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<br />FEDERAL WATER IUGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />FEDERAL WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
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<br />Jc~lslntioll mUFlt he 11I1C"rpfc-fro in thf' lI~ht of pxlsUIl~ tnds-t1l1lt an through this
<br />lUintll~ fL'J.,:'iIHl 111 the WC'~l w~rC' f;ln'ams, Hot 1I11\'ignble. wllO:o:e wntprs could
<br />Raft:>ly be llpproJlrI3h.."(1 for lIiinillg' nlltl agric'u1t.llral In"m:trll~. without !:'lOr10n8
<br />Int('rferetu'l' with the' nll"i~nhilit)' of thp rivt'rg into wlJich flw.<:;e wlIterg flow.
<br />.\nd in ff'ferf'I1Cl' to nil tho~(~ ('RS('f.! of pnrf'ly loeal Illt4~rC'8t the olwlollR Jlurpose
<br />of CnnJ,:'r~s \\'f1~ to ~i\'e it.'" n:o:!':cllt, RO for AS the puhlie- InndA were conc{,fllell, to
<br />flny s,rstelll, nllhuugh in ('ont.rnvf'lltion of the ('UIIIIIIOIl lu\\' rule. which fK"rlllitted
<br />the npproprintion ut those waters for legitimate industries. To hold that
<br />Cf)n~r('Ss. h;\' th('se nct.<:;, Illc:.tnt tn confer upon any St.ate the right to npproprlnte
<br />011 the wnt.e-rs of the trlhllt.ary atrf'llmS which unite into n nllvigable wnterconrse,
<br />and ~o lll~Hroy the na\';~nhility of thnt wnterc'O\1rBC In de-I'o~ation of the Intere~ts
<br />of nllthf' Itf'ople of' till" 1:l1itt't! :-;tntl's, i~ n eon!'ltru("tion whit'll C'nnllot he tolefntell,
<br />It il:lltm~s the ~pirit of tllf' \t';,:-i.c;:lnlinn nnd C'lurit--s the atntutc to the verge of t11e
<br />lettpr and far hl'VOlltl wllflt lII\lll'r the eirculll~tall('es of lhe en~e must he held to
<br />IHlve- I)('('n the illt't>nt of rOIl~r('~.tto
<br />Finally, he pointed to t,he prohihition in section 10 of the nct of
<br />September 19, 18!)U," ap:ainst "the creation of any obstruction, not affir-
<br />mativelv authorized by law, to the navip:able capadty of any wate.rs,
<br />in resp~cl of which t.he United St.at(l.5 has jurisdiction * .. *." This,
<br />he said, "is a bter oeclnrat.ion of Congress" than thp statlltp.s r~lied on
<br />by the clcfendants nnd "so far as it modifies nllY pri\'ilf'gcs or rights
<br />conferred .by prior stat11tes * '" * must be hel<t"controlling · · *.":n
<br />It was enacte-d bv CongrC'ss ns "un exerciso '" * · of the power, often-
<br />t.imes declared b~v this conrt, to belong' to it, of nat.ionnl control ovp.r
<br />navig-ahle strl'fl1tl~S ". * "'." 1'hol1,!:!'ll it is "urg-ed that the t.rue constrllC-
<br />tion of t.his ad limits it,s opplieabilit.y to obst1'llctions in the na,.igable
<br />portion of a navigable stream," this is not so:
<br />The InJlg-u:l~C is ge.ut'l'al, unci Illust be gi,('n full scope. It I!=: lIOot n prohlhltlon or
<br />any (lh:-:rrudillll tf) the lluYigntion. hut nny ohslrnetioll to thp. nuYip::lbl(' Nlp3dty,
<br />anl1 nllytllill~. wherl~\'er t1(JIIP or howe'-er (]one-, within the limit:; of the jllri:<:dlc-
<br />tIon of t.Ile CnitC'l1 Stutf'!=: \\"hie-h t('ncls to iI~troy the n:t'riA"nhle ('np.1("ity of olle
<br />of the 1I:1,.I;:.1hle wnter:': of th~ Vllltt~(1 StntC's, i!'l witllln the tel"lII!'l of the prohiht-
<br />tioll. Evidc'ntlr Congrt'ss, 11('rreivillJ: tlmt tl1(-" tillH~ hall ('Olll€'- when thl" l!1'owing
<br />IntNf'c;:tl': of C'OrllJltelTP 1"(>1I11i1"(,(] flint thf" nn,.k:lhl(-" W:1tl"rs of tlle 11llltNI Slntes
<br />r.:honll1 bl" ~llhjN?tf'll tl) lh(-" tlil"l'('t. ('ill1trol or till' i\":ltioll:ll (ion-'rllIllPllt. :lIul 1IUlt
<br />1l0thjll~ ~hollll1 he! tlolle hy nllY Statl' t(-"ndiJl': to c1{';o;trf\;t that. IHlViJ.,:'llhillty wlthont
<br />the explicit n~~('nt of the Xntional GoVel'l1lllPllt, ('na("t(-"ll t.he ~tntntf" In qn~tlon.
<br />And It wfluld he to hnproJlcrly I~ore t.be ~cOlle or thiR lnD.Irlmp:e to IImLt It to
<br />thp nd!'l dom~ within the ,.ery limits of nn'.iJ:ntlon or (l nnvil;'nhlc str(':l.I11.-
<br />lVillter.1f \". UlIitf'd Staff'!? is f.h(\ ~e('ond of the fOllr eases mentioned
<br />ubO\'e. The prineipal ennrern nf t.he, port.ies 1.0 t,he ease wos whether
<br />the. ere-nt.ion of the FOl't BelknRp Illrli~ll Hese-n'ation, ill accordance
<br />with an :\1l"1'eCnl(-"llt. 'with the Gros Ve1lt.re nnd A~s.inihoinA Trihr.s in
<br />Montana"; entitled the biter to the. use of water from the Milk River,
<br />
<br />on which the, reservat.ion borde.red, tn (,he exclusion of white settlers
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<br />011 otlwr Jands in the vieinity which had fOl'merly been oeeupiud by t.he
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<br />Indians. Tho parties wel'e at oclds wit.1l Jl'spect to ,,,,hethcl' t.he major
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<br />'purt of the lise, of water by the Indions had eOllllneneed earlier or later
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<br />than that of the while settlers, bnt no attent.ion was paid to t.his ill
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<br />tho opinion of the Court. It. rest.ed its decision, written by Mr. Justice
<br />
<br />l\IcKl~1lI1a.., Oil the circumstances surrounding the making of the
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<br />agl'C'l'JIIcnf:
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<br />The reservation was n part or a very mucl1 larger tract which the Indians had
<br />the right to occupy notl use fiud which wus atlclluute for t.lle ilahits nnd wnuts
<br />or n nomudic nud ullcivilized people. It was the policy of the Goveclllllent, it
<br />. was the d~sire of the Indinns, to cbange tho~e bauits nnd to become n pnstoral
<br />and civilized PCOlllc, If they should lJecome Fiuch the original tract was too ex-
<br />temdve, hut a sUlOller tract would be inndequate without n change of condi-
<br />tions. '.rile lunds were nritl nnd, witbout irrigation, were practil'nlly 'falueless,
<br />ADd yet. it is contcllded, the menns of irrigation were dclilJerntely giv('o up by
<br />the Indians and delilJerately accepted by the GoverulIleut.1IO
<br />
<br />This conte,ntion the Court rejected, It. accepte,l the conlrar)' conten-
<br />
<br />tion t.hat the c.in'lIlttstlll1teS SUI'l'01I1Hling the making of the agreement
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<br />indicnted nn intention to pl'l!serve for the Indians the means of ac.:com-
<br />
<br />plishing t.l1e pnrpose of t.i1e og....clllenL It rejecte,l, "Iso, t,he conten-
<br />
<br />tion that t.he ndlllission of ,Montana to lhe Union SllhSt'QUC'llt to t.h~
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<br />agreement ami "upon an equal footillg wit.h the original Slates" de-
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<br />stro)'ed the illlplied reservation of woter for the Indians:
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<br />The power of the Government to resenoe the waters nnd exempt thplll from ap-
<br />propriation linde-I" tbe ~tate Inws is not denied, nnd coulll Dot he. The United
<br />States v, Tile Rio Grallde Ditch If lrrigalion Co" 174 U,S. tiOO, 70:!; United States
<br />v. n.rllflll.... IVS U.S. 3il. That the Government dill resene them we have de--
<br />cided, Dud for n lIse whicb would be necess.arily continued tbruu:;h years. This
<br />W3S d(lne Mny I, ]888, Rnd it woul<1 be extreme to believe that within fi year
<br />Congress destroyed the rest-nation and took frolil the IudinllS the considera.
<br />lion ot tbeir grunt, leaving thf'1l1 a b:lrreD Wfi!'lte---took from them the IlIean~ ot
<br />('ontinuillg their old ball its, yet did Dot I{>Dve them tbe power to change to Dew
<br />oDeR. ~I
<br />
<br />anll Its r:lrulncntlon~, consult Federal Indian Law, edited Horne (U S Dl'pnrtment ot the
<br />Intt"rlor, HI[",S), liG2 fr. . .
<br />The "'.\"lunlng' ("Clllrt hns p.xprmtspd Ihe view In Me,.,.iU v. ni~hop 74 Wyo 2j)~ 310 f!
<br />2R7 I'n(". ~II G~IJ, G~I (I9~:i). thot the 1ll<lInl Will/en rule 1.!t not IlPpllcnhle in tllnt Stnt.e
<br />b~CllllSP Cong-n'I'!'l. wlwTI ,\ -,"omlne" WIU' IlcJlIllttf'U to thC' Unlc>n, weIll fllrthf'r tlHIIl "mere]y .,
<br />[till ndmlt It on on l'quol footlllg wltll the r~mnlntl('r of the Stotes" by npprovlng neon.
<br />Mtlllltll11l whll'h dee'lnr~(1 aU l\'alE"rs to ht' "till' IlrrlpE"rt}. of the Stnt('." Till' COllrt weot on
<br />to 8:1.'1', lJowco\'c'r, Ihllt "Thc~ FC{lI',rIll Gtl\"ernmcllt hcll1~ In ab!'olute control theJ"Pl1t [I.e.,
<br />or the' YIIO'ln" J"e!'<cr\"ntlnnl, thl' l'p,)f'rIJI cOllrt!' nUIY holcl thnt the wntl!r rl.r:-ht", wprp Im-
<br />I?]il~tll,t .r(':~rvp.,1 Dlltwltlll:tnTldllll.: tllc hrond Inng-lln/:,e contnllll'tJ In thl' net of ndmls.
<br />!ill/II . nil! C:II'Il', It "lwlllel hI' Iwll'll, (11'111t willi th~ wutcr rlj::'lItfl tIt u white OWDt'r
<br />ot In (1I1., tllnt ,,"c'r!' origin"]]). nn IIllJlnn lIt1ollllf'nt.
<br />III :.!(I'j Il.S. nl r.711. JI"w milch wntc'r IE: r..s....n.{'d (or n rl'~f'r\":It1on h'l tr.....pr....ntly an
<br />Imporlant Illll'to.lloll. III rhl' Umll"l/rl ltlTJf'lltfll('/lt CamIllI/Ill i"tlPi". _tlp'.a, !lOrl' ~!l. Ihl' conrt,
<br />offer "~Iy!n: (nt R31 t.) t1lllt the Winter. cnsc "dl'termll1t's the pllrll1l101l11t rlJ:"llt ot th~ In.
<br />dlon!l to tlw U:<le of the wllter!;! . . . to tile extent r"ll.s011ll.hly nece~S:lrv for tbe
<br />p'urIlO!';('A of Irrll!:ltlon nnd fltock rnlflIng, find domf'stlc nnd other u!'eful pUrpMl"S'.. llnd tbnt
<br />till' pnllcy of the Govcrnment (I!I] to r(lllerve whntevE"r wnlC'r . . - Illny l;c rl'llsC-"l1nbly
<br />Dc(,c"~>lr.l". !lot 0111)' for prl':<~nt m.c!'l, bllt tor future J"cqlllrement!'l," nlllrml'd Ih!:' Illwer
<br />court II dl'crpe, whlel.J hred f'oJolned the defendnnt!:! from u('pletln/:, the flow of the Ittrl'nm In
<br />qUE"Rtlc.n bl'h.w :J:JIA! IIceonrl-fl'~t, ond Ilrovlded thnt "whl'nl'v(>r tlle need~ nnd rl'qlllrenlents
<br />or Ihe eOIliP]olnnot (or thi'! use of the ""nlers of Birch Creek - . . upon the reseT>lIt1on
<br />~J:eeed the nmolJnt or wnter rl'sened by the decree - . - tbe complnlnant mny npply to
<br />thl> c~lIrt tor n hlodllll'nllon of the dl'("ree." Sce also the Eikecm nnd Hibner ("(ls('.~, eltl'd l~
<br />notp ...9, to the lI:lmc ptrect. ]n the Walker Rive,. eUI'e, Illpra note 2D bo\ven'r the eOllrt
<br />o..lthollJ,:h holdll1~ (nt 3:.19 t,) thnt "there woos nn Implied reservotlon or wntl'r te; the extent
<br />rl'llRonubly nf!Cf'j,;~nry to 8upply the needs ot the Indlll.lls" and that "the nrea. of trrlsnble
<br />land Included In the rellrl'VotlOn Is not neees8nrlly the crlterll1n tor mell"lIrlng- Ihe omOllnt
<br />ot wntcr received," went 011 to moke .0. firm determInation ot the quontlty to which th!!'y
<br />were entitled nOlI decreed to the Government tor this purpose 26.25 second-teet. On the
<br />power of CongresR to opeD reserved WOolen to private appropriation under StAte law and
<br />ot the Secretorr ot the Interior to agree to llmltnUoDs on the lIDJount ot water tbe IndIan
<br />;8erv.o.t10n wlI UlIe, lIee United State. v. Big Bend Trandt Co .uprG note 29. BlIer. v
<br />8....' W'C",,,..,.,upro, note 29; and United BlatN Y. "'Manum IrT;qaliOft. Dt.trict, 236 i". 24
<br />. . tb,19M).
<br />II 207 U.S. At 617.
<br />
<br />z Ji4 ()X nt 106f.
<br />"'" 24; ~I:tr. .J;j-L For further dl"eufllllon ~ee inJnJ, p(l. 8 f.
<br />~ 1 7-1 U.~. nt iOi.
<br />u 1I.ld. nt 70S.
<br />. Hn till i"'d hy the net ot :Mn,. 1. 1888, 2!5 St&.t. 113, 133. Most ot thl! JndlrlD WAter rll!htB
<br />cn:<(I!O hl1\'f' r~n>lv(ld nround frf'nty provisions. For exnmplc's, fief! finite" BI,,'e. v. PfllC!e,.lt.
<br />an:-, IT.!-l. ~:!i 119.'101; Con,."rl Int'f"/ltmt"lIt CompallY v. V'litetf State_, 161 Fed. 829 (C.C.A.
<br />lith. ]fIOS): ,(;1..'1'("111 \.. [{"iter! 8r"to, 27:1 FC'd. n:~ (f.'.C.A. Ofh. I!l::!l); Unilr.ff Stntrll v.
<br />}.(ehrfirt'. 101 F. 2d r,r,0 (C.r..II. 9th, I!l.1!J1: Unite" Rtrrtr:~ v.lIff/ncr. 27 F. 2/1 909 IO.C.D.
<br />Idnho. ]!J:!,"). In V"UNI Rtal('lI v. Walkt'r Rh'c" Irrigation Dl,,'rlct, 104 F. 2d 334, :"38
<br />IC.C..\. 9th, IO:m). hot\evf'r. It WlIlI hl'ld thnt "A I;tntlltc or on F:xl'cuUve order "'l'tUng
<br />aprert tILt. ri"sf'r\.otlon fin fhls calle, the Walkl'J" Rlvl'r.Yndlnn Rl'flervnflon, erentl'd No\.. 29,
<br />lR!'i9, h). dl'prlrlmentnl Ilctlon) moy hI!' eqllntl.v Indl~ntlve ot the intent" to re~erve woter
<br />and {'fllwll;y l'fficll.("lou!O In dolo,::- 110. Rl'e nlllo Unlte,l lUate. v. Bi" Bend Trl1nltlt 00.,42 F.
<br />SlIpp. 4:;0. -107 (D.C.E.n, WnRh., 19411. denlln.!:' with the Spoknne Jmllnn RClIervnUon,
<br />eJ"e:lti"d bv F.xccutlve order ot Jnn. 18, 1$1.81, to till' Rome errect. Wltb thelle CnlteA, compnre
<br />Unltrd 81111("1t v. Wfahhnan. 2~O Frd. 277. 2R3 (D.C.D. Arl'l., 1016), denlln.lf with tile Bnn
<br />Cnrlos Iudlren Rellervntlon. to the efl'cct thnt the Winter" cOle "Is not fl.n autborlty thnt tbe
<br />mere ereutlon (ot 0. reservation) ~x vi termini re8(!rV(!8 to the IndianA, or to the United
<br />Stale!! for their benefit, the beneftclal ole ot an watera OOWID<< wltblo the releno.t10r:l.
<br />Therl' tll no tr~nt{ rhzht ot thf' ]ndlanaIDyoh'ed In tbll eafile"; B1Ier, Y. 'Wa-Wa-Ne. B8 Ore&,.
<br />81i, IGD Pnc. 12 (1D17), to the same etrect. For D. full dlseuseloD of the W'nler. doetrla8
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