Source: https://www.lexislegalnews.com/mealeys-water-rights?article_sidebar=1
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 20:19:22+00:00

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Four environmental groups on March 21 sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the District of Columbia for allegedly failing to undertake an adequate environmental review before issuing the Green River Block Exchange (GRBE) Contract for the Green River and the Colorado River Basin (Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior, et al., No. 19-789, D. D.C.).
New developments in the following multiplaintiff, interstate or notable water rights cases are marked in boldface type.
LOS ANGELES — Two California water regulators have no duty to ensure that recycled water is put to reasonable use and not for water-intensive, non-native crops, a California appeals court ruled March 12 (Wishtoyo Foundation v. State Water Resources Control Board, Nos. B285271 and B286465, Calif. App., 2nd Dist., Div. 8, 2019 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1704).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States on March 22 moved to dismiss a water rights lawsuit filed by a Utah native American tribe (Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation v. United States Department of Interior, et al., No. 18-547, D. D.C.).
CINCINNATI — After a four-year journey that indirectly went through the U.S. Supreme Court, an Ohio federal judge on March 26 denied a motion by three states for a preliminary injunction against the Clean Water Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States," 80 Fed. Reg. 37,054, June 29, 2015, finding that the states failed to show that they will suffer irreparable harm while the current administration wrestles with the creation of a new rule (Ohio, et al. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, et al., No. 15-2467, S.D. Ohio, Eastern Div., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50603).
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Utah and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on March 20 formalized the Green River Water Rights Exchange contract, according to a bureau press release.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The United States on March 28 filed twin lawsuits in California federal and state courts alleging that the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) December adoption of a water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Pub. Res. Code § 21000 et seq. (United States v. State Water Resources Control Board, et al., No. 19-at-326, E.D. Pa., Sacramento Div., United States v. State Water Resources Control Board, et al., No. 34-2019-80003111, Calif. Super., Sacramento Co.).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An estate and seven individuals who describe themselves as “pre-federal” water claimants in the Rio Grande basin on March 20 filed a motion with the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in an interstate dispute between Texas and New Mexico and Colorado (Texas v. New Mexico, et al., No. 141, Original, U.S. Sup.).
The United States on March 8 withdrew two appeals of federal court rulings vacating the Trump administration’s so-called Suspension Rule for the Clean Water Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States," 80 Fed. Reg. 37,054, June 29, 2015, and told another court that lawsuits pending there about the rule are moot and should be dismissed.
TACOMA, Wash. — A Washington state appeals court on April 2 affirmed that the Washington Department of Ecology did not exceed its statutory authority in adopting the so-called Dungeness Rule or show that the department acted in an arbitrary or capricious manner in doing so (Magdalena T. Bassett, et al. v. The Department of Ecology, No. 51221-1-II, Wash. App., Div. 2, 2019 Wash. App. LEXIS 810).
PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court on March 28 ruled that the Arizona Corporation Commission does not have authority over a city’s condemnation of a water company (Surprise v. Arizona Corporation Commission, et al., No. CV-18-0137-SA, Ariz. Sup., 2019 Ariz. LEXIS 84).
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California appeals court on March 28 said six water districts cannot use subvention to get the state government to pay for unfunded water mandates because the districts are able to recoup added costs by raising their water rates (Paradise Irrigation District, et al. v. Commission on State Mandates, et al., No. C081929, Calif. App., 3rd Dist., 2019 Cal. App. LEXIS 227).
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California appeals court on March 20 said six water districts cannot use subvention to get the state government to pay for unfunded water mandates because the districts are able to recoup added costs by raising their water rates (Paradise Irrigation District, et al. v. Commission on State Mandates, et al., No. C081929, Calif. App., 3rd Dist., 2019 Cal. App. LEXIS 227).
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The last remaining plaintiffs in an interdistrict water dispute were dismissed after the parties reached a settlement, a California state court was told March 1 (San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, et al. v. San Gabriel Valley Water Company, et al., No. CIVDS13111085, Calif. Super., San Bernardino Co.).
FRESNO, Calif. — A California federal judge on March 11 ordered California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) to say by March 22 whether it agrees to freeze all preparation work for the state’s WaterFix project (Bay.org v. David Bernhardt, et al., No. 17-1176, E.D. Calif., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38788).
DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court on Feb. 25 affirmed a state water court ruling that a 1909 water decree cannot be enforced by a water user because the decree lacks “indicia of enforceability” such as an appropriation date, a priority number and quantification (Donald E. Dill, et al. v. Yamasaki Ring, LLC, et al., No. 17SA231, Colo. Sup., 2019 Colo. LEXIS 165).
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada State Engineer Tim Wilson on Feb. 19 asked the Nevada Supreme Court to find that a state trial court erred in overruling an order that calls for a certain amount of water to be relinquished in exchange for relinquishing rights to an annual amount of water (Tim Wilson, et al. v. Pahrump Fair Water, LLC, et al., No. 77722, Nev. Sup.).
RENO, Nev. — A federal water master for the Truckee River on Feb. 28 asked a Nevada federal court for further guidance on the categories of water eligible for recoupment by the United States and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (United States v. Board of Directors, Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, et al., No. 95-757, D. Nev.).

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