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<br />FEDERAL WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />FEDERAL WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />II finite'd Strrtc& v. .4.ppalacr.;an Electric Power Co., 311 U.S. ~7j (1940).
<br />u:ll1U.~.nttl.1.0j. OdbtU'd
<br />11 Computed from tnblNI tn "Yn,.cntory Rl"llort on ReliT Proru"rtv woe y he n te
<br />Stotl''''' ilK of Jlln~ 30, 1!l5S, Tlr{>p~red bv r.enl!rnl Scrvlcl'R Ailminlstrntlon. Exnct per-
<br />~~llt~;~ l.'1 :12.2 Inflf~nd of "one.thlrd" 119 io ted~rnJlY ownc-u IlInd in these 11 Stntc~. But
<br />ihlll l!ll nn nVl"rn!:p from n low of 0.7 pl"rCf'nt 11'1 Knnsn'l tc. n hll!:h ot 86.2 percent In ~evlldn.
<br />In T~xnll the rll~rcl'ntn.t:'c Is 1.6. bllt nil of thnt Is "lIc~lIlrcd" lond. nl)t "pubH(! domnln."
<br />It I"honlrl 011'0 he notl'e1 Ihot Bo-C"olll'd "trn!'lt proJll'!rtleB' (lncludlng many 1041&'0 reserva.
<br />t!on.. hl'M In "tl'lll't" 1l111hlfl) lire not 'ndud",d tn nnY' ot thf'l'le stntlsttclI. ' .
<br />II r-.-.lrnrl "Illr,'r (""lIl11j~,,(nll V. Oregon, 3.(fI U.S. 43li {lOl'iI'iL
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<br />pr?blem would go away, Nor do I understand those who Heem to
<br />t.lllllk t.hat the ])epart.lllellt of .r1lst.iee e.111 do othe.' thalI follo\l' and
<br />support what it. believes to be the hw. The only real questiolls are
<br />what. should be and t.hen C:lII bc done flbout it, if illlythin,r.
<br />. So, ",i~.h~Hlt the (.lccisioll itself being at any f:l1ilt in leg-a' principle,
<br />III I~l'y OpllliOll, I dunk it 1lI:\)' fairly be said t hilt some of t.he inferences
<br />wh l~',h ,1ll:-ty be dra WIl out of t.he C:1SC 11:1\'0 gin~Tl rise to slIhstnJlt ial
<br />allxlCtl(;S a.lJOIH. the secu,l'it.y of W(\stC'1'1l \\':ltcr rights whero so milch
<br />of the a\'ad:lble ",ateI' I'lSCS 011 01' flows across thc resen'cd l:1nds of
<br />the fIlii/(>d 5I:1(('s, .Note this: In t.he case of aliccns('C', tlle Po\\"er Act
<br />Fe<ll1ll'~'G t.be pl'ot.ectlon of vested rights, But. ",hat, if the Gnve.l'JIJlJent
<br />] (.'clf Ill. the '~":Ir or di:;lalIl. flIt.lIre decides to ~l;\'elo)l and use these
<br />"ell f'1 H ~Olll C~:-; on It~ 0\\'11 I'C"SClTCd l;l1Hls? 1 hat. ]5 the ha \Int IIlCY
<br />question. . Thi5 is n. s\\"ord of D:unocles which some hn.\"c considered
<br />to be lWllglJlg f)\"Cl' their he:Hls,
<br />The solllt.ion of t.he. problem is not simple, Se\'eral different. kinds
<br />of hills have appeared in rCCCllL sl~ssiol1s of t.he COllp:ress on this ilnd
<br />rcl_~lt~~lll.lflttcr:-;, As to mallY. of s~lch bills I will ma,ke:.1 few ~elH~r;Ll
<br />Ob~CI \ :It.lOIlS la.ter, nll~. at. t.h~s pOlll~ I refer' to nile };:1I1d of proposal HI
<br />n?\\: ll~Hlcr S~I'lOI1S ('onsldpl':lt.lOll wJlIch I think \I'Oldd lilY to rest the
<br />ftTL"\lct.:es wllleh haye been :lttl'ilmtcd to t.lw Pelton case ~whlle fit the
<br />same tUllE'. r('a~ollably protecting legitimate Fedcral interC"sts and \'ital
<br />Federal programs. .!\[r, Chilsoll I'cfcl'I'ed to t.his as a proposal of the
<br />pcpartlllent. of t.he Illteriol' :l1ld, indeed, he should know because he
<br />l~ the \"cl'y S.lIlh\ H<ltfiela Chilson who~ ns Act.ing SeC'.l'etary of Interior
<br />Sl~~ll..,(':d the.le.U~~l's whie-It SllhlHi~tecl t!lis proposal to Congress in ~Iay
<br />ID,IS, J tlllSt. It. may 1I0t. be C'ntll'ely ll'l'ele\'ant for me to add th:1t t.his
<br />prnpos:lI. :IS 1"1wll stdJlllitt(ld was :lct.Il:l11y eompo.sed uy Elmer Bennet.t
<br />and me III a COUl'se of persona] llll'rJing::; t~:xtC'-lldinCY tlnou!!h nllllost
<br />3. year, . :Ml'. Bennett was t.hen Soli~ltor llnd is 1l0\tFndel"Secret:1ry
<br />of Intel'lOl:. .I have seen t.he endorsement gi\'l~.ll to this proposal b)-'
<br />YOUI' aSSOCiation, and, one of t.he many reasons I wonted to Come here
<br />wnstot.hallk ~'f)11 for It. ,Sllbje~t. to cC2tain sal"ingcl:lllses which we do
<br />no.t. h:t\'c t.~~c tlllle t.o tonslder, thl,S propos:ll ~\'o\lld pI'O\"ide, vcry silll ply,
<br />th,lt. t.bc \\ It.lHll'ilwal 01' re~cr\':ltton of puhllc h.1H.ls ll('rctofol'e or hr~re-
<br />aft:~~. e:::.taulJ:-;J\l~d shall n?t afrect nllY right to the use of water flcquired
<br />pl,l1 snnnt. to SI:lte Inw eIther before or after t.he establishment. of sueh
<br />wIt.hdrflwal 01' l'cservation.
<br />~...et no one SI.lppose that such legislat.ion would not involye c-osts in
<br />tellns OfsOll1e flllll1'e Fede1'al de\'etoplllellts, It would. It llli!!ht e\'en
<br />mo'lke SOlf1e- po~::;dJlc Fedel':ll projecf~ fiscnlly infc':\sibl(l, On "h:dnllce..
<br />howc,'cr, I bellc\'~_ th~lt..t.his partic.l1hlI' proposal is one which deserves
<br />the pron~pt cOllsl(ler:tt.lOn of the Congress a5 a po~sjb]e menns of
<br />encouragmg State, local, and privute develoPlllcnt of our \\"est~rn
<br />wa.ter resources.
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<br />.J tU!'~ m)' ntteptio,n now for ~he remfiinin~ ]ninutes t.o the r:lther
<br />oxt.e.nSl\8 (hSClls.slon III t.he prevJOus paper of the q\1e~tion l'elate(l to
<br />l~ 'fhl!'! n-l,'r!': to f1 proJ . I 1
<br />chalrwen of till' Sc'nntc 1:~~'1 H~J~~u~o~ ]I~t/;!!I of ih~ S('cr~ttlry of tIle Jnt!:'rlol' to the
<br />]9::;~. The I'uhmlli!<lon or thl . m n3 un nterJor ,lnd rllfllllar .-\trnll'." In !l1:1Y
<br />Justice. Interior. nnd A.C'rlCl~t~I~~PO:~~ ht~~ t~~r~~~C~V~~C'CRf rlthet D('p'jrtment>l nt Df'tcnse.
<br />po~nl III attllched liS annex A {amltt{>d In this reprint or\1 \I {,' " ~ Ie text at that pro-
<br />blllN now relldlnl: In Congr S '51 II . _ ' r. , or nn" nrillrp:-'!I1. C('rttlln
<br />been lari:"(' Y pnttt"rlled Upo:s~he P~OP~IIQI'~e~~fo7De~nd ,\,,,~verQ:dlnefltll'_11 Rouse b1l1"_ have
<br />able to tb(' t-xtent of nil rt d . cse elltlc.ll bills Ilre nbjt'ctloll'
<br />proposlll; nnd It bile beeQ e IIt~gg:?;lRre~~~~~d~d ~b~t \U~h\l~~7:~~"~e Idel~bt:l[D.Y 1059
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<br />1nnn.r. nnvi,!!flblC'., anel to 1l01l11ilvig-ahle trihutaric:>...c;; t.ho flow of ,,:"hicl.l may
<br />nH'ed nnvi"":-tl ion. This is, of collrse, all epitornc of t.he holdmg' III t.he
<br />fn.molls N;;;',) Niver C:fl50 1:1 ill }940. I flgn~e wit.h m.y lH"other Chilson
<br />that, \\"0 probably :lrcn\t, goil1~ t.o have any chlln~('; in tl~c commerce
<br />clause iu th" forrHerahlo fut.ure, And I would also [,e elll"ous to know
<br />l\.hat harm this hns llone in our 170 years of constit.utional history.
<br />I do lIot read t.he. New Rh'er case as pOl'mitt.illg absul'dities, In t.he
<br />very' same opinion I lind this: 13
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<br />The IJistrid court is quite rij:!;ht In !-1:J.yinA: tllPre :lr(> oll\"iou~ lilJlit~ to I'l.uc:h
<br />imJlroH~lllellt~ :IS nffl'ctin.c; nl1\"ij.:flhility, Tlwse Illllitg nrl" ne{'es~;n.rily a matter
<br />ot t]C',[:"rC'('. Thf're IIIl1st bl" II balnnce b('lw('('n roost nnd nred at 11 time when the
<br />ImprovemC'nt would be useful.
<br />In all the talk abollt. it, ha\'e you 0.\'0.1' heal"! t.hat before.' It:H t.here,
<br />Do('~ that. sOIllHl to yon likc' ft, disposition towa.1"l~ il'l'('~I)Qnsl})ilit.y?
<br />Hut. I sul'lllit. t""t. alto;:rether too mueh of the difficulty \l'll/eh has
<br />confolllHled disl:llssiolls of t.he gCllcl',ll subject has rrsulted from a f~ll-
<br />ure t.o dist.inguish het.ween COllcepts of go\'ernmental power-which
<br />men ns control-on t.he one hand, find concepts of pl'?pel'ty, on t he ot.h~r
<br />hand. The. t.\\'o ideas ha\'e" way of ~efting all mIxed up t.oget.her In
<br />the S:lIllC'. sentence.
<br />"~ate1" rig-hts are pl'Opcl-t.y ri~hts if t.hey are water rights fit. all. No
<br />thol1!!ht.fllllaw\,p,r could have fl clifl'el'ent opinion. To hc:tr and l'e~ld
<br />somc" of t.he disc'ussions howe\'t~r-:lnd r do not now refer to the (h5-
<br />cltssion hy my hrotlwl' Chilson bp..cullse I l{JIOW he knows .bettm:-ono
<br />"-01l"! suppose that the United States has no propert.v l'Ights m the
<br />use of water, In thIS \"Iew, by :;;ome strang-e pe,dOl'm:lllCe of metfl.-
<br />phy~i('s. ~clllnllt.ics or l'al.iollalizatlon, everybody elso has pl'opeli.y
<br />ri~hts bl.t the United i'tntes has lIone, .
<br />The fact.. is Ihal ,,'hile Ihe United Slates has a. hnndle of constitu-
<br />tional 1'0"-0.''5 il. also has a big bnuclle of propert.y ,r!ghts, ~h!s fact
<br />prc~(>.nts p-rcflt OppOltllllit.it~s as well aR respl)nsllllhtIe~, bnt. It IS also
<br />at. the root of some. of t.he problems, The 17 re.elamatlOn States eon-
<br />t.ain 61 percent of the entire area of t.J,e. first 48 States, and 111 th?sa
<br />17 Slates nearly one-thinl of the. land is federally ol".l1e.d." The s'l;-
<br />nificflllcr. of this ngnre is (',mphnsizcd when I add that. In Texas thcr~ IS
<br />no ;'pnhlie l:lllCL': as clist.in,!!l1ished from '~:1c<1uil'e~ In;nd,'' bl?longl1lg
<br />to I'lw Unilecl State~. M\1eh of the pnbl,e dOl1la111 ,Ill the, We.st"rIl
<br />St.afes has been set aside hy conCT"C'ssionnl or execut.]ve actIOn down
<br />throllgh Onf history for yal"ious pl-csent,or anticipated fut.ure 9overn-
<br />mcnt use, and t.he legn 1 effect. of such wlt.hdra wa.ls or res?r.v~tlOns has
<br />been to remo\'e sllc:h lnnds f,'om priynte ent.ry or ncqUlsltlon under
<br />the. \":1 riOll::; "'public lillHr'law:>l, ,
<br />This is the h:lr:J.gr'01lJlfl on which t.he mueh dlscnssed Pelton Dam
<br />case 1:1 rC'sts. A dig-est of it W'ns p:iven i],l ~Ir. Chilso~I'S pa.per and I
<br />wiJJ not. repeat. I hnvc no hesitancy S:lYJIlg thnt I thmk t.h~ case was
<br />eonect.lv decided, nnt that is beside. the point, The dec,slOl1 stands
<br />as a fact of life, 'Va don't. solve anyt.hing by just WIshing t.hat t.ha
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