U.S. v. GILA VALLEY IRR. DIST.

Nos. 14-16942, 14-16943, 14-16944, 14-17047, 14-17048, 14-17185.

859 F.3d 789 (2017)

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant/Cross-Appellee, and Gila River Indian Community; San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona, Intervenor-Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees, v. GILA VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT; Franklin Irrigation District; Freeport Minerals Corporation; Larry W. Barney; Viri Viva Lunt Revocable Trust; TRP Family Trust; Ronald Howard; Janice Howard; Myrna Curtis; Joe B. Tatum; Judy L. Tatum; Harrington Ranch and Farm; S&R Daley, LP; Steve Daley; Ross and Fawn Bryce Family Trust; Householder Family Limited Partnership; Kenneth Claridge, Defendants-Appellees/Cross-Appellants.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Filed June 13, 2017.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

John L. Smeltzer (argued), Katherine J. Barton , F. Patrick Barry , and Yosef Negose , Attorneys, and John C. Cruden , Assistant Attorney General, Environment & Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Scott Bergstrom and Andrew Engel , Office of the Solicitor, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.; for Plaintiff-Appellant/Cross-Appellee United States.

Pratik A. Shah (argued), Merrill C. Godfrey , Hyland Hunt , and Z.W. Julius Chen , Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Washington, D.C.; Linus Everling and Thomas L. Murphy , Gila River Indian Community, Pima Maricopa Tribe Law Office, Sacaton, Arizona; for Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellant/Cross-Appellee Gila River Indian Community.

Joe P. Sparks (argued) and Julia Rowen Kolsrud , The Sparks Law Firm P.C., Scottsdale, Arizona, for Intervenor-Plaintiff-Appellant/Cross-Appellee San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona.

Sean T. Hood (argued) and Rhett Billingsley , Fennemore Craig P.C., Phoenix, Arizona, for Defendant-Appellee/Cross-Appellant Freeport Minerals Corporation.

Paul F. Eckstein (argued) Shane R. Swindle , and Vidula U. Patki , Perkins Coie LLP, Phoenix, Arizona; David A. Brown , Brown & Brown, St. Johns, Arizona; for Defendant-Appellee/Cross-Appellant Gila Valley Irrigation District and Franklin Irrigation District.

Robert B. Hoffman , Somach Simmons & Dunn, Sacramento, California; for Defendants-Appellees/Cross-Appellants Larry W. Barney, Viri Viva Lunt Revocable Trust, TRP Family Trust, Ronald Howard, Janice Howard, Myrna Curtis, Joe B. Tatum, Judy L. Tatum, Harrington Ranch And Farm, S&R Daley, LP, Steve Daley, Ross and Fawn Bryce Family Trust, Householder Family Limited Partnership, and Kenneth Claridge.

John B. Weldon, Jr. , Mark A. McGinnis , Lisa M. McKnight , and Scott M. Deeny , Salmon Lewis & Weldon P.L.C., Phoenix, Arizona, for Amici Curiae Salt River Valley Water Users' Association and Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District.

Before: Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, Ronald M. Gould, and Milan D. Smith, Jr., Circuit Judges.


OPINION

In these consolidated appeals involving the Globe Equity Decree of 1935, we must decide whether landowners can transfer their rights to divert water from the Gila River which flows through southern Arizona.

I

A

These cases arise out of litigation that began over ninety years...

Let's get started

Leagle.com

Welcome to the leading source of independent legal reporting
Sign on now to see your case.
Or view more than 10 million decisions and orders.

  • Updated daily.
  • Uncompromising quality.
  • Complete, Accurate, Current.

Listed below are the cases that are cited in this Featured Case. Click the citation to see the full text of the cited case. Citations are also linked in the body of the Featured Case.

Cited Cases

  • No Cases Found

Listed below are those cases in which this Featured Case is cited. Click on the case name to see the full text of the citing case.

Citing Cases