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<br />APPENDIX
<br />
<br />IS. 8f.3, s.'>th Cone.. 1st S('~.; also Suh Cong., 1st scss.J
<br />A Dr LL To 3ffirm and reoo!:,nlze tho water laws of the fiti\t('slylng wboIlyor partl>' to.est otthe nlnety.elghtb
<br />morltli:Jn
<br />
<br />.....
<br />
<br />He 1't enac[ed by thc. Senate and House of Representativrs of the U7Iitr.d StaffS of
<br />A nI,f/rtl in C01I(1r~'.'i'<; a.5sc/II;ilcd, That this Ac~ IlIay be cited ns the "Wt'stern Water
<br />Rights SeW'-:lIIcllt Act of UJ,"i7",
<br />t'J::c. ~. III the :Lrid and semiarid rcr;ions west of the :lincty.cighth meridian
<br />rights to t.h~ Ilse of water :\rC proflcrt.y right!> which are fund:LnkntaJ to the
<br />economic life [Llld wcll-be:illl-': of the ,\mcricnn people. In '\'icw of tILe f:\ct that t.be
<br />needs for wntcr do not coineidc with tlte location or t.he !l:ltural flow of the :'1.Y:liktble
<br />SOllrces of 5uppl...-, it is rcco!-!;Ilized t.h:lt rights to impound and divert \\'Mer anI! to
<br />apply it. to helH~lir.ial purpo..;,C's, frCfluclltly :\t pb('C's sub.st:mt.ial disr;:mccs from the
<br />points of di\'C'rsioH or stor;lge. fire: m~tte]'s of p:l.ramoull~ import~lncc. To promote
<br />the beneficial :lpplic;\tion of the ~'I.\':lil:lble w:lter supplics ill these rC.l;ions it is
<br />and h:lS been l1ccc~sary th:lt public ::Lnd nonpublic entit.;eg be encouraged to m;\ke
<br />investments in water Te'source devdopments. Security of ri.!.!:ht to the Hse of
<br />water for benefici;ll purpo~es is essential to such encour:q:~eTOellt. :lnd rej:!;ll!;ll ing
<br />the :1cqllisition oi W:1.tcr rights must be orderly :'I.nd wit.h full rcg;~rd to the need for
<br />stability of such rights if public ~nd pri\':lte investments in W:Ltcr resource dc\-el.
<br />opmcnts :1re to cont.inue on a SOllud b:1sis. Xeit.her the proprictorship functions
<br />of Lhe united St:'I.tcs derived from the oWI1I~r5hip of the puhlic hllds lior the
<br />exercise of its po\\"crs rcl:1ting to interst:1.te commerce :lnd the ~ellt'r:11 welf:lre
<br />.should be perlllitt(~d unduly to interferc wit.h prior rh.:ht:'i to the II~e of \\":1t(':- or
<br />the' ordr.rly acrplisitioll oi slIch rights ill the future. For ~non~ than ninety .\"I'ar:,;
<br />thi.;, policy has bel~n rC'cogllil.cd by the C01\grc5s :~nd thl: ;\cfjllisilioll of sU,eh rig:ht.s
<br />under St:J.tc law lu.'i been ellcollr:1gcd :Llld fepeatedly prott~ct('d b~. FcdN:li It'.:;i.s-
<br />latioll. Under t.his polic.," the.se ~bt('s h:l.\'c l)('en :1blc to make t.heir proper
<br />contriblltlon to the strength of tile union, :md t.WClltY.5C\.Clllllillioll :1cres uf .,rid
<br />Illul :"'t~nli:lrid bnd h:l\'c hccn brought tlndt.r irl'ig;ltioll, of which onl~' one-foll,t.h
<br />n.rC:L r(:5ulr; of ft'd('!":1l1y :\:"'si,::tcd projt~ct:;. It h:t;:; \lot bf.f'll :1nd i:-; nut tile int\~ntion
<br />of the Congn:......'i j!t:-tt Fcdl;ral ngcllcit.s, ill pllf~lIillg th,-'ir pn)~r:'~ll\s for w:"tl'r
<br />reSOlJrc('~ (!(:H'ltJ!1Il1cnt ill thl',.;e :Ir-id and sellliafid :trr.;\~, sl1:dl h;L\,(~ :tllY IHI'ro:;:,li\'c
<br />t.o Jlft'l'llIpt t.hl' lil.ld or to C:1st clou(h; Oll the .,,;ccllrity of prior l'il-;hts uncl!.!!" ~t:tte
<br />law aC'lllirf'd fur b~ncfiei;li purpO,;('i;. lkc;lllS(~ of the far:t that prr.yious Act:.; of ..
<br />COll~re..:." ha\"e b('r'll awl may be interpretcd with Tt'=-,pect. to th(.:-,c St.atl's ."0 :l.'i to
<br />ca:-:t. clond:"' 011 s\lt~h prior rights ;lIId Lo interfere ,dth the future orderly <1evclop-
<br />nlC'llt of water 1't'"Ollrc(~s ill aCeOrd:111CC with the foregoillJ; dl'clnr;ltion, it i,::; the
<br />pU!'pO>iP. of tlti-,; Act: (1) 10 rl'1l10\'C :lll.\- ,<:;Ilch e1ollCls; (8) 10 fJl.o\'idl' fo!' the future
<br />:1.cqlli....;it.ioll oj IIrJ:q)pl'Opr-i:.LI'(] grollllll :lmI :-:urLlce wat('r,;, 1\:1.\ ~t-::lbl~ :\lld 1I0ll-
<br />11:l.\"ir;ahll'. ill e(\lIlplialle(~ wit.h St:l.ic law,.:.; :~IHI (:~) to prodde :l(kqlJ;II~~ prot('d:ow:i
<br />of I.h,) F(.der:L1 iIlH:f('sls to t.hp. (,lltI th:Lt. the Fcd('ml C()\'(~rnmcIll.lll:l.Y pc::'forllL ib
<br />function,.;, ill :L JII:LIlllf'r ('on,.;,j.;,tp.llt. wit.h the fon'going ptlrpo~c:;. .
<br />Sr-:c. 3. For t.lw pmpO.':ies of t.his Act- .
<br />(:L) ."Fcdeml :LI;Cnc,\''' mcnns the cxecutive departments, :\nd ind(~penc\cnt
<br />establishments of the United Strltes, and corporations primarily acting flS jnstru-'
<br />ment.:lliLic:'i or flgel\cies of the United 8t:'I.te5; .
<br />(b) ';Elllployce of tl.1O Goyernment" inc1udl's officers or employee'S of :lny.
<br />Ferlr:r;ll agency. m'emhers of the. milit:1.ry 9r ll:.1va.l forces of thc United States, and.
<br />pcr::;ons :.1etiug on bC'half of any Federal agency in uu official cap:tcit.y whether'
<br />temporarily or otherwisc.' ."., <.' . . ". . .' ;. :
<br />SEC. 4. This Act shall apply only to States lying wholly or in part west or the'
<br />ninet.y-eighth meridian. :
<br />SEC, 5. In the Ilse of ground .'lnd surfnce water for any purpose in conncction
<br />with Federal programs, projects, or activities no Federal :lgeUCj. or employee
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