Laserfiche WebLink
<br />0033)0 <br /> <br />lowing the 1964 Decree, Arizona successfully per- <br />suaded Congress to provide for the construction of the <br />Central Arizona Project, a system for delivery of water <br />to central Arizona. If In considering this legislation <br />Co~gress examined the sufficiency of the water supply <br />available to Arizona in light of the'l9G4 Decree.'e The <br />~enate con~luded that even under the most conserva-, <br />t~ve analysIB the Project was feasible.'. This caIcula- <br />tlO~ ac~ounted for all water rights, including the Indi- <br />ans prIOr decreed rights. to The Project was to receive <br />the remainder of Arizona's share of the wa~r.u Fo}- <br />lo~g the .congressional approval of the Project, the <br />Arlzo~a leg.IBla.ture created a multi-county water con- <br />servatIOn dIBtrlct to contract with the Secretary of the <br />Interior for the Project's water and to collect'taxes (or <br />repayment of the Project's COSts.11 By the time of the <br />recent hearings, that entity had been collecting ad <br />valorem ~es. for approximately six years and was <br />the~ ~oldmg m reserve approximately $9,500,000 to <br />888lst 1~ the ~epayment of the Project's costs. II Any <br />water rights gIven the Indians would reduce, by almost <br /> <br />The State Parties argue that any reopening of this <br />once litigated issue would be unfair to them. Although <br />the facts vary with the individual cases, most of the <br />State Parties claim that they have relied upon the <br />Court's prior determination of the Indians' water <br />rights." This reliance will have been undercut, these <br />parties argue, if the quantity of Indian water rights is <br />increased. . <br />The detrimental impact on these parties by such an <br />amendment cannot be seriously denied. What the <br />Tribes gain someone else'will lose, at least in the fu- <br />ture. to But the present inquiry centers upon detrimen- <br />tal reliance rather than impact. <br />In some 88pects, Arizona appears to present the <br />most compelling case of detrimental reliance. That <br />state initiated the present lawsuit to achieve certainty <br />regarding its share of the Colorado River water. Fol- <br /> <br />dians rather than the unfair surprise that may have resulted from tha <br />Court's adoption or e new legal standard ror quantification of water <br />righta, <br />15: Memorandum of MetropoUtan Water District 27-34 (Jan. 1981); <br />State Parties' Memorandum on Rea Judicata 21-22 (Mar. 1981): Arizona <br />Supplemental Res Judicata Brief (May 1981); Arizona Reply Briaf 7.16 <br />(June 1981); Navada Trial Brief on Rea Judicata 20-22 (May 1981); Ne- <br />vada Reply Brier 10-12 (Jun. 1981); Stata Parties' Post-Trial Opening <br />Bri.f 233-34 (May 1981); State Partiea' Post- Tria1 Closing Bri.f 65-70 <br />(Juna 1981). <br />16. Tha Tribes argue that by removal of phreatophytes, vegetation <br />along the river, the impact on the states will be I....n.d. See F.M. Ed!. <br />17. The .trect of this action does not se.m 10 clear because no stete ia <br />presently charged with such use of water by phreatophytea and if .uch <br />water were available it would be part of the rpmAining water which could <br />be \JOed to SBtisfy the Mexican Treaty obUgation. It is not clear whethal' <br />under those circumstances the steteB would benefit in the amounta pro- <br />j.cted by tbe Tribes. This argum.nt appears to be simply a claim to ad- <br />ditional water righta through an alleged SBvinga. Ita such it ignores that <br />consumptive us. is measured by diversions I... return flows. 373 U.S. at <br />601. <br /> <br />17. Colorado River Basin Proj.ct Act, Pub. L. No. 90-537 1 301 82 <br />Stet. 887 (1968) (codiJied at 43 U.S.C. 11621 (1976)). . . <br />.18. S. REP. No. 408, 90th Cong., tat Sou. 18-21 (1967). presented in . <br />eUldenee 08 U.S. Exh. 161. <br />19. rd. at 32. Tha Senate calculated thet annual Pro;~ d U . <br />would equal: ."". e venes <br /> <br />You <br />TboWIBDda <br />of acre-reet <br /> <br />1976 <br /> <br />1990 <br /> <br />2000 <br /> <br />2030 <br /> <br />1,809 1,281 1,061 123 <br /> <br />Finn supply in the year 2030 WBB eatirnated to be leu than 361,600 <br />feet of water. rd. at 36 &: n.s. ~ <br />20. Tr. 2692-93. <br />, 21. rd.; S. RIlP. No. 408, supra note 19. at 32-36. <br />22. Tr. 2694. <br />23. Tr. 2695. <br /> <br />38 <br /> <br />39 <br />