|
<br />Pacific Ltlw Journal I Vol. 19
<br />
<br />2. Prrsent Per/tetm Rights
<br />
<br />Imperial i~ one of two signers or the Seven Party Agreement (the
<br />other beinl Palo Verde lrrlsation District) to qualify ror presenl
<br />perrected rllhtl. As was noted berore, the Supreme Court decree In
<br />Ariwna v. California, sel rorth a two part lesl. A party musl have
<br />acquired a waler right under slate law and exercised that right by
<br />actual diversion of a specific quanlity of water applied to a derined
<br />area or land, and the right had to exist as or June 25. 1929.110
<br />Imperial was acknowledged to have a present perrected right in the
<br />1979 amended decree in Ariz.ona v. California:
<br />The l,"p~rjal Irrigation D;~trict in annual quanlilies not to eX~eed
<br />(i) 2.600.000 acre-feel of diver'dons hom the mains.tream or (ii) lhe
<br />quantity of mainstream waler necess.ary to supply the ~onsumplive
<br />use required for irrigaliorl of .c2.c,I.c, acres and for the salisfaction
<br />of relaled usn. w1ric1r~,,~r of (i) or (ii) ;$ I~u, with a priority dale
<br />of 1901""
<br />
<br />~vetal items should be noted about Imperial's pres.ent perfecled
<br />rights. First, the rights are only relevant in the event or a shortage
<br />in the Lower Basin. Even Ihen there must be insurficient water 10
<br />meet Calirornia's claim or 4.400,000 acre-reet, aner the Central
<br />Arizona Project has been cul.orr.!If Wilh the huge storage reservoirs
<br />on the Colorado River System and the Upper Basin release requite.
<br />ments, this event is extremely unlikely to occur. Second, Imperial
<br />has no specific quantity of water available to it. Instead Impetial
<br />may divert Ihe water needed for the irrigation or 424,12' acres or
<br />land. bUI not exceeding 2,600,000 acre-feel. Again, ir Imperial can
<br />not beneficially and consumptively use :the mu.imum amount. it has
<br />no righl to Ihe water. . \.
<br />Finally. the Supreme Courl made it Implicitly clear, in Bryant v.
<br />r~Ilf',,1lJ that the preSent perrecled water rights or Imperial could
<br />only be used on the speciric 424,125 acres which Were being irrigated
<br />in 1929. BryarJ( dealt with the question of whethet Imperial, by using
<br />......ater rrom Hoover Dam, ~~s. subject to the 160 acre limitation
<br />
<br />110 SH JIl/I'W nqr~' n.... Ind Iccomrlnyin. rexl~'
<br />111. AIIZonl v. {'llirorn,l. 4J9 u S. 419. 429 (1919) (trn"hl,il Idded).
<br />112 12 5'11. "" fl968) (codIfied It Irnmded II 4J U.S.C. 111501.1'~' (1912" Supp.
<br />11I198",. 'l
<br />Ill. 441 U.S.)~ (1980).
<br />
<br />1418
<br />
<br />'"
<br />'"
<br />'"
<br />",
<br />
<br />,: f'.
<br />
<br />,',,:'
<br />"
<br />. \ . ~.
<br />:j~.
<br />. "
<br />
<br />.,"
<br />
<br />.\ .'.
<br />'1' :'; ~ ; ~':\
<br />
<br />-'~~ .
<br />,~~ ~i:
<br />
<br />..
<br />,:,..:...;..',:..,..' ."
<br />.:'c.. .f'
<br />
<br />: \ ..~..,
<br />'. !.~. :1"
<br />
<br />..>
<br />
<br />"
<br />, .':~':~\;:'.:\:r }j~ './.1'
<br />
<br />.......-.;.:....i
<br />
<br />~ .......
<br />
<br />,.....
<br />
<br />:i
<br />
<br />.'
<br />
<br />" . ~ '.""
<br />
<br />.' ,'~..
<br />I.;r;>.'y(\,.: .,'
<br />,........,/,."
<br />,.,
<br />
<br />...,'
<br />,.",'::'
<br />
<br />,;.
<br />
<br />. ':~?
<br />
<br />:-,
<br />
<br />"
<br />.,''';'-;'.1
<br />
<br />,"" ,"", ...s.,: '-.,
<br />'.:.': ~,'..
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />.~\.'1 .....~ .r..~~J....-,.t'
<br />.~~,';~\..~~,~_r:,)\.\..:~-~.~;: .~
<br />.t~,;r,.:.f..;;"~j~ ")'~~'
<br />~~~ t,\~!~,~ t.~ ':.~~:';:',~ ~0' ;{~~.
<br />. ~!, "'tJ.~~ l!' lo:'l!(.;:..r.~:'\:. c
<br />
<br />;:~~i~~;?EM(1jt~f:;
<br />Y ,..,' t.1'. ""1'''1-'.' , ','~
<br />::/j?,~~.~,:}-,t.~':..:~.~..:..
<br />;!"'''!'Y''''':''~:~\''''''\'''~'\
<br />~r~!ty$j
<br />
<br />. .: ...~-,. ~.~' I - 1.""1 t'l
<br />~ ~:: ~i/~~<;~ :~~)~t~; ):t~ ~.
<br />~'. ~ "I . "'-""J ,'. ~.)' . '.'
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />...,~,...,~~.Jt,..~~~" ~t-,rl
<br />r/r :..~;; ':'~'~.:~:.: (...~, ~.j\ .$:.'
<br />'\J:.:.- c.'.n' ,.,..;JI'~\.)~".\""f .\1'"'
<br />,.y';:.r}r';~''''1.:,...I;;~,iI~;'~r-r. .
<br />"'J'I' r.'..l'~'.Vi.":i ~..:..;5i'~
<br />J~:( >.l,~f!~.\'.~~~ .~:.:~~t~
<br />''''-f,:rl''l'~:;I'"JI';;i ""i"~'~'
<br />'.\,~ :l'W~"V.,,'. hi
<br />"t.".f~',!'''' ".~:t.':;. "',: "I '~r'\':~
<br />t.. . ..~IC.~"" - ~ '._ :. ....r...
<br />~'':"'''''/j '-:J''.~' <:q 1,;<1 1'~~"
<br />.., ~~,,~~',>~.: '~t...~ ~..,.-::;,.:::~'~'.
<br />." , , ".~. '., ,:\ .,..:' .\) ".'
<br />;:{;H/.(,}r~,;.';.;~mZ.;~1,:;
<br />
<br />...;,", \'.' \ ,'1.. .......
<br />j' '~"'{ T-:.. "i, I :'.:..111,:("
<br />. ;.~\i".i.. " _ ~..,t:..."" fit'
<br />, ': ..... ',c.. I ~, .' .,1.'+ ~ I:. .' ,_" ,',., ,-~, ."~'~~""':X,,,%':~-!.;"'~f~:~-"~~'-;~:
<br />1'-".: ',~,")I'-,' ,,~, ,i..'....'~r.....}I).II:..I1.r".'~'.',..*., ."i'."".,, 1""',1'.. ,,(,;~'...~' .".""')'t\,,,~,~,,,
<br />..'" ,.1). ,..' _.,_~'~.. :!.;" ;;;)', !,1'{,,. {, t: !f';'" ;. .1;,''1 }I', (.,'! ,~: ~~~1..<<'~' '~:'." ..~... 1"1 ~' ~I''i~ ",r;. ....,.' ~I l .... :'-", ~ 1 >';1, - i .~~: :\I-'~.: '/.1: .;.,'...
<br />\ .4 . l'~.." .' , ""1~" .f,', .(.,~.."';;" -.r' .'....J..,.... ,,' ..., ..... " .~,..r ... .,'" , ','
<br />""~ .1,,,, .'J ~." "'1' ,., I, "'C- ,r'''1 , '...~.) '. r'.ol';'r"l" .'........I'}.' ',;,1: ,f.'>,..
<br />-h "':.;r "'1' . ..... " ..\.~ ,':!,' - '\'~f. f ','1" ' ~\I"'" {,:'.:. .!~ " "\ ',..\ ...'...,'. ."1" ",~. I' \ ! \. .t
<br />.\\ i _;. '....)I~'I'.,..~~.:..,. ';:':-'\"'1. ",'~"4 ~...:..... I,:"!" ,~.., ':"t.~r, ~-",,~,;,.'\'..",..\\,'.'~':' ';I'J'';,,~~ 1',.;;-
<br />,. .' ''''!~~',:rcr.~~' ..-:.\..'..'r(~'.J;~ -;','-'''1'' ~...:..\..::; -;. I, l:~'.O -I-i. ..r" : I ~.~'l . ..,....".:-\..',:.ll"'..~!..\,.I;
<br />1 " "" :r'. :... ......f~ ~.:;~' ;:~, .:> :'~ \~"~ i d': '~ >'11,'. tl ~./:'!J/:'" .....':., ."..,: .>~.~.':~; ': :'.~ \; ~ ".". ~..." ~"~:' ,,'..:,';',~'I, 'I, }'7f.," :,'~' }~}'
<br />"'.', /......)'....,'. ..... \",'-.,r("...o/,_,,,.,,,,.,_. "",~..,.~..,. ....",..,! ""Jl~. :J....tt...,'."'.f.:.,I'....
<br />'."4 ""-.', "..' ~.J .', 1 f' :'I..t.'t"llo-!tl':"';i.,~ll.h.. ..i'..-.'J::....~i...'.,.,r. :(' ,~1'1;' 'I; "-::\',.\, ':,:: ~l \.' . :t~1 ~r~: ,~:[:.!;-, "'1"';?'J~N.J..
<br />
<br />1988 I California Cotorodo Riv~r Issuts
<br />
<br />under the Reclamalion Act. The Court determined 3S a matter of
<br />slatutory interpretation that Congress had not intended Ihe Recla-
<br />malion Act limitalion 10 apply to those specific lands which were
<br />being irrigated on June 2S, 1929 pursuant to a stale Water righl.m
<br />As a resub, Imperial's 424,12' acres which had been awarded a
<br />present perrected right were not subject to the limitations of the
<br />Reclamalion Act. The conclusion that Seem! to be called for is thai
<br />ir Imperial calls ror present perrected waler rights, it can only claim
<br />(he amount necessary for the specific acreage and mllst use the water
<br />ror that purpose. Thererore Imperial has no water 10 sell for use
<br />elsewhere.
<br />
<br />C. California Woter Trons/~r LAw
<br />
<br />Imperial, as a California irrigalion district, has technically the risht
<br />10 sell surplus water ror use outside its boundaries subject to certain
<br />reslrictions and approvals. In Under its federal contract, Imperial is
<br />not entitled to a specific quantilY of water, but only the amount
<br />neceSS3ty for benericial consumptilo'e use on its lands. It is then
<br />dirricult to see how, without the consent of the other CaHrornia
<br />water contractors and the Secretary. Imperial could invoke this
<br />provision. In recent years: howelo'er, the Calirornia Legislature has
<br />passed several slatules designed 10 encourage conservation or water
<br />and to racilitate the ttansfer of such consetved wa.ter. These laws
<br />should be brieny reviewed.
<br />In 1982, the Legislature passed AB 3491116 introduced by Assem-
<br />blyman Katz. The bill included an amendment to Water Code section
<br />1011 relaling to appropriative rights:
<br />(b) Wat~r. or th~ right to th~ use of wat~r. Ihe use of which hu
<br />ceased or been reduced liS the result of water conservltion effons
<br />as describ~d in subdivision (a). may be sold, leased, exchlnged. or
<br />otherwise transferred pursuant to Iny provision of law. relatina to
<br />the fransfer or waler or wlter rights, if1c1udina. but nol limited to,
<br />provisions of law govcminl any change in point of diversion, place
<br />or U5C, and purpose of use due to the transfer.'''
<br />
<br />114. Brymto'. 441 U.S. II ]1).1'. The COlin leh o~ the quC1lion or nether Ihe 160 am:
<br />Iimill!lon in rhe Rcclamllion Act Ipplied 10 OIher IlndJ ..ilhin lhe DiJlrid whic:h were noc
<br />1"',lIFded prnrnl perfccted rrlhll. bUI nored Ihlllelillllion .... prndin. 10 urmplluch luIdl.
<br />Id. The le,i\wionwu ~tc<l.. Sft SactUQCnto Vanq Cauls 1v:J.. '" S1.t.t. ]1)9, ]~ (1910).
<br />1 U. c...... WAnl COO! II 222'9-60 (Weal 1984).
<br />116. 1982 ClI. 5111. ch. 861.
<br />111. 1982 CII. SlI!. ch. 861. arc. 4, It]224 (mactil1l C.u. W.n.. CooaltOIl(\l)).
<br />
<br />1419
<br />
|