Court Opinion

ID: 9530564
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:01:07.401424+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:10.466628
License: Public Domain

On Petition for Rehearing.
TAYLOR, Chief Justice.
In his petition for rehearing, plaintiff calls attention to the fact that the decree entered by the successor judge herein confirms in defendants certain water rights as decreed to them by the decree made by Judge Edward A. Walters, dated March 17, 1910, and filed April 6, 1910, in Cassia county, in an action brought by John A. Bridger, at al., v. Hyrum Tremayne, et al. Plaintiff complains of these entries because neither he nor his predecessor were parties to the Bridger v. Tremayne action.
The present decree merely reiterates or confirms what is contained in the earlier decree. The present decree also recites and confirms the water rights of the parties hereto as they appear in, and were adjudicated by, the Stockslager decree. The rights given to defendants by the Walters decree of 1910 bear priority dates of 1892 and 1893. Since neither the plaintiff nor his predecessor was a party to the 1910 action, the plaintiff is not bound by that decree. Also, the water rights therein granted to defendants being subsequent in time to plaintiff’s rights under the Stockslager decree, no rights can be asserted by defendants based on the 1910 decree, which would in any way conflict with plaintiff’s prior rights.
*183However, in the petition for rehearing, plaintiff further calls attention to testimony by defendant E. Lee Dewey to the effect that he has built a dam or reservoir in which he stores water in the high or flood water season for use at a later date, which he claims the right to do under the 1910 decree. Such diversion and storage of water, at a time when plaintiff’s prior right to 480 inches of early runoff or flood water is unfilled and needed by plaintiff, constitutes an invasion of plaintiff’s prior right. It, therefore, appears necessary to fix definitely the date of priority attaching to the plaintiff’s 480 inch right.
As pointed out in the foregoing opinion, Judge Stockslager concluded that the right dated from June 25, 1887. The trial judge herein found that plaintiff was entitled to that priority date. The successor judge, however, did not determine this priority date.
The cause is remanded to the district court with directions to amend the decree by adding to the paragraph defining plaintiff’s right to 480 inches from January 1st to July 1st of each year, the words, “with date of priority of June 25, 1887.” As thus modified, the judgment is affirmed.
Costs to respondents.
Rehearing denied.
SMITH, KNUDSON, McQUADE and McFADDEN, JJ., concur.