NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL v. HOUSTON

Nos. 97-16030, 97-16041, 97-16042 to 97-16045 and 97-16173.

146 F.3d 1118 (1998)

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Lower Tule River Irrigation District; Porterville Irrigation District; Saucelito Irrigation District; Stone Corral Irrigation District; Teapot Dome Water District, Defendants-Intervenors-Appellants. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Orange Cove Irrigation District; Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District; Exeter Irrigation District; Ivanhoe Irrigation District; Lindmore Irrigation District; Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District; Terra Bella Irrigation District, Defendants-Intervenors-Appellants. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Friant Water Users Authority, Defendant-Appellant. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Madera Irrigation District; Chowchilla Water District, Defendants-Intervenors-Appellants. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Arvin-Edison Water Storage District; Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District; Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Defendants-intervenors-Appellants. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. David G. HOUSTON, Defendant, and Tulare Irrigation District, Defendant-Intervenor-Appellant. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; Trout Unlimited of California; Bay Institute of San Francisco; California Natural Resources Federation; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; California Trout; Friends of the River; Northern California Guides Association; Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center; Sierra Club; Stanislaus Audubon Society, Inc.; United Anglers of California; California Striped Bass Association; National Audubon Society, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Roger PATTERSON, as Regional Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Bruce Babbitt; Friant Water Users Authority, Defendants-Appellees, and Lower Tule River Irrigation District; Porterville Irrigation District; Saucelito Irrigation District; Stone Corral Irrigation District; Teapot Dome Water District, Defendants-Intervenors- Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Decided June 24, 1998.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Gregory K. Wilkinson, Best, Best & Krieger, LLP, Riverside, California, for defendant-appellant and appellee Friant Water Users Authority, and for defendants-intervenors-appellants Lindmore Irrigation District, Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District, Terra Bella Irrigation District, Exeter Irrigation District, Ivanhoe Irrigation District, Tulare Irrigation District, Lower Tule River Irrigation District, Saucelito Irrigation District, Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District, Teapot Dome Water District, Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District, Porterville Irrigation District and Stone Corral Irrigation District.

Philip F. Atkins-Pattenson (argued), Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP, San Francisco, California, Hamilton Candee, Elizabeth R. Pulling, Natural Resource Defense Council, San Francisco, California, Patrick O'Donnell, Levy, Samrick & O'Donnell, San Francisco, California, Cynthia L. Koehler, San Francisco, California, Michael R. Sherwood (on the brief), San Francisco, CA, for plaintiffs-appellees and cross-appellants.

Michael Victor Sexton, Minasian, Spruance, Baber, Meith, Soares & Sexton, LLP, Oroville, California, for defendant-intervenor-appellant Orange Cove Irrigation District.

Denslow Green, Madera, California, for defendants-appellants Chowchilla Water District and Madera Irrigation District.

Lois J. Schiffer, Assistant Attorney General, Robert L. Klarquist, Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, D.C., for defendants-appellees Roger Patterson and Bruce Babbitt.

Daniel E. Lungren, Attorney General of California, Clifford T. Lee and Linus Masouredis, Deputy Attorneys General, San Francisco, California, for amici curiae State of California and California State Water Resources Control Board.

Before: SKOPIL, D.W. NELSON, and TASHIMA, Circuit Judges.


TASHIMA, Circuit Judge:

Various irrigation and water districts (Non-federal Defendants), that rely on water from the Friant dam, appeal the district court's summary judgment decision that the Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau or Federal Defendant), violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by renewing water contracts prior to completing required endangered species consultations. These defendants also appeal the district court's conclusion that Section 8 of the Reclamation...

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