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<br />J....J
<br />Verde OUli,lIl Drilln, loc.~led withm
<br />Ihe Cibola Nationdl Wildlife Refug{'
<br />The actual bla~ling work was planned
<br />to be dccomplishKf bv Ihe Cdlifornia
<br />Dt.'partment of fi\h and Gamp undpr
<br />conlract with tlw Fish and \Vildlifp
<br />Service. The Bo.ud's stdff workpd wllh
<br />Fish and Gamp repre<,entatlvt's and
<br />wllh the Bureau 01 Redamatlon to
<br />ensure thaI the pfOpo\t>O blasting
<br />program would nOI resuh in Catifornid
<br />being ch.Hf\t>o for .In imred~e m
<br />consumptive use of mdin..lrt'dm
<br />Colorado Rivt'r water, The prnpmal
<br />WdS discus..ed ilt a meehn~ of thl;>
<br />Work Group and It WdS agrft"d that a
<br />wrillen agret.'menl would be
<br />negoli,lIt'd bt>twf't'n Ihe Buredu of
<br />Recldmation, the Fi.,h .md Wildliit,
<br />Service, dnd Iht. Palo Verde Irrigalion
<br />District \\'hereby continllt'd u,>e of tht,
<br />Outl.lll Drain areol for mdinten.mce
<br />pllrp05es \....ould be guaranlt<ed in the
<br />future. The Buredu oi Reclamdlion
<br />.11,>() indicated thaI. d'> long as Ihl'
<br />aredS bt'ing blilstPd Wl're cat-tail
<br />infested \\'(>tldnd.,. Caliiornid would
<br />nol be chargt>(j ior anv innt'd"e in nt't
<br />diver"ions from the Colorado Rivpr,
<br />This propo,>('(l agreement was "till
<br />b(.ing negotialPd at th(' pnd of tht,
<br />Year.
<br />Olhpr dctivitips oj Ih{' Work Group
<br />durmg Iq77 includtod .1 fipld
<br />Impl'oion of prorosed backwatt'r
<br />df'velopmt'nts bv tht' Fi"h ilnd Wildlife
<br />St'rvlCe in the Impl'nal ~aliondl
<br />wildlife Rf'fuge. Tht'..e propmed
<br />devetopmt'nls includPd dikes, control
<br />strUClurt's, mdfsh rehabililation, and
<br />pumping of irf'sh w,lIN inlo
<br />bdckwiltl'r lakes at low rin'r ~I.l~p~ to
<br />improve wdlt'r qUillitv and wildlife
<br />hdbildL Th{' Board'" n'prest'ntoltlve on
<br />the Work Group poinlf'd out Ihdt Ih{'
<br />Rt.fu!':l:"s water ri!,:hl on the California
<br />"idl.' of the Colorado Rlw'r \\ould be
<br />of too Jaw .I prioflh for a permant.'nt
<br />use ilnd Ihat Olher "oJutions not
<br />requiring diversion of walpr \..ould be
<br />required_
<br />
<br />legal Issues
<br />
<br />Arizona I', Colli/orm" and Other
<br />lOllt'r B,l_\in t\~/rt'f RighI' 1\"Ut'\
<br />
<br />Suhsldntlal pmj<ff'.... \\a~ madt.
<br />dUfing 1977 m the continued efforts 01
<br />the AUorne\ Gent'rJI'.. oiiiu:" v.lfiou..
<br />p.lnil"s to the Anzon,} \ {a!i/ornl~/
<br />
<br />liligatiun, and the BOolrd\ staii to
<br />"l'lIlt' the issut"> of preSf'nt perit,(.tPd
<br />rights. As defined m the 19&4 U, S.
<br />Suprt'mt' Court Decrt."t'. pr(',>ent
<br />Dt'rft'Cled right'> aft' main,>trf'am watf'r
<br />rights acquired undt'r slale Iilw and
<br />exertisro bv an dCluilJ divf'rsion, or
<br />federill re.,('rvPd wa\t:'r rights, bOlh
<br />eslabli~hed prior to Junf' 25. 191Q, lhf'
<br />eiiecliV't:' d.ilt' of tht, Bouldt"r Canvon
<br />Project Act.
<br />The BOMd'<, 1976 Annuill Rt'port
<br />de,>cribt-d a propmed slipul.llion 01
<br />pr('senl l>erfected right~ subml\led 10
<br />tht' UnIled State" b',-' th{' statIO' pMtie"
<br />which indudt-d several (holnRt'\
<br />suggeslPd bv thp UnIlPd Slale.. for thl;'
<br />benpfil of the lower Colorcldo Indi.1n
<br />Irib",s, In JanuJr)', 1977, beiore the
<br />npw Ft>dt'fal admini..trdlion came InIO
<br />office, Interior SoliCitor Austin notified
<br />the p.Htle., that hf' was rt'jl'(-ting lhf'
<br />propo'>t'd sllpuldtlon,
<br />Because oi the continuing ..erit,., oi
<br />delav., e...tpnding ovpr a period of four
<br />\eMS which thf' ~I.lt"'., .md tht, pMtif's
<br />h.ld bt,t'n "ubjected 10 by Ihf' Unitt'(!
<br />Stdlt'S, the Cllifornia, Arizonil, ,lnd
<br />~evilda pdrtlf'S filt'<l a joinl motion
<br />with Ihe U. S, Suprt'lllt' Court on ~1dV'
<br />2 for dt'tprminoltion of pu'"",nt
<br />pf'rfffted riRhb .1Od the enlrv of a
<br />supplemental dt>("rt't.' pur<,u,lOt to
<br />Article VI of th(' Dt'ut'e. The pMllt'"
<br />al..o iilt'd .l proposed supplpmpntal
<br />decree and a memorandum in ..upport
<br />of the propmt'd deerep. Tht, motion
<br />slatM thaI the partie.. and tht'
<br />St'(fPt.H\' oi lhf' Intl'fior have bft'n
<br />unabl(. 10 agrft' on pre..!'nt Iwrlectt'(l
<br />righl<. pur"U,101 to Article VI Clnd thClt
<br />the Secretary has no vdtid ha<;i,> tor
<br />his refu".ll to ol~rt't' to thf' li,>ts of
<br />present pt'rit'{ tt'd ri~hh wI forth in
<br />Ihe pf()po~t'd ..upplt>mt'ntoll dt'( r(-'t'. A
<br />l('lIer \,\-as .11\0 ~enl to the Seuptarv ot
<br />Ihe Inlt'fior ill tht' ".10110' time lhat tht>
<br />~tlpuf.ltion WdS filt>d stalin~ th.ll tht'
<br />door wa,> left open for contlOum~
<br />nt.goti.1lions with ft'dt'ral oificials on
<br />Iht'lSSUl',
<br />In AU~N<,{. ol mft'ling was ht'ld in
<br />\\'a..hin~uon. 0, C. bet....et'n tht> ,>1.lIt.
<br />parti('\ and IhE' nt'w Solicitor of thf'
<br />Inteflor Leo Krulltz to diSCUS" thf' 10lOt
<br />motion, The United Statt'~ did nOI
<br />IOdicatp am \\iIlingne,>s to selllt' tht,
<br />oUhtandmg issut"} short of lililZiltion
<br />on term" actepl.lblf' 10 Ihe partiM.
<br />but "tilled th.lt the\' \'\ould pndt'd\or
<br />10 fill' a re\pon..e to the motion prior
<br />
<br />to commenCemf'nl of the October
<br />tf'ml of the Supremt' Court.
<br />In .....oveml>er, tht> Uniled Stales
<br />filed \\-Ith thf' Supremf' Court a
<br />f(",pon..c to tht, loint motion of Ihe
<br />'>tale partie<.. Thf' Unitt"d St.lle" aRrt'M
<br />that Ihe joint mOllon is dppropridte
<br />.lnd would .lgn'e with thl:' propo<,t'd
<br />~upplemental dt'(rt>t.' provided that Ihe
<br /><,uuordindtion .l~ret'ment nmlained
<br />Iherein would be brnadenPd ..0 that
<br />anv Indian watf'r rights for the ;iyf'
<br />rpst'rviltion<, would continue to bt'
<br />subject to ,ldlustment hv ,lj:trt'f'mpnt of
<br />Ihf' Court in tht, e\{'nt thai tht'
<br />bounddflt'<, i1ft' flOilllv dptermint.'<l. The
<br />..ubordin.llion JlZrt'('mt'nt provid(-'s th.lt
<br />Indian Wdlpr fight<, i1ft.. gl\en
<br />prt'fl'rencf' over non-Indian rights 10
<br />time of shortilgp, The Uniled Stales
<br />.11..0 madl' their olgrt'empnl contingt'nt
<br />upon the .lddition of dpfiniliV'f'
<br />l.lnguage th.ll ....alt'r uSilge by the fi\e
<br />Lowt'r Colorado Ri\,('r tribt'., is not
<br />restriCltod 10 Irngalion,
<br />Th{' statl' p.1fllf''' rf'plied [0 the
<br />Unlled SI,Ut.s' r{'..ponse by leller oi
<br />Dt'(f'mber 23. 1977,10 Solicilor
<br />Gt'llt.'ral ~1cCrl'e, <,taling thClt a real
<br />opportunilv now e'\l..I.. 10 rt..;,ol\'", thf'
<br />mailer wilhout turther Iitigalion and
<br />th.ll the amt'ndments propo..t>d by the
<br />Unitro Stdlt'" \\l're i1cceptable,
<br />provided tholl Iilngu.lge is .lddPd
<br />ct.lfifying Ihal .l c h.lnge of USI' for
<br />Indi.ln tribe,> from irrig,lllon to other
<br />I\pt'\ of U<,f'<, would nnl re~ult in .In
<br />lO(fl'olSP in con"umptive usP over
<br />whJt \\outd havf' Ol'currt>d if lhp
<br />....iller was ust'd for irrlgation_
<br />In lale Dt'(ember, 1977. thrt't.. oj
<br />tht., iive ImVt'r Colorado Rivt'f Indian
<br />tribes holdml'( dt'Cff'ed prt'~pnt
<br />perifftPd righls undf'r Arizona \,
<br />tali/arm;l (fon \1oh.l\e, Cht.mehut'\i.
<br />.1Od Qut'Ch.lO) ii1E"Cl .l motion With thl'
<br />Supreme Court for It'a\'t' 10 Int('n.('nt'
<br />i1~ mdi<,pensablp parties. Also Joinmg
<br />in thf' motion as AmlCu.. Curiae was
<br />Ihe :'>..ltlOnClI Congress 01 Americdn
<br />Indian.. Among other thing<,. thf'
<br />motion mildt, the iollowing assertion'>:
<br />1. Thf' claim.. of tht' milior prp...(>nt
<br />pt.>rieclM flghh pilfties Me fill..e;
<br />2. Thprf' are .ldditional irrigilblf'
<br />acr{,dgf'~ on Ihe five Indian
<br />fe<,t'n.at.on<, ....hich Ihe DepMtment oi
<br />]u.,lice fdiled to pre<.t'nt to the Special
<br />\laster in Ari~on,/ v. G/f/iomid dnd
<br />\\hich Me enllllt'<l to h.l\t' dt'(ft--ed to
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