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<br />'_:1' <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />.', <br />.. <br />OB~2 <br /> <br />JolouaF'" 19801 <br /> <br />TRA',SFERABILlTY OF INDIAN WA TER RIGHTS <br /> <br />9:- <br /> <br />\\'ater reserved to thJt necessary for the purpose of the reservation". <br />\\'hik allowing the use of the water to shift to mcct present-day <br />n,.cds on the reservation. This approach would providc thc certJinty <br />soueht by non-Indians regarding the quantity of water reserved under <br />~he -II'inters right and further would provide for the ever-changing <br />r<quirement, for ,':ater on the reservation.' 7 <br />Since most of the water claimed under the Winters doctrine has <br />not yet becn put to beneficial use, there is a question about thc <br />quantity of water which could be transferred to a new use. ~Iany <br />scholars suggcst the "no injury" rule as a basis for limiting the <br />Jmount of water right that can be transferred' 8 However, reliance <br />on thJt principle would be ill placed, since it would severely restrict <br />the flexibility of lI'illlers rights' 9 <br />A similar but more reasonable approach would be to calculate the <br />veneficial consumptive use attributable to the initi5J purpose of the <br />reservation and thcn to allow that amounl"to shift to other uses' 0 <br />TIlis process is no more difficult than the chore faced in quantiiying <br />reserved rights in the fil'St instance where littlc or no actual use of <br />water has occurred on the res.,rvation. The principal advantage of <br />allowing the change in use of Indian w1ter rights is that it eliminates <br />the need for tribes to make repeated claims for additional water as <br />new uses arise. 111is view, of course. also assumes that there is a limit <br />to the quantity of water reserved for the reservation. a view whi':!l is <br />opposed by advocates of open-ended lI'inlers rights'! <br /> <br />36. The bulk of thi: decisions respecting Indi3n water rights ha\"e related the rc~en;:lllO:1 <br />of water to agricultural purposes. See. e.g., Arizona v. C3.lifornia. 373 C.S. 546 fl963): <br />lniled Statc~ \. Po\\ers. 305 U.S. 527 fI939): \\'inlers v, United St:ltes. 207 u.S. 56~ <br />C i90S): United States \'. Walker River hr. Dist.. 104 F2d 334 (9th Cir. 1939"1; Skce:-n \". <br />tni:cd States, 273 L 93 (9th Cu. 1921); United States v. Hibner. 27 r.ld 909 CD, Idilio <br />1915): Anderson \'. Spear-~forgan Lh'estock Co., 107 Mont. IS. 79 P.2d 667 lJ9:':J; ~l',:rrill <br />". Hi<hop. 69 Wyo. 4S. 237 P.2d 186 (\ 9SI). <br />37. Such an approach also squ31es with the holding in Unitt!d States 1'. Sew Mexico, -l3!:l <br />LS. f9611978J. in \\hich the (OUf! refused to recognize reserved right claims of the l'nilcd <br />S:.J.ICS ior "!.cclmdarr us~s" bc}'ond the purposes for which the Gila l'\alional rores~ had <br />bt'~n created. H.y <!.nalogr. no waler can be claimed for modcrn-dJ.r use:i of water which \~ere <br />~Irtuailr non-existent at the time of crealion of mo~t Indian reservations and. there;o;e. <br />~~:nd Ihl: ~eope of the unpiled re!.Cr\'alion of wjJler. <br />~e. Set' nolc 22 s!/pra. <br />39. Smce the !\'j"ICrs doctrine is dcsi~ncd to take th~ tribes out of competition with <br />4;tpropm,tors in order 10 secure lheir Ii~ht 10 lhe u~e of \\'::I.tcr on the reservation, a l..!miw.' <br />:I~n Co':'! the tran\ferauih:r oi h'lIllt'rs ri~ts based upon lhe amounl of waler hisIOr1eJ.!l~ put <br />:c, UH,' ....ould run counter to one oi the principal objectives and benefih of the doelnnc:. <br />4{1. 11m apprOJch has been suggcsted br The state", of ArizonJ.. CJ.litorniJ. and :\e\~,J:l1JI <br />~onnc.;i.IOIl with thcir joira motion to lhe l...:nilcd States Suprema Court for delcrr.;I:1:::IOr. <br />'-'I rn:~nt perfccted Ti~(s and the emr)' of a supplemenlal decree under the terrr.~ OJ- <br />Anlcl.~ \'1 of the Court's- decree In Arizona I'. Cali[omia, 373 U.S. 546 (1963J. <br />..I. Sf!c: notl; 35 rupra and accompan)'i=t~ le.\ t. <br />