Opinion ID: 2602225
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Legal Effect of Relation Back to 1905

Text: [¶ 19] No one disputes these unsuccessful claimants were within the Wind River Irrigation Project. The permits filed in 1905 constituted the initial step in perfecting water rights for their lands under state law. So long as that project proceeded at a reasonable pace and received proper extensions from the state engineer allowing additional time for the project to be completed and so long as the claimants ultimately irrigated their lands with project waters, the application of the doctrine of relation back directs these claimants be legally considered as having begun irrigation in 1905. [¶ 20] The doctrine of relation back has been long recognized in Wyoming jurisprudence in both case law and statute. See Campbell v. Wyoming Development Co., 55 Wyo. 347, 100 P.2d 124 (1940); Van Tassel Real Estate & Live Stock Co. v. City of Cheyenne, 49 Wyo. 333, 54 P.2d 906 (1936); Moyer v. Preston, 6 Wyo. 308, 44 P. 845 (1896); Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 41-4-506, 41-3-401(a), 41-4-512 (LexisNexis 2001). The doctrine invokes the principle by which, when an act is done at one time, it is considered, by a fiction of law, as if done at some antecedent time. 2 Clesson S. Kinney, A Treatise on the Law of Irrigation and Water Rights § 743 at 1284-85 (2d ed.1912). The courts adopted the doctrine solely for the purpose of justice founded in law, reason, and convenience based on broad equitable principles. Id. at 1285. Water law borrowed this property doctrine to protect the appropriator against intervening filings that could subordinate his expected priority between the filing of the permit for an appropriation and the actual physical appropriation. A. Dan Tarlock, Law of Water Rights and Resources § 5:62 at 5-104 (2001). Hence, [p]riority is determined from the date of the manifestation of intent, not the date of actual application of the water to beneficial use. Id. [¶ 21] Relation back has always been a flexible doctrine generally used to protect the parties' expectations when an unexpected event occurs. Id. at 5-105. Its application in water law has been necessary to stimulate investment in water development. As it was initially developed, relation back was applied to small ditches and less complex means of water development. Id. Considerable delays in putting water to use suggested speculation and could result in loss of early priority. Id. However, contemporary water projects often entail extended planning, financing, and construction lead times, and, without application of the relation back doctrine, the security of the project's water right could be undermined. Id. This court has noted: The law [...] does not require impossibilities of the appropriator; neither does it require him to do vain or useless things.... ...[T]he full enjoyment of the water attempted to be appropriated does not, of course, commence until the works are finally completed and capable of conducting all of the water; but[, as] against all others[] subsequently attempting an appropriation of the waters of the same stream, the right of the first appropriator to the use of the water dates or relates back, by what is known as the doctrine of relation. Van Tassel Real Estate & Live Stock Co., 54 P.2d at 913 (quoting 2 Kinney, A Treatise on the Law of Irrigation and Water Rights, supra, § 740 at 1280, § 741 at 1281). Relation back encourages the development of water resources by allowing prospective appropriators to initiate appropriation and then complete financing, engineering, and construction aspects of their projects with the understanding that, with diligent pursuit and development, their rights will become absolute upon beneficial use with a priority date of the initial action. 94 C.J.S. Waters § 365 (2001). However, it does not encourage or promote speculation in water rights which have no reasonable probability of maturing into completed appropriations. Id. [¶ 22] In Campbell, we referred to the doctrine of relation back as the right of gradual development [5] stating, courts ought not, we think, take it upon themselves to declare that the right of gradual development was taken away from the defendant company as a matter of law by the mere fact that the development was slow. 100 P.2d at 144. Further, work on one part of a system may constitute reasonable diligence in the completion of the entire system for the purpose of demonstrating reasonable diligence in development of the appropriation. 94 C.J.S. Waters, supra at § 365; City of Lafayette v. New Anderson Ditch Company, 962 P.2d 955, 961 (Colo.1998) (en banc). Over time, other courts have also responded by adapting the doctrine to better address complex projects. New Anderson Ditch Company, 962 P.2d at 961; Dallas Creek Water Company v. Huey, 933 P.2d 27 (Colo.1997) (en banc); Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation v. Intake Water Company, 171 Mont. 416, 558 P.2d 1110 (1976). [¶ 23] The doctrine of relation back is significant in this case because the unsuccessful claimants can be considered to have begun irrigation at the time the permits were filed for the federal projectthat is, 1905and, as a matter of law, the claimants should be considered to have been acting diligently at the time they acquired the reserved rights from their allottee successors.