Opinion ID: 1913609
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Senior Applications

Text: Wyoming next argues that the director erred by failing to account for pending senior applications. Wyoming also argues that in reviewing this issue, the Court of Appeals erred by relying on evidence submitted for a limited purpose. In determining the amount of unappropriated water available, the director must account for water which may be diverted by two types of senior appropriators whose rights are not reflected in the historic flow records: pending senior applications and approved-but-unconstructed senior applications. The director considered two such senior applications relevant to CPNRD's instream flow applications: the Landmark Project and the Prairie Bend Project. The director denied the application for the Landmark Project, and this court affirmed that decision. See Blue River, supra. Therefore, the Landmark Project does not necessitate any adjustments to the historic flow records. The Prairie Bend Project is more problematic. Prairie Bend is CPNRD's own project. Prairie Bend involves, in part, a diversion of water from the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska. Ron Bishop, manager of CPNRD, testified that although the Prairie Bend Project would be senior in priority to CPNRD's instream flow appropriations, CPNRD would operate Prairie Bend in such a manner as to first honor its own instream flow permits. Relying on Bishop's testimony, the director found that the Prairie Bend Project did not necessitate any adjustments to the historic flow records. We find that the record does not support the director's conclusion that Prairie Bend will divert water as if it were junior to, not senior to, the instream flows. The director's reliance on Bishop's sworn testimony is misplaced. In essence, Bishop purported to waive Prairie Bend's appropriation right to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of the instream flow application. There is no evidence to establish that Bishop has the power to bind CPNRD to such a waiver. If Bishop has no power to bind CPNRD, then his testimony cannot be relied on as substantive proof that the Prairie Bend Project will not reduce the existing flows. We therefore find that the evidence cited by the director does not support his conclusion. The Court of Appeals affirmed the director's decision on a different basis. The court linked together three items: Neb.Rev. Stat. § 37-435 (Cum.Supp.1992), a Game and Parks Commission opinion, and a biological assessment. We find that the evidence cited by the Court of Appeals does not support the director's conclusion. Under § 37-435, before authorizing a diversion project, the Department of Water Resources must consult with the Game and Parks Commission. See Little Blue N.R.D. v. Lower Platte North N.R.D., 210 Neb. 862, 317 N.W.2d 726 (1982) ( Little Blue II ), overruled on other grounds, Blue River, supra. The department must obtain from the Game and Parks Commission a nonjeopardy opinion an opinion that the project will not jeopardize threatened or endangered species. See Little Blue II, supra . In Little Blue II, this court discussed the relative power of the Game and Parks Commission, the Department of Water Resources, and the applicant. We held that although the nonjeopardy opinion does not give the Game and Parks Commission absolute veto power, neither the department nor the applicant can ignore the conclusion of the Game and Parks Commission, if in fact the evidence supports that conclusion. Little Blue II, 210 Neb. at 873, 317 N.W.2d at 733. Citing Little Blue II, the Court of Appeals stated that the Game and Parks Commission can impose minimum instream flow requirements upon an application. In re Applications A-17004 et al., 4 Neb.C.A. 182, 198, 512 N.W.2d 392, 402 (1993). While this may be true in a practical sense, it is not true in a legal sense. For example, the director is not required to accept the conclusion of the Game and Parks Commission if the evidence does not support that conclusion. See Little Blue II, supra . The opinion of the Game and Parks Commission does not, merely by being issued, impose affirmative requirements upon an application. There is simply no evidence in the record that the Prairie Bend Project is legally obligated to pass the minimum flows required by the instream flow applications. Although the biological assessment cited by the Court of Appeals is some evidence of Prairie Bend's intent to pass certain flows, it is not legally binding. Parenthetically, we also note that not all the flows suggested by the biological assessment meet or exceed the requirements of the instream flow applications. Without firm evidence that Prairie Bend will pass the minimum flows required by the instream flow applications, the possibility exists that the operation of Prairie Bend will reduce the amount of water available for the instream flow applications. Thus, the director was not at liberty to assume that Prairie Bend would have no effect on water availability. The record does not support the director's conclusion that there are no pending senior applications that would in fact or in effect further deplete existing flows. The applications must be remanded so that the director can consider how the Prairie Bend Project will affect water availability. In the interest of judicial economy, we will consider Wyoming's additional assignments of error.