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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Kleppe v. New Mexico 104/ was also not a water rights case. The <br />Court held that the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses arrl Burros Act <br />preenpts enforcement of the New Mexico's estray law. A three-ju:J.ge court <br />had held that the wild Horses Act was unconstitutional, because it was <br />in excess of Congress' power un::ler the property clause. The Suprere <br />Court reversed. The Court noted the detailed firrlings which Congress <br />had rrade on the need to protect wild horses and burros as an integral <br />part of the public larrls. In reviewing con:;ressional intent, the Court <br />noted that "while courts must eventually pass upon them, detenninations <br />under the property clause are entrusted primarily to the judgement of <br />Congress." 105/ Thus, while the case IlI3kes it clear that the property <br />clause gives Congress the authority to enact le:jislation protecting <br />federal property, it does not sustain similar prercgatives on the part <br />of an administrative agency in the absence of explicit congressional <br />directions. Kleppe is particularly inappropriate where con:Jressional <br />intent has been declared to be that federal agencies will cCIUflly with <br />state law for the acquisition of water rights, with the exception of the <br />reservation d=1:rine arrl the navigation servitu:J.e, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />" <br />, <br /> <br />The case of United States v. Grand River Darn Authority 106/ in- <br />volved the question of whether the construction of a hydroelectric power <br />project on a non-navigable river by the United States involved a t:akin:J <br />un::ler the 5th arneru:lrrent, because it frustrated the darn authority's <br />expectations to develop a hydroelectric project at the sane site. The <br />federal power project was a part of a =nprehensive plan for regulation <br />of navigation, floed control an:1 pc:Mer developuent on the Arkansas <br />River, a navigable river in Oklahcma. The Suprerre Court held that the <br />dam authority's interests were not canpensable because an assertion of <br />the United States superior authority un::ler the corrmerce clause to inprove <br />navigation is not a taking under the fifth arrendment. Thus, the case <br />does not support a so-called non-reserved water right, but rather involves <br />United States supremacy over navigation un::ler the camerce clause. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The SU[Jrane Court's decision in United States v. District Court <br />for Eagle County 107/ is also cited by the Solicitor. The Court held <br />that the United States is subject to the jurisdiction of state courts in <br />a general stream adjudication pursuant to the /1cCarran Arren:lrrent. The <br />Court specifically held that all federal rights are subject to such <br />adjudication. The Solicitor refers to the phrase in the McCarran <br />Amendment "water rights which the United States has othe:rwise acquired" <br />as an indication of the existence of non-reserved rights. H~ver, the <br />Court in Eagle County specifically interprets "otherwise" to ITEaI1 <br />reserved rights. 108/ <br /> <br />The Solicitor draws partiCUlar attention to the language by the <br />Supreme Court in Cappaert v. United States 109/ to the effect that <br />"federal water rights are not depenient upon state law or state pro- <br />cedures...." 110/ Cappaert was a reserved rights case, which upheld ,the <br />goverrnrent's claim to reserved rights to protect a species of pupfish. <br />The ci ted language must be examined in context and there is nothing in <br />the opinion to show that the Court was considering anything other than a <br />reserved right. The Court's language was in response to the petitioner's <br />argl.lrrent, as restated by the Court, that "the federal goverrnrent must <br />perfect its :implied (reserved) water rights according to state law." 111/ <br />Thus, the language cited by the Solicitor does not support the proposition <br />of another exception to state jurisdiction in the fom of non-reserved <br />federal water rights, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-16- <br /> <br />90. <br />