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<br />, <br /> <br />; <br /> <br />I <br />,. <br /> <br />,.. <br /> <br />FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS IN THE FIELD OF WATER <br />RIGHTS' <br /> <br />(By t.he Honorable Hat.field Chilson ') <br /> <br />President Eisenhower, in his 19;)7 st.at.e of the UniolllHcssag-c, said: <br />"Watcr~ rnpidly becoming OUr Nn.tion~s most precious natural re- <br />sourco * oj< *." ThereJJY recog-nit,ioll was ll.g-a.in g-ivE'n to the fact that <br />the conservation and dL'ye1opment of the water resource is no longer <br />" matter of concern solely to t.he arid and semiarid St.at.es of the <br />'Vest, but. is a nat.ional problcm, <br />.And Ucc:l1lSe it. is a I\;\tional pl'oLlc.l1I, we can expect that it will <br />prog-ressivcl,y receive more and more attention by the Fcdel'al Govcrn~ <br />ment. <br />But t.he fact. t.hat it. is a nation,,] problem docs not in the least. make <br />it. allY less a State problem, <br />As we are well '''''arc, conflicts exist. bet.ween t.he Federal and St:lte <br />Go\'ernmcnts concerning- the respective rig-ht-s and re::,pollsibiliLies <br />of the Federal (JOYCl'IIIllent. 011 t.he OIle hand ann. the St.ate ann local <br />gove.rllments on t.he other in the water re-sotlrec. Becanse of the in- <br />creasing- attent.ion which will be gj,'cn liy t.he Federal Go,'ernment <br />to tIle w:lt~r resollrce, we can exppct. the conflicts betwt'cn the FedC'ral <br />and St.:Ltc (io,'cl'nments to hecomo 11101'0 aelltc. <br />To sa,)" the lenst.~ confliet. a.nd controvC1'SY is not conducive to t.hat <br />coordination of effort. hetween t.he St.att's and Fedt'raI Government <br />which i;;:: so neccs.snry if t.he Xntion is to meet. its rapiJl.y expanding <br />wat,er llceds. <br />There is now pe_ndillp.' befo1'o the Cong'1'(,ss pl'npo~('tl h~::risbtion to <br />nttC'llIpt to sett.le those. :11'(';\3 of conAict which :ne C'-1't>:It.illg' the more <br />sClriolls rifts ill Fedel':ll-St.:ltc l'cl:lt.ionship~ in the w:lter reSOllrce field. <br />This legislat.ion is of llat.ionwi(le importnllce, Lnt to tho ";"e:;;t it is <br />vit:ll nud thf'-l'cfore jllstifiC's fnll. frC'e amI frank c1iscl1~sloll. <br />I nm highly pleased that the DcpartllU'nt of Just.icf'. rE'cogllizes the <br />great import.allcc of this prohlem by scnelin,.!! one of its most nble <br />men, t.he Honornhle Perry 'V,1!orton, t.o part.ieiJl:lte in t.his discussion, <br />That t.lH'. Fedel'a 1 GoV(~rnment has certain rcspollsihi lit.ics fI nn riJ:!hts <br />in t.ho' w;ttpr reSOllrCe and its ll~e ann development. l~ admitted, For <br />oxample, under the Federal Const.itution,.:! t.he judieial branch of <br />thfl Fedf'rnl Government. t.he U.S. Sllpreme Court, hns jl1J'i~diction <br />over cont.roversips between t,wo or morc Stntes and, t.l:cl'cbv. that <br />Comt. hns t.he rig-ht in ('ases of controyersy bf'twf'cn two or morp Stntes <br />to npp()J't.ion the l1se of t.he water of fln'intersbtte :;;t.l'enm :llnong the <br />affected Slateo, as it. did in the diopll!e between Kansns nlld Colorado <br />OVf~1' t.he llse of t.he waters of t.he .Arkansas River..' <br /> <br />1.\tillrcl<6 he(ore the Xntlonnl ReclamatloD AMoclatlon nt Us nDDual meeting Oct 29 <br />li);,~.. . . . , <br />I :'orr. Chllmn Is n member of the Colorndo bnr nnd former Undf'r Secrf'tnry of tbe JntE'rIQr. <br />S:;Inn' th.... ,I...lh'f'rv of r111>1 nddrt~.q!O 'rr. Chllflon hns been Domlnnted nnd confirmed 88 Jud&,e <br />of th~ U.~, Dl!<trlct Court tor the Dt!Otrlct of ColortLdo. <br />. .\rt. Ill, ''''C, 2. Frder"l ('on!<t1tlltlon, . <br />. Kan'II' \', Colorado. ~06 U.S. 46, <br /> <br />4I <br />