Oji Brothers 

Farm, Inc.; Oji Family Partnership; Carter Mutual Water Company; Windswept Land and 

Livestock Company; Maxwell Irrigation District; Beverly F. Andreotti, et al.; Tisdale Irrigation 

and Drainage Company; Princeton-Codora-Glenn Irrigation District; and Provident Irrigation 

District; Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District; Reclamation District No. 1004; Anderson-Cottonwood 

Irrigation District; David and Alice teVelde Family Trust; Pelger Road 1700, LLC, Conaway 

Preservation Group, LLC, City of Redding; and Knights Landing Investors, LLC.

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 2 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

that is stored, pumped, and conveyed by the Central Valley Project (“CVP”). Id. at 4–5. Plaintiffs 

filed a notice of non-opposition to SLDMWA/WWD’s motion to intervene on the ground that 

permissive intervention “is likely appropriate in this case.” ECF No. 37, at 1–2.

WHEREAS, State Water Contractors (“SWC”) moved to intervene on the ground that 

SWC has an interest in this litigation because the litigation directly threatens the interest of SWC. 

ECF No. 24 at 2. SWC is a non-profit corporation that represents 27 private water agencies that 

fund the construction, operation, and maintenance of the State Water Project and provide water to 

millions of Californians. ECF No. 24 at 1–2. Plaintiffs filed a notice of non-opposition to SWC’s

motion to intervene on the ground that permissive intervention “is likely appropriate in this case.” 

ECF No. 38, at 1.

WHEREAS, the Friant Water Authority (“FWA”) and Arvin-Edison Water Storage 

District (“Arvin-Edison”) (collectively “Friant Intervenors”) moved to intervene on the ground 

that they have an interest in this litigation. ECF No. 40 at 1–2. FWA is a public agency that 

operates the Friant-Kern Canal on behalf of its seventeen member agencies. ECF No. 40 at 3. 

FWA’s members, including Arvin-Edison, hold contracts with Reclamation for water supply from 

the CVP. Id. 

WHEREAS, the SRS Contractors consist of a number of entities that have contracts with 

Reclamation related to the supply of water diverted by the SRS Contractors from the Sacramento 

River and its tributaries. 

WHEREAS, TCCA is a joint powers authority that serves the interest of seventeen 

member agencies, all of whom have contracts with Reclamation for water supply that is stored, 

pumped, and conveyed by the CVP. Those contracts are authorized pursuant to the same federal 

statutory authorization as the contracts between Reclamation and the member agencies of 

SLDMWA and FWA. 

WHEREAS, to avoid the necessity of briefing on a motion for the Sacramento River 

Intervenors to intervene, the similarity of the grounds upon which the Sacramento River 

Intervenors seek intervention to the grounds asserted by other parties seeking intervention, and 

Plaintiffs’ non-opposition to permissive intervention on the grounds cited for intervention, the 

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 3 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

Parties agree that the Sacramento River Intervenors should be granted leave to permissively 

intervene in this case.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby stipulated by and between the Parties, through their 

respective counsel, as follows:

1. The Sacramento River Intervenors shall be granted permissive intervention in this 

action.

2. The Sacramento River Intervenors shall be permitted to promptly file their answers 

in intervention to Plaintiffs’ Complaint.

3. The Sacramento River Intervenors agree to make a good-faith effort to avoid the 

duplication of any arguments made by Federal Defendants on substantive issues raised in this 

matter, to the extent that Federal Defendants are making the same point in their arguments and are 

not merely covering the same subject matter relevant to the issues before the Court. 

4. Plaintiffs and the Sacramento River Intervenors agree to meet and confer on the 

need for any proposed page limitations on briefing by the Sacramento River Intervenors in this 

action. Plaintiffs and the Sacramento River Intervenors reserve the right to seek or oppose 

additional limitations on the length of briefs in the event Plaintiffs and the Sacramento River 

Intervenors are unable to reach an agreement on page limits.

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 4 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

DATED: April 16, 2020 DOWNEY BRAND LLP

By: /s/ Meredith E. Nikkel

MEREDITH E. NIKKEL

Attorneys for Proposed Defendants-Intervenors 

RECLAMATION DISTRICT NO. 108, SUTTER 

MUTUAL WATER COMPANY; NATOMAS 

CENTRAL MUTUAL WATER COMPANY; 

RIVER GARDEN FARMS WATER COMPANY; 

PLEASANT GROVE-VERONA MUTUAL 

WATER COMPANY; PELGER MUTUAL 

WATER COMPANY; MERIDIAN FARMS 

WATER COMPANY; HENRY D. RICHTER, et 

al.; HOWALD FARMS, INC.; OJI BROTHERS 

FARM, INC.; OJI FAMILY PARTNERSHIP; 

CARTER MUTUAL WATER COMPANY; 

WINDSWEPT LAND AND LIVESTOCK 

COMPANY; MAXWELL IRRIGATION 

DISTRICT; BEVERLY F. ANDREOTTI, et al.; 

TISDALE IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE 

COMPANY; PROVIDENT IRRIGATION 

DISTRICT; PRINCETON-CODORA-GLENN 

IRRIGATION DISTRICT and TEHAMACOLUSA CANAL AUTHORITY

DATED: April 16, 2020 SOMACH SIMMONS & DUNN

By: /s/ Jared Mueller

JARED MUELLER

Attorneys for Defendants-Intervenors GLENNCOLUSA IRRIGATION DISTRICT; 

RECLAMATION DISTRICT NO. 104; 

CONAWAY PRESERVATION GROUP, LLC; 

DAVID AND ALICE te VELDE FAMILY 

TRUST; PELGER ROAD 1700, LLC; 

ANDERSON-COTTONWOOD IRRIGATION 

DISTRICT; CITY OF REDDING; and KNIGHTS 

LANDING INVESTORS, LLC

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 5 of 6
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING INTERVENTION

DOWNEY BRAND LLP SOMACH SIMMONS

&

DUNN

A

Proffesional Corporation

DATED: April 16, 2020April 17, 2020 XAVIER BECERRA

Attorney General of California

TRACY L. WINSOR

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

By: /s/ Daniel Fuchs

DANIEL FUCHS

Attorneys for Plaintiffs CALIFORNIA 

NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY and People 

of the State of California by and through Attorney 

General Xavier Beccerra

DATED: April 16, 2020 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ENVIRONMENT 

& NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION WILDLIFE 

& MARINE RESOURCES SECTION

By: /s/Nicole M. Smith

NICOLE M. SMITH

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

ORDER

Pursuant to the Parties’ Stipulation, the Court hereby grants Sacramento River Intervenors

intervention pursuant to the terms of the Stipulation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 17, 2020 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:20-cv-00426-JLT-EPG Document 46 Filed 04/17/20 Page 6 of 6