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<br />. "'.~ ,.-. <br />1. VoJ.) <br /> <br />consolidated response to the <br />December 1978 motion of the United <br />States. The state parties responded <br />that the issue of the number of <br />irrigable acres within the 1964 <br />boundaries of the reservations was <br />fully litigated before the previous <br />Special Master and finally determined <br />by the Supreme Court in 1964, and is <br />not subject to reliligation. The state <br />parties also contended that <br />determinations recognizing enlarged <br />reservation boundaries are not final <br />and are subject to judicial review. <br />They contended that the Court, <br />through the Spt'Cial Mast!!'r, should <br />consider the boundary land claims <br />through a two-..tep process: t 1 ) <br />determination of the underlying <br />boundary disputes to Set' if any <br />reSE'rvation has larger boundaries than <br />were rf'Cognized in 1%4; and (2) if <br />such is the ca..e, establi..hment of <br />water rights based on practicably <br />irrigable acreaRe within those enlarged <br />boundaries. <br />The Colorado River Indian Tribe.. <br />and the Cocopah Indian Tribe <br />adopted and approved the Dt><:ember <br />1978 motion of the United States, <br />except that the Colorado River Indian <br />Tribes reserved the right to ..eek <br />additional water rights for an <br />additional 37,449 acres of omitted <br />lands. <br />In March 1979, Special Master <br />Elbert P. Tuttle callt'd an informal <br />conference in Phoenix, Arizona. to <br />identify issuE'S in the casE' and in April <br />1979 held a formal hearing in San <br />Francisco on the following points: (1) <br />whether the boundariE'S of the <br />respective Indian reserv.llions have <br />~n "finally determined" within the <br />meaning of Article II (D I (5) of the <br />1964 Decree, (2) whethE'r the <br />Eleventh Amendment to the U.s. <br />Constitution bars IntNvention in this <br />suit by the Indian tribes without the <br />consent of the state parties, and (J) <br />whether there is any procedure ior <br />the Indian tribes to participate as if <br />they were parties, pending a ruling on <br />their motions to intel"\-ene. <br />In August 1979. Judge Tuttle issued <br />a "Memorandum and Report on <br /> <br />" , <br /> <br /> <br />rlJll,/ft/( r'Otl (nn/inues on Iht' inr.}/q, to <br />Ih,' CI'nr,,]1 An/flll,l Pmj,'rr whidl \\'11/ <br />hq~in 10 reH'in' I/." .l/lolmf'lll inlhp <br />ml(l-I'1RO~ <br /> <br />Preliminary Issu('5" and filt'd It WIth <br />the Court. The report granted the <br />Indian Iribes unconditional leave to <br />intervene in the suit and concluded <br />thaI the Eleventh Amendment did not <br />bar intervention. The report also <br />concluded that, lor the purpoSe<; of <br />determination of reservation water <br />rights in this litigation, boundary <br />determination.. made bv the district <br />courts and by the- Secretary of the- <br />Interior are- final. For the "omitted <br />lands", no decision was made <br />wht>ther or on ....:hat Qdsis the 1964 <br />and 1979 decrees may be modified 10 <br />establish additional present pe-rfeClf'd <br />rights ior Indian reservations. The <br />ruling was that this proceeding will <br />include proof of the irrigabilitv ot both <br />boundary and omitted lands, and a <br />decision on additional .....ater for the <br />omitted lands will be deferred until <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />after the tribes, the defendants, and <br />the United States have completed the <br />submission of evide-nce. <br />The state- pilrties took exception to <br />the Special Milster's memorandum <br />re-port and in November 1979 filed a <br />motion with the Court urging rejection <br />of his rulings on the following ite-ms: <br />(1) the hearing of evidence on <br />"omitted lands" claims without first <br />deciding whether such claims can <br />e-ven be a..serted, (2) the <br />t'Stablishment of disputed boundaries, <br />(J) the principle of '>O\'ereign <br />immunity, and (41 the right of <br />intervention b". the Indian tribes. The <br />stale pilrties stated that their rights <br />would be irrevocably harmt"d if <br />proceedings continued before the <br />Special \.1aster withoul the above <br />issues being resolved by the Court <br />itself. On Januarv 7, 1980, the Court <br />denied the state parties' motion, in <br />