Opinion ID: 3197966
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Water Court’s order

Text: ¶15 The Water Court determined the Master erred with his volume quantifications of the four named rights. The court determined the Master committed legal error by not first 4 In his testimony Judge McPhillips used the former name for a state office of the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. 5 Johnson’s testimony was limited to three of the four named rights. He did not testify regarding the Eldorado Right. 8 determining whether the objectors met their burden of proof to refute Eldorado’s claims. The court then found the Master’s volume determinations were not based on substantial evidence because the Master utilized an incorrect water volume standard that was used by a witness. The court held it was also legal error to use the incorrect water volume standard to determine Eldorado’s rights’ volume quantifications. The court “decline[d] to adopt the Master’s findings regarding volume for [Eldorado’s claims]” and stated the volume for the claims “should be decreed as claimed in [Eldorado’s] statement of claim, with a remark that states ‘the combined annual volume for [the] claims . . . may not exceed 15,000 acre feet’” per year. The 15,000 acre-feet-per-year figure was the combined amount claimed on Eldorado’s initial Statement of Claim for all four named rights. Appellant argues the Water Court correctly reversed the Master’s volume determination, but erred by setting the volume quantification at 15,000 acre-feet per year. LTJO cross-appeals the issue but argues the Master’s findings are not clearly erroneous, are supported by substantial evidence, and thus the Water Court should be reversed and the Master’s volume findings reinstated. STANDARDS OF REVIEW ¶16 A water case that involves both a Water Master and the Water Court implicates a double layer of review. Heavirland v. State, 2013 MT 313, ¶ 13, 372 Mont. 300, 311 P.3d 813. Initially, the Water Court is required to review the factual findings made by a Water Master under the clearly erroneous standard. Conclusions of law made by a Water Master are reviewed by the Water Court for legal correctness. Heavirland, ¶¶ 13-14. This Court reviews the Water Court’s order to determine whether it correctly applied 9 those standards. Whether the appropriate standards were applied is a question of law, which we review de novo. Heavirland, ¶ 15. ¶17 If we determine the Water Court properly rejected a factual finding made by a Water Master, we review the substitute and any additional findings for clear error. Skelton Ranch, Inc. v. Pondera Cnty. Canal & Reservoir Co., 2014 MT 167, ¶ 26, 375 Mont. 327, 328 P.3d 644 (citations omitted). Clear error can be found by one of three ways. A factual finding may be clearly erroneous if it is not supported by substantial evidence. Even if supported by substantial evidence, the finding may be clearly erroneous if the trier of fact misapprehended the effect of the evidence. Even if supported by substantial evidence and the effect of the evidence is not misapprehended, a finding may be clearly erroneous if, in light of the evidence as a whole, the reviewing court is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Marks v. 71 Ranch, LP, 2014 MT 250, ¶ 12, 376 Mont. 340, 334 P.3d 373. ¶18 Substantial evidence is evidence that a “reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion, even if the evidence is weak or conflicting.” Skelton Ranch, Inc., ¶ 27 (citations omitted). To find substantial evidence there must be more than a scintilla of evidence but a preponderance of the evidence is not required. This standard is deferential, and not synonymous with the clear error standard. A reviewing court may still find a factual finding is clearly erroneous even though there is evidence to support it. Skelton Ranch, Inc., ¶ 27. 10