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<br />FEDERAL WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
<br />
<br />fonn is taking' ran unanthorir.cd s(cp and, perhaps, casting n. cloud on
<br />legitimato Fedeml rights which it ought ,not ~o cast, ,
<br />All of the.se points need to he borne In mllld III frammg Fede~al
<br />legislation, Tlwir eonsidcl'llt.ion and", full d iHe1lssion of t.he merIts
<br />of the fears expressed hy spoJ;csmen for the Stat.es and for p~ivate
<br />water users would involve", t.horGup;h st.udy of tJm relatIve hcneltts of
<br />the various uses to which water is heinrr put. and of the rebtive advan-
<br />t..'lO'CS of local control central control~ and dunl control in achieving
<br />th~t complete use of the Nation's resources ~vhich is becom~ng more
<br />and more urgent, Unfort1lnately, tho matermls arc not avaIlable for
<br />such a treatment and t.he problems, therefore"have to be assessed at
<br />this timo as best they can be WIthout. t.he beneht of such a t.re~tm~nt.
<br />The s\1O"lTestions that ha.ve been made above WIth respect to lcglslatlO.n
<br />that m~y be appropriate at, this ,time, and the dmft of bill 011Lt IS
<br />attached to illustrate a way In wInch these suggestIOns m,:y b~ Imple-
<br />mented are submitt.ed both with this wealmess very much m mmd and
<br />with a'realization that any solution that is proposed is likely to be
<br />somewhat controversial.
<br />
<br />APPENDIX: DRAFT OF llILL
<br />
<br />A.. nJLT. To promote comity bf"tw('cn the United States and the Stntf'!ol of the Unllln with
<br />rc,.;pe.~t to the IH.lmlnllltrntlulJ of wnter, to streDj:;'then rlj::lIt8 to t.he UIH~ ot wllt.'r Be.
<br />qulrcll under State IIlW, Ilud tor otbcr purposes
<br />Re it ellacted lJ/I tlw Sellate and 1l0l/.'W of R(,P"C8clltfltiVC,~ of the United State"
<br />01 America in ()(lII!I"C,~,'1 o,q,~mllrlled-, Thnt tile purposes of this Act nre to Ilrolllote
<br />hflrlllOIlJ" hetwl'cu the UnitC'(i SLates :l1ll1 the .titlltes of tile Union in the a(lmiuis-
<br />trntion by the latter of thpir laws relating to tbe approprinU1m, use :11111 distri-
<br />bution or watN and to strcngtl1ell rig-ilts to .the U:-;'C' uf w:lter flcquired uuu
<br />exen'iseu \lIl(h~r tllo:-;.e laws.
<br />::::EC.:!, (II) No witlull'awal or reser\"lLtion of ~ur\'ey('d or unsurn>yetl publiC
<br />Inntls, hNctoforc or h('l"('after C'sUlhlishcd, ~h:tll :Jffcet. an:r ri,:.:;:ilt to tile use of
<br />water fi('fJllired JI\1rSII:llLt to Slilte law either l.lOo'forc or :1ft('-r the est:llolio;l1ment of
<br />the witlH1ra\\'al or resen:ltion. .
<br />(0) No I;]w o[ tile United States under :1l1tllOrit:v of wl1ich water is stored,
<br />diverted or den'loped b~. an flf:ency of the- Uni(etl Stal('g fur CUllSwllpti\"e u!:'c or
<br />for the production of h~'(lrodectric IlO\\"er :-;halt iJedN'med to a\1thuriz~ the l.1king.
<br />without tho consent of the O\\"llel' (If the rigl1t or, nIU,:r1l3ti\,ply, payment of just
<br />COD1pell~ltion therefor, of 11 right to the u~c uf water whiL-h was :H'quirell and
<br />exercisro tor CI)IJ;,;lITllpti\"e use in accorcl;Jll('c with St.ate or Fl,t1ernl luw prior to
<br />enactment of thc law o[ the United State,,;; :11111 wbkll w:\:-; cxerd.seu with re:1:30n.
<br />able continuil)' thereafter in a("cordUllce witll the Inw go\"Cruill~ it.
<br />(c) The head of allY ag-ency of the- (lnite-d l"t<ltes ilere:lfler initiating a project
<br />which iuvo!\'es the stornf::€'. din'r~ion, or development of watpr [or the bOlleJit of
<br />and cOnSUlllIJIi\.e use by perS0lJS wIw, if LIley wC're themselves U1u1ert:lkill::; the
<br />project, would be f;ubjL>ct to St~lte luws relating to t11,' al'lll'opriation, u:,;e, and
<br />distribution or slIeh wate-r shall, to UlC extent that. the- projE'<.:t is fur said purp~E",
<br />proceed or require tile bencliciaries of the prujt:'<'t tt. prucc-ed iu eunformit:-. wit.h
<br />those luws. The StHte Jaws re[errf>(] t.) ill tlLi~ 8uusedion, as Uley 1I0W exist 01"
<br />as they JUay herpafter be arne-nded, lire hereuy ndlJptl~ us laws of the United
<br />States tll the extellt nece-ss;ll'Y to carr.. out this ~nbscetiun.
<br />(d) N'othin~ coutained in this scction shall be constnled ns--
<br />(i) :llIecting, impairillg', dilllilLisl1ill~, subordinating or cnlnrf,.;ng (A) the
<br />rights. of the United Stfltes or any State to w::J.tC'rs uuder :1ny interstate
<br />cOIllj,act Or e::s:i!'ting judicial decree, (B) any ri~ht to the use of wnter
<br />hereto{orc ul'Quired aud maintained under }t'edeml or St.:lte Jaw by any
<br />lJCl"s(ln, (C.l any rigllt to fllly quantity of water uRcll fOT ~o\"l'rllmental "'
<br />purposes or rrogrnlUs of tile United States nt ::illy time nfter .l:lUllflry 1,
<br />1940 to the effective d:lte of this Act, or (D) nny right of the United States
<br />to the use oC water lnwfully initiated in the exer('ise of the pXpre~s 01"
<br />ner(,~i'arily impli('(1 lIuthority of nny pre~cnt or future Act of Con~r('.'>.<:: ot
<br />Stntu law to the ("!xtc~llt that such l'i;..:'ht is senic/r to the rights of others
<br />aCfluireu miller Stnte Inw; or
<br />(ii) requiring compliauce by fin officer or flgency of lh(' TJnit('d Stntes
<br />with nny State law the eftect of which is to treat the United Sl.1.te~ less
<br />favorably tbnn it treats finy person subject to the jurisdiction of tbe State
<br />or to prohihit or unduly l.lurdell the storllge. diversion or c\e\'elo]lllleut of th~
<br />waters of fln intC'rstate stream or stream system In one State for the benefit
<br />of person~ in nnother State; or
<br />(iii) permitting appropriations of watet' under State law which interfere
<br />with the provisions of internntionnl trentles of the United State:<:.
<br />SEC. 3. Tbe head of nny ngency of the United Stutes which constructs, oper-
<br />ll.tCR, or maintains nny project for the storage, diversion or development ot
<br />water for consumptive use, for the protection or cultivation of (i!-'h nnd wild-
<br />ill€'. or for tbe production of hydroelectric power shall file or cause to be filed
<br />with tbe Secret.1ry of the Interior, in such form <lnd detail as he may pre--
<br />scrlbe..n complett' list of its cl1l1ms of right with respect therpto. A like report
<br />sball be filed, us the Secreta.ry may require, by or for every lieensee-, permittee
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