|
<br />"
<br />
<br />20
<br />
<br />FEDERAL WATER nIGHTS LEGISLATION
<br />
<br />FEDERAL WATER nIGHTS LEGISLATION
<br />
<br />21
<br />
<br />ofT lightly." But it, io uouutful whether dILtn. aT'e amila!'le or could
<br />(", readily uooClllblClI which would giro. lis" oufficiently lIniforlll ont-'
<br />come, whell the ll1Lvigatjo)l valuc.o:; of our f::.i.renms nrc cOlllpnn~d with
<br />their values for ot.her purp05e.<O;, to warrant even a roug-h judg-ment
<br />that, in all circumstances, navigation is or is not to be preferred to
<br />other usco. It is likewise uoubtful thut dut" arc available or could
<br />be readily asoembled on wbich to b"sc an <1stimate of how I'll.pidly
<br />the na,vig:able rapacity of our !:it)"(~:\JllS would. be cxlmust.ed if all re-
<br />straints were l'CJlIOVN} by nn n.ppropria.te modificatioll of the 1877 and
<br />18V9 DctS 01' eren of the extcnt to whieh the"" "nd other similar acts
<br />have, ill fact, prove!l t.o b~ a. dctelTcnt to diversions. nut there is no
<br />qu('~"ti()1l that. u. survey of existing' diversions would show that many
<br />of thclIl rest upon:t ~lippel"y legal foundation and t.hat. there is merit,
<br />in law if not. ill pl'llct.iec, to t.hp. compla.int t.ha.t a. sword of Damocles
<br />hangs o\'cr thcm, due allowance Leill~ made for the esagg-eration in
<br />any such sl atclIlcnt as this. .
<br />. The prohlem is Hut fund amen Lally 1 as it has somet.lIne.s heen stated,
<br />that of disse.isin of vested 'vatm' rightg hy the Fcderal GOVlwnment
<br />wit I lOll t. just compew;aJioll. Such a st.att'lllpnt. of the caSe hegs t.he
<br />que.<:;tioll of whnt "\.c!-'iQ,d'~ means and how fu [' these rights are "vf'sted."
<br />Whatevcr e,!se t,h" t"l'lll may meall, the l"w is well eotablished th"t
<br />t.hese rig-lit,s are sulljed to :\11 exercise of tile Federal.servit.ude. a.nd
<br />arc, therefore, stlbjt~('t to divestment. without compellsation. .
<br />r Nor is the problem solely one of t.he FedeJ'al GO\,Pl"llJnPIlf, 01' fi, Fed-
<br />eral ngp.ney versus the owners of rip:ht.s to divert. Thrre aT'{~ recog-
<br />nizahle financial interests, ~ven though they may not be lega.lly pro-
<br />tected ricrhts, tll<lt. ship and ual'~l~. owners and t.hc proprietors of
<br />whal'\.p.s,~lo('k~, .w:tl'ehOllSl'S. and thc like IIn\'c in the contillue(l n:tvi-
<br />gao;l;ty of streams. If rli.ersions destroy navigability, with or
<br />wit.hout. Cong'I'C':is' eOIl~-llt, these illtcl'est~ will goo as fully uncompen-
<br />satcd ns t.he rights of di\"ertcrs will go if the Federal sci'vit.nde is ex-
<br />ercised. Whichever way COIlgrcss acts, in other words, it ca.nnot D.,:oid
<br />favorillg- one use of water over anothel',one t).pe of water user ag-amst
<br />allot.her..
<br />In ~hol't, t,lIc COIl~reSgiOIHll probleDl is n. polit.lcal 011(', in t.he hi,!!',hest
<br />sense of t,hut. word":'-t.hat of distribution. or sett.ing tl,e standards by
<br />which distl'ibution is to be made, of the "mil"hle wat",r SlipI'll' among
<br />the va.rioHs US(>S t.o which it.can be put.
<br />In the "hoenee of the, SnIt of daln. rderred to aoo\'e, it io doubtful
<br />whether t.he time is ripe fOJ' n.n n.ttcmpt at n. full perllmn('.nt leg-islal.ive
<br />solut.ion of the problem. But. it. is worHllloting that every Rivers .amI
<br />Harbors Act n.nd eH"I"Y Flood Control .Act. t,hnt lins hecn ennrt.ed since
<br />19i-4"8 includes, in tel.ius or by reference, u. provision rp...fl-ding t.hus:
<br />
<br />The lIse for m".i,::ttion, in connection witll the- operation nnd maint~n;ln('e or
<br />such wnrk~ herein nuthorizt;'d for construction. or wnters ari!';in~ in Stntes ly~
<br />
<br />.,. Th,. Corp~ of R!J,::-IIlf'('rH' Dllnlllll fltntlRtl('nT rpport entltl('d "Wn.tp.rborne Commerce or
<br />the United fitntci\" ~hO"""R nhollt 1.500 million ton.mUE'R or fr('l~ht beln~ ("llrrlMl In J9::.7
<br />on the Columhla nnd WlIlrltnette Rlnr9 bfo\ow Vnnco\lvl'r nnd Portland. about 136 mllllnn
<br />ton-milc!! on the Columhln h,.tw('rD Vnnconvrr nnd The Dnlles. o.bout 112 million ton-miles
<br />b('tween 'fhr Dulll'!! nnd MC~3.ry, n.bout 27 million ton-rolleR bl'twren M('Nory Bnd Kl'nne-
<br />wlek nnd nhout 10 millIon ton-milt's 1>" th,. Wlllnm{'tte nnd Ynmhlll Rlvf'I'B Ahove Port-
<br />land.' In the lIame year, about ]153 million ton-miles were carried on the Sacramento
<br />hplo\'f' R('d mnl'!' nnd nbout 137 million tou-mllel!l on the Snn IOBquln below Stockton. In
<br />1958, about 267 million ton-ml1efl moved OD tbe Mll'lsourl. the great bulk or tbls being
<br />b{'tn'''~n KPDAAS ('It,. find tbe mouth of the river.
<br />-The enrU,.lIt of thl'lIp BCts 18 that of Dee. 22, 194:4,08 Stat. 1187; tbe latest t1Iat fit
<br />July 3, 1958. 72 Stilt. 291.
<br />
<br />.~l~ Wh:,IlY,or I~l~l'tl:'t~.w('~t. of tIle lli~l~tY-I'i:.dlth IlWrlt1illll "hull Ill! HIl1r f.iueh use IlS
<br />8~; JlI/t. umllllt \11th .111}" lj('llctll:wl COIl~lllllllti\"l~ liSt'. 11l.C~Pl\t or tutUI''' in
<br />tO~\;~Uly~~~g, \\'hllll.)...or 1l1ll"Uy w<'~t of th~ llilll't~.-eighlh mel'iliian, of :,:udl w:~tel's
<br />" . e. (,', 1~llll1CIPHl, ~to~:k wntcr, irri,:;utioll, millinI-:". or inllustrial pllrpos<,s.
<br />F V"S furlllshes II P"ltlll.! solut,ion to the probli'lll "nd os f:I1' as new
<br />. :e( ern) w.ork~, ar~. concerned" a c~mtinuation of this legislative )rac-
<br />(.JICIO'1 WJlh .II'PI opll:>.te exceptlOns If they prove Hccessory may w~1I be
<br />It t mt 10 called for. '
<br />~Vit,h l'esl~eet, .to exi,st.illg bCJl('ficial COIlStllll]Jt1\"e lIses of \\"ntf'-I" b
<br />prl\'a.~c pnrlTCs, mcludl1lg J.nullicipalities, howe\.er-pn t't.icnlal'ly t.hos~
<br />~scs t,:~t are. of lo~g sta..ndmg-thc fl:8s11mpt.ion can proba.bl r be safel
<br />].n~h!!,.,lll tbM the,,. etlcets Oil "'"'l;!at.ioll ha"e oll'eadl' ["'I'll fill?
<br />C,Li~~(l., Oil t1110,."SStllllpt.I011, thet'e :,'ould be merit to cOlifirmatioll b~
<br />Ollol.f'.~S of the lights. to use OJl wlJlch t,he.v 1I0\\" rest. insofar:1~ the'
<br />do ~ot. l1Ifl'JlIgC O!l any other rights or illtp-i.est~ of the Ullit~d 'State;
<br />.F]~all~, ~,.here IS tl~e p~ohlen~ of new and enla.ro-ccl diversion's of
<br />;V,\tcfi-:),} pln'.llle p;~ltICS, J1leJll(Jlllg 111 1 III ici pill i t,h's, \~hic.h may 01' ma.y
<br />/.o~\a e,c,t.I:::lvlgablht.y. No assurance cnn be given by any administra-
<br />.H,e.o[hl.cl to. ol~e W~lO pl'Op~s{'s ~llch n diYCl~it)n tilc\t it will llot he
<br />RIl ,]cct. to attack. let, the dlverslOn may l'rquil'c a large in\"(~stment.
<br />h~H~ t\ w~101c ]o~nl economy, may het'.01l1e dcpcndl'_nt llpon- it. It is not
<br />.Ill 0 ,lpprec.!n.te t]w jrol.lllg that this is an ulI:satj:;;factorr sHuat,ion
<br />antI t.ha,t the.re IS 110 ncc(l fot. Conuress to kec,!) as tirrll~" '. .t. _
<br />now ex -.ts It ! I b /'::l - lo,~ reIn Oil I a~
<br />t. -. IS .., ~' WOll ( . not, e out. of. ~rder. 1 hel ie~:(', for C'onsidera-
<br />IOI~ to he 7-1\.' n. to Ieglslat.loll anthonziIlg t.he Srereta.ry of the Army
<br />\<? ~Ice~lsc, cJt.he~ pe~'IIl<lT~elltl;y or, fo!, tl reasollabl~' long" period of yearS
<br />( 1\ ('1"Slons ~f nntel WIllCh, In IllS )ud("lment. wIll not' '111'0. ,t tl' .'
<br />gable e"!)[l.('tl' f t I . I . ~, ., C IC IH1Vl-
<br />fi' " . . ) 0 0 reams or W 110. I If they do ",ill yield pub]' b
<br />t.l~~ ~;:pat~l/l~:lIl t~~ose.tlntieipaled from the c~lltiJ111ed rlYail:11:Rit.~~f
<br />, ".lter '" 01 11.n.\lg-n.tlOJ1 pllrp~s('s, Such an ennetnH"nt. would illl\"e
<br />it le.lSt. tho '!lel'lt?f ell"bllll/!, (In'erters to kllow where thev st, 1 he-
<br />ore th~ dl\"el'~J(ln J1lvestmp1It is made. . ,lnl
<br />I .A t.hlrd q\lesti(~1l tllat. needs f'onsidf'J'ntion is wheth{>r 'lno .f
<br />J.-~O\.l-~ ~ar ~he lH'tIlCflts. ~f t.he ll:1yig-ation SC'ITitl1de nre <l\"~il;\hle' /0 t~~~
<br />~(..un. \'IlJ10Yt'l'lllllenl, III connection with its 1H~\\.I'r llses of l1aviO'ahlc
<br />she.~Il1S. TII ~lIh~taJl('c the qlH~st.ion is whether the t'xistcncc df th
<br />serytl'nde alld ItS b"nefits IlepPllrl "pOll the Hat""e of th~ Stl'l"lll1 (i~
<br />W 1I~ lfc..'lSO nl~Y i,u-YIgahlc ~tl'c~m mny be used by the Federal Go\'('rn-
<br />me_l1. or an,} 0 lh:i cnnst.ItlltlOnal functions without com ens"tion)
<br />or upon the nat.ure of t.he Use (ill which ('.a50 it is only a ~avi~.lti(
<br />Use or, at, most, n lIse l'ogni1.nhle under the commerce ~-hll;SC ~'f .t.h~
<br />... Tlw Sllt)flwr~ecl Lands A~t or HJ:i;l (137 5it ...
<br />f'XC"f'pt{'li "warNpoWl'r, or th... U"l' ot '~nter (' PhI _9. 4J D.S.C. 1:Wl et f'('C).) sprelOcllliy
<br />flul"hmf'nt wlli('h It Illnlle to thp. Stnt{'p, (Sf' ... or e pN' uctlon ot power" fr.'m the rl:'Hn-
<br />In It "holllr1 "nlTect th'! !Hie. d(!v('lopmenr i(e)).. It olso provld('d thnt n,)thlll~ C"ontnlned
<br />8tltutlolln1 nnth"rlt.... of thp Unltcd St8te/l"(lrm~j~~rll'ITt, or C"(\lltrQ! IlY or under the CQn-
<br />plIrpo<:e ot nnvli:"atlon fir floot! contr,,1 or tll s ~ d t\, nqlllshcdf Innds lIod W:\terfl for the
<br />rfh'a"e Or rf"llllllllb,hm('nt ot 1111\' rl,::-htll ot ih~rU~:i donsft pow('r, or be con!l-lrucd n>l the
<br />onnl authority of COlll:re<:s to re 111 t e ntes nrlSlnl;' under the (,oll!l-thu
<br />CQntrlll, or the prod;ietlon. of Ol\"~r..n(~ or tmpro\"e nllvl,::-ntlon. or to provide for flood
<br />Stnt,,!" "nil It!! navlC:,1t1onal Iol'rr.,tnde nn.d('~1 ~(td}t llnd expre.<.:.<:ly ternlned tor the Unlt('d
<br />tt 1<1I11] lnlll]~ nlHI nnvlgnble water'" tor tht' ~OD~tl~ ~rd Plowers of re,r:"Ulntloll nnd control
<br />on. Ilntlonn] d,.feo!"r, nnli Internntll>nnl IT ' u onll purpoS(,!1 ot commerCe, navl>;"n-
<br />~~Vll:1 notb bl! dl'clU('d to Illclu(le'- proprl('i:nr~' :J~h.tIlQ~lr otw~~i~~j ~h~lI. b;"pnrnmonnt to, hut
<br />ilh~111.~~ltc~~~tr~~dt~~S~J:COtl~Nio~: l~~~nJ~:rio o:rr;~~t1~n. 3.(;lb~~nt "N,O/htlfrJCg ~~aih',S ~~~
<br />C l\ 0 :v or In pnrt 'Yo.elltwnrd of th nl t I h e nw~ 0 tbc Stutes whlcb
<br />and ('ontrol of irrollnd and surtace w e ?e y-e l: tb mcrIdlan, relattnl::" to tbe o\Vner:;hlp
<br />,b\JtJOTl ot .!uc.b ....ater.! shaH eoDUnu:t::;8r1e ~d ;~e~ cd'Dtrol. nIPhP"htJrlnt!oll. tl8r. :lnd dl~trl.
<br />s not clear. ranee '" t t e lawa of l!Iucb States"
<br />
|