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<br />FEDERAL WATEIl nIGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />FEDERAL WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />31
<br />
<br />TIcd:1I1Ul.lion in ~n..r.Ythillg' except its irrigation operat.ions); t.he De-
<br />pa.l'tnwllL of .Agnelllt.lIre., except so fllr as It op(>ra(l's under the \Yaf.er-
<br />~hl'(l Pl'otl'ctioll and Flood Prevellt ion .Ad.; :lIld t.hn milit:ltj' r_st:lh~
<br />lishlllents-alltl i.ho f:H..:t I hat. stat.ulps similar to tho I hr('o \\'hieh have
<br />just, heen mellt.iolled have not. brell mil de applicahlo in t.hc~c ot.her areas
<br />could readily leat! to t.he inference that it is Congress' intent that t.here
<br />shallllot. LJP eompllancc in t.hese cases.
<br />"rllC'.thcr tllis is good, had, or indiffere.nt is, of conrse., nncthcr ques-
<br />tion. One of th(Lgrcat diflielllties.in disCll~iIl'r it is the lnck of finy
<br />systcm;\t,icsllnrpy 01' even of :t good colletl ionl:' of emi('rde .ex~lllll)lps
<br />'Q1lt.he basiH nf whid. to "ppmiHC the pmtlic,,1 etreds of [.he present_
<br />syot"'-m-and'lhri prohable etreds of any prnposed systolll.'~' We do
<br />llOt,-kn<)w; ii. anyt.hing; even approximat.ing' t:lngiblp terms, in what
<br />ways the. exeI'cisr. of Fedeml powe.rs in t.his Held, whet.he,' by (.he erea-
<br />t.IOn of l-efe~vat.ions or ot.herwise, nct.uft lly interferes wit h the work
<br />of State cnglllccrs \\'ho have t.he job of :uhnini:':;lering water resources
<br />"and we do Hot kllow, all t.he other hand. t.he e.xlpllt. to which a l'cf]llire.
<br />ment that. Federal administ.rators follow St.ate laws in t.his re"pect
<br />would hamper the-m in Ct'\rrying out. the jous t.hat. Congress g-iyes t.hem
<br />to do.. The ~rf,,:nm_ent tlms Ja,: has. been conchrrllargely in terllls_of
<br />the "nght.s" 0 t.he States and the "rig-hts" of the Feder:ll Go\"ern--
<br />lfieii.t ,vit.hout. suOieient nt.t.ent.iori bein/! paid to the. merits and de"
<br />!!lel'1t~ eIther of tl~e pres.cnt system 01' of ;lilY proposed system as they~
<br />}ll\'ol.ve bot,~l routme dally operating' problems find great, substantial
<br />con A Ict.S of mt.erest.
<br />. About the Illost that can be said is that prima faeie the present
<br />diversit.y ill Federal statutory provisions makes lit.tle sense and that
<br />insofar ns there has been experience under t.he Reclnmnt.ion Ad of
<br />1902, t.here ha~ been litt.le Or 110 seriollS complaint ahout t.he outcome.
<br />There has been, nlOreo\'er, little or nO syste.mnt.ie attempt. to analyze
<br />the blanket proposals to require compliance into their eonst.ituent
<br />parts and ,to assess the effects and t.he relat.i\'e importance of requir-
<br />mg complmIlce, on the one hand, and of permittin,!! nOllcompliaI1ce,
<br />on the other, to t.he Federal Govel1lment and the States on au ex-
<br />ample-by-example basis,
<br />l~s it,Jor instanco, just as imporhtnt. to t.he f'tat.('.f-' for the Fe(leral
<br />legI81a.tlOJ~ to cover nOTlcollsllmpt.i\'c llS('S of W:tf<:-l" as it is fol' it to c-m'eI'
<br />~OIlSllmpt,I\,(I lIS(H:;::'? Is it. jllst liS important. to th('. ()llPl"<lti()n~ or t.he
<br />F('.(krnl novc,'nlllcnt. for it, to rC'.t:llll fl'('C'dom fm"an :1;,!C'IU',v \\'ho~ bsk
<br />is primarily to serve local people who, if t.he}' were scn'ill~ th..~ms('l\'cs,
<br />would be bouud by t.he. law~ of t.heir Stote as it, is to preserve freedom
<br />f~)l' nn ngoncy whlCh IS sp,r~mg:11\ urgent national ne.('d? Is the situa-
<br />tIOn thc same, n.nd arc t.he demands of t.he States ccpmlly pf"r5unsive,
<br />where the water dcv~lopmemt is an .isolated onc and where it is part
<br />and parcel of a m.ultlstate undel'taklO/! which mi/!bt be frll,t.mted if
<br />there were n. reqUIrement thnt t.he laws of any or nn the Stnte:; con-
<br />
<br />l.:lG Th" Prf'f'hh'nllnl Advl:-:ory Commlttf'e on Wnter Rf'flOUrCCR Policy, compO!'(ld or tbe
<br />~f'~~etnrlc!'I of A~rlcllltllre.' lldf'nsc nod the ,Interior, recommf'nd~d In Its l'(l!lort ot Dee, 22,
<br />]f),l,1 (II, Doc. No, 315, ~4lh Conj::',), thnt '1'1 Rtt;dy be mnile by the FNlrrnl GovNnment
<br />In collnboratlon with State and loco I entltl<l'.!I to determine tbl' r{'lntlon.~hlps betwN'D
<br />property rll:"ht~ to wnter ond the Roell'll nnll economic dC'f"t']opmeont (If the ;'\'atlon nnd the
<br />1'11'('1'1, ond ot the prlncipleR nnd crltcrla whl('h Rllould be Ineorpornted Into Fedf'rnl Stote
<br />and locnl lllWfI rf'gardlnA' rlg-htB to th(" npprl)r:lrlntlon and use or water th:1t would' n!lRUr~
<br />itR bt'st ond mOllt ettectlve lU_e nnd at the ..orne tIme encourllc:e mnxlmum partIcIpation oy
<br />aU puUee concerned." This IItudy hIlS not beeD made, It 1t bnd, aDswers ml;:::ht be
<br />a.valla.ble tor many ot the prellently UDaDlwered qUetlt10DS wIth which we ore CllC'ed loday,
<br />
<br />ch()o~es to makl' it!'=e1f suflieiC'l\tly df':ll' 01\ t.he slIhjf'ct, its project
<br />fiut.horizations cannot, ('Ol\sl iLl1tionally ue read as sayillf:;" ill cfred that
<br />the SerrC't:lI''y of fhp- Interior, t.lIp, t;p(',l'ctaJ'Y of i\gI'lClIltllre, o~, t.he
<br />~C'cl'ctary of ~h(~ AnllY, as t.h,e case milY be, is ulIlhorized to construct
<br />If, hut ollly If, he aH.'UreH 11Illlself lhat he can ohtaill t.he necessary
<br />water rights ill a~col"(li\llcc wit.h St:ltc law. The problem, t.o repeat.,
<br />is Hot. olle of the cOllst.if-llt.iollulit.v of snch a. limit.ation Oil executive
<br />uUlhol'it.y but. of t.he propel' eonsti'uction of snch anthorit.y and diree-
<br />,ion as lIlay be:ri H'Il.
<br />To say. howc\"P.1'. a~ the ubm'e indicates that. there is no observahle
<br />substance to the slipposecl <.'Ollstit.ntil)nal arg-ulI1ent is not to say that
<br />t.hC'l'C~ nre 110 poli('y q\l('~t ions to be decided before proceeding- with ll.
<br />wholesale 'I<lopl ion of State la,,"s on the snhject, It is t.hese that now
<br />need to be looked at.
<br />There arc on the Ferleml statnte honks today only t.hree /!eneral acts
<br />of major illlpOl'tancC'- which specifically ref(';l' to ohscl'Y:lnce hy Fedl'rnl
<br />flg-~'ll('i('s of.:-itatc \\"alel' lilws.m '1'11('. Iil'~t is the HP.Cl:lIllHtioll ]\('1. of
<br />It)()2 which, :l~ has alre;li.l.\' I)('Cll pointed out, is n~st.l'ict('d to pl'ojcds
<br />constrnded nnder the F,',leml reelanlatinnlaws and, even within that
<br />limit, refers ollly to "laws * · * J'('lat,ing to the control, appropria-
<br />tioll, use or flistl'ihutioll of water used in irrig-ntion, or any \('sted rip;-ht
<br />::J,('fjllin.d t 11('.1"1:' II 1111",1'." Th~ second is lh(' Feclel'nl POWPI' Act. of lU20
<br />which gO('s to nOllilltrdt:'l'C'llcc with "the laws of the l'esprd,ive States
<br />rel:1tin~ to the control, appropriation, llSt~ or rlistrilmt.ioll of watp,r used
<br />in il'rigat.ioll 'or for Illunicipal or ot.her lIses, or any \,p.sted right ac-
<br />quired t!l('l't'in," And the thinl is the "rntershed PI'otcrt.ioll and Flood
<br />Pl'cn'ntioll Arl of 195-1 which require::; the Secreta!"y of Agt'i(,.'ultlll'e
<br />either to aeqnire OJ' to sat.isfy himself that the heneliei:ll'ies of any proj-
<br />ect. lllulcrtaken pUL'slI:lnt. to t,llat. Het IIi! \'e :lcq\lirl'd 01' will Hcquire SllCh
<br />valid rights to the use of water under State law as are c-alled for in the
<br />Cil'(,111Ilstfinces,135
<br />Ko !=;\lI'\'ey is :l\'ail:lLle to show how fal' the::;c reqllil'f'lllclll!=; are Sllp~
<br />pl('melltpcl by \'oI1l11tnI'Y ndlH'I'p.Il('C Lv ngP-Ill'Y heads t.o a lll'lld jc'e of
<br />following State. }>l'occchll'e, bnt it. is e.le:n' thnt t.he statnte~ lell\"(l- i!reat,
<br />nl'ea~ llIH'o\'el'l'<l-nll operat.iolls, for inst:lIlcc, of thE". COT'J)S of EIIg-i-
<br />TIN'I"S, the lnl'.!If'sf, of Fpclf'l':ll eOllst"Ild-illg :1g-cllcif',s in t,he wat.el' l'e-
<br />SOIlf'('es li~ld;' many agPlleit's of t h(~ Dpp,u.tmt-'lIt of t.JU'. TllftwiOl' \\'hidl
<br />nl iliz(', \\":\1 PI' (fol' ('X:llllJllp, t.lll~ BIII'{';III of IlldiulI A Il'nil"S. t II(' Nal iOIlI\l
<br />Park St~I'\'it:,), the Fish :llld 'Vildlifl'. ~er\'iee, Hllll c\'cn t,he Bureau of
<br />
<br />I~I Tlll'rl' nrp, or cOlJr!<p. mlln; other Fcllprul octfl whh:h nfl'r tfJ Stnle wllkr 10wlJ.
<br />fkllntor Il';\\llhllll"."'l< I<lnl"l1l<'lIt i,t Ih" ("l'llll1Lltl,.,,"" 1H':lrlnc::!< Iln II.ll. 4~(j1, I't~., "-tilh r,'ng'"
<br />11t.1".1 :il) {"I'. ~,,(I'.\. C"l1cn.~...rn:lll 110"111"1"" ~l!; (PII Ii:; IT.), ntlll thl' I,'nrm HlIrf'llll FI'llc'ro-
<br />tl"1I'<; 2:' (PI" 1";1 IT.l. Tlw!<I' ('olllpllatl"lI" 11I1'I1Il!P \.nrIOll'lIW'l< whkh rl'h'r to lo('al wllter
<br />In'l\'l' j:'I'lll'ra Ir whh'h 11;1\"1' hl'f'll Illsl'IIi'lSI'f! nr m('utllll1('ct f'l~"wlll'rf' III Ihl'! m"lnl'r:lJl.11l11l
<br />{for (':\:IIIlPII', till' l~lili, 1~";t1, IS";";. Hllel 1.~fll n,~b', nOli thl' !-lllhm"r!:",'d J.nmlll Act),
<br />Othpr!l Ihllt nr.' 11~tl'rl (")11""'1'11 prro,t,'rtll lI11rll'r tll~ IlurpolI or npe'lnrnntlon whIch dn not
<br />CI'I1II' wholl.v within thl! C::l'nNnl rl'clonll\tlon InwFI (for exnmplp!I. th~ \!,.'orren Act nOli the
<br />~rnl1l1 l'r"jl'('fs ,\etl or ('nll('I'rll !<Imllnr prnJpcl!l IInllcrtak(!n b.v 0111"1'1< {(or f'xnmplc, the
<br />Wnlf'r Consl'nntlon Act of I~.1!l1. ~t11l othror.'l denl ollh v.:llh lnrlll'Idll111 n;JnIf'd rl'clnmn., I
<br />Uon prnJ"Cfl< ((nr p:<nrnrl.., 111l' Jlonhlf'r Cl1n~'oli projl'ct nnrl th~ Finntn l\forg'nrlln proJpct) I I 1
<br />or "rlf"e1'lc InrllJlIl pr".t.-.el'l ((nr p'l:nm"Ip. th<, nct" or .Inn,., 21. 1!'106. !\Inr. 1. 1007, IIn.1 !\Ioy, !
<br />30, 1!Hl!':) , Othl'rR npW'nr to hI' Inrl:"f'l.v In tllP nnture of cllv('at" (for f'xnlllple', till" 'I'1I.\lor
<br />Gra7.lnC' A('t nnl] till' nct ot Dl'c, 24, 1!'1-12). TI1f'1'e arc onf' or twn thl" ml'anlnc: nnll f'rred
<br />nf which 1:<1 not rlr>llr (for I'xnmple, ..pc. 2()~ of thf"! oct ot Jul)' 10, 1052, nnrl th(' nd of
<br />AI1J;'. R, 10.1(1), It l!i Inll'r<'l<tllll:" tn nole thllt flec, 1 of thl' net nf Jnne 4, 1"-07 elO Htnt.
<br />::t6. 16 U.~,C, 4.IHl. which 1>1 nmong' tlLo.~c 111ltl'(1. provlllerl thnt rl,::1It:-: to the \lRe of wnters
<br />fllllnd on nationi'll fore!41 lnnrlfl mlc:ht be p:-:lllblll<hNl "und(!r thl" 1:l\V1\. nf the Stat!'! wherl'ln
<br />BlICh nntlonnl fOrf'Rtll nre Rltl1llt('c1, nr ul'tffcr the law. 01 tht: Ullitcd StatC/! and thp. rules
<br />ond rfll:"ulntlons !'!Iltnhllllhed thereunder." [Emphnl\.lll added,] No compllntlon I" nvnllable
<br />Ihowln,l:" the! InRtnnceR In l'I"hlch Cong'rl'lJR lIOR rl'hll\.ed or tnl1('d to Indud!'! prnvll\.lnns of tbe
<br />l'lflrt h('r~ In qll('lItlon In clr('lImRwn('f'fo whprp tllp, mlc:ht hnvl' been thought opproprlntt'.
<br />lIS Art ot AliI:, 4, 1D~4, A('C. 4, 68 Stilt, 0117. 16 U,S,C, 1004,
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