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<br />While the doctrine has been applied with some regularity since that time,27 it
<br />was not until the National Audubon Society brought suit in 1979 to protect the waters
<br />of Mono Lake that a court made clear that the public trust doctrine may be used to
<br />reallocate water rights in order to prevent environmental harm ~ That decision
<br />simultaneously struck fear into the hearts of western water developers, and brought
<br />new hope to conservationists striving to protect riparian habitats throughout the West.
<br />Mono Lake is a remarkable sight. California's second largest water body, it sits
<br />at the base of the Sierra Nevada escarpment, with strange looking spires and towers
<br />rising from its waters. It creates an image more of Mars than Earth.
<br />In 1940 the California Division of Water Resources granted to the City of Los
<br />Angeles a right to divert for municipal use virtually the entire flow of four of the five
<br />streams feeding Mono Lake. The city went to work building a diversion structure to
<br />capture the flows of these tributaries and deliver them to Los Angeles via the Owens
<br />Valley aqueduct. With the completion of a second structure in 1970, the city was able
<br />n
<br />California: Ward v. Mulford, 32 Cal. 365 (1867); People v. Gold Run Ditch & Minine Co., 66 Cal.
<br /> 138, 4 P. 1152 (1884); People eg inf Webb v. California ash Co., 166 Cal. 576, 138 P.
<br /> 79 (1913); Colbe Inc. v. State eg rel. De artment of Public Works 67 Cal. 2d 408, 432
<br /> P.2d 3, 62 Cal. Rptr. 401 f 1967), cert. spied 390 U.S. 949 (1968); Marks v. Whitney. 6
<br /> Cal. 3d 251, 491 P.2d 374, 98 Cal. Rptr. ?90 (1971); Hitchines v. Del Rio Woods
<br /> Recreation & Park Dist., 55 Cal. App. 3d 560, 12? Cal. Rptr. 830 (1976); People ex rel.
<br /> Youneer v. County of El Dorado, 96 Cal. App. 3d 403, 157 Cal. Rptr. 815 (1979); City
<br /> of Berkeley v. Superior Court of Alameda County, 26 Cal. 3d 515, 606 P.2d 362, 162 Cal.
<br /> Rptr. 527, cert. denied 449 U.S. 840 (1980); State v. Superior Court of Lake County, 29
<br /> Cal. 3d 210, 625 P.2d 239, 172 Cal. Rptr. 696, cert. denied 454 U.S. 865, reh~eari~n
<br /> denied 545 U.S. 1094 (1981). State v. Superior Court of Placer County, 29 Ca . 31 d 240,
<br /> 625 P.2d 256, 172 Cal. Rptr. 713, cert. denied 454 U.S. 865, re earine denied 454 U.S.
<br /> 1094 (1981); National Audubon Society v. Superior Court of Alpine County, 33 Cal. 3d
<br /> 419, 658 P.2~709, 189 . Rptr. 346 (1983), cert. spied. 464 U.S. 977 (1983); Truckee
<br />1988)
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<br />Hawaii: binaon v. Ari os i 65 Hawau 641, 658 P.2d 28? (1982), reconsideration denied 66
<br /> Hawau 528, ?26 P.2d 1133 (1983).
<br />Idaho: Kootenai Environmental Alliance Inc. v. Penh dle Yacht lub Inc., 105 Idaho 622, 671
<br /> ~2 1085 (1983); o a v. unn. 109 I o 330, 707 P.2 441 (1985); In the Matter
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<br />of Application for Permit to Appropriate Water No. 36-720
<br /> Resources July 22, 1987).
<br />Montana: Montana Coalition for Stream Access. Inc. v. Curran, 682 P.2d 163 (Mont. 1984); Montana
<br /> Coalition for Stream Access. Inc. v. Hildreth, 684 P.2d 1088 (Mont. 1984); Galt v. State
<br /> of Montana By and ThrouPh Dept of ash, Wildlife and Parks, ?31 P.2d 912 (Mont.
<br /> 1987).
<br />Nebraska: Crawford Co. v. Hathaway, 67 Neb. 325, 93 N.W. ?81 (1903); Kirk v. State Bd. of
<br /> Irrieation, 90 Neb. 62?, 134 N.W. 167 (1912).
<br />North Dakota: United Plainsmen Assoc. v. North Dakota Water Conservation Comm'n, 247 N.W.2d 457
<br /> (N.D. 1976).
<br />Oregon: Morse v. Oreeon Div. of State Lands, 285 Or. 197, 590 P.2d 709 (1979).
<br />South Dakota: Flisrand v. Madson, 55 S.D. 457, 152 N.W. 796 (1915).
<br />Utah: J J N P Co v State by and throueh Div of Wildlife Resources, 655 P.2d 1133 (Utah
<br /> 1982).
<br />Washington: Stem el v. De artment of Water Resources 82 Wash. 2d 109, 608 P.2d 166 (1973);
<br /> aminiti v. Boyle, 107 Wash. 2d 662, 732 P.2d 989 (1987); Orion Cora. v. State, 109
<br /> Wash. 2d 621, P.2d 1062 (1987).
<br />Wyoming: Dav v. Armstrone, 362 P.2d 137, 152 (Wyo. 1961).
<br />"National Audubon Society v Superior Court of Alpine County. 33 Cal. 3d 419, 658 P.2d 709, 189
<br />Cal. Rptr. 346 (1983), cert. denied. 464 U.S. 977 (1983).
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