EAST BENCH IRR. DIST. v. OPEN A RANCH

DA 21-0079.

501 P.3d 380 (2021)

2021 MT 319

EAST BENCH IRRIGATION DISTRICT; United States of America (Bureau of Reclamation), Claimants and Appellees, East Bench Irrigation District; Point of Rocks Angus Ranch, Inc., Objectors and Appellees, Madison Valley Garden Ranch, LLC, Counterobjector and Appellee, v. OPEN A RANCH, INC., Counterobjector and Appellant, Geoduck Land & Cattle, LLC; Smith's Elk Meadows Ranch, LLC, Notice of Intent to Appear and Appellees, Bar J Ranch; David E. & Shelli Schuett; Baldy View Enterprises, LLC; William C. Mancoronal; Roxanne E. Mancoronal; Justin D. Devers; William R. Grose; Point of Rocks Angus Ranch, Inc.; Clark Canyon Water Supply Co., Intervenors and Appellees.

Supreme Court of Montana.

Decided: December 21, 2021.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

For Appellant: Michael J. L. Cusick , Cusick, Mattick & Refling, P.C., Bozeman, Montana.

For Appellees East Bench Irrigation District and Clark Canyon Water Supply Co.: William C. Fanning , Fanning Law, PLLC, Bozeman, Montana.

For Appellee United States of America (Bureau of Reclamation): John L. Smeltzer , U.S. Department of Justice, ENRD Appellate Section, Todd Kim , Assistant Attorney General, Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, District of Columbia.

For Appellee Point of Rocks Angus Ranch, Inc.: Ryan McLane , William P. Driscoll , Franz & Driscoll, PLLP, Helena, Montana.

For Appellee Madison Valley Garden Ranch, LLC: W. John Tietz , Browning Kaleczyc , Berry & Hoven, P.C., Helena, Montana.

For Geoduck Land & Cattle, LLC: John E. Bloomquist , Bloomquist Law Firm, P.C., Helena, Montana.

For Intervenors Justin D. Devers and William R. Grose: Max A. Hansen , Max A. Hanson & Associates, P.C., Dillon, Montana. Dana E. Pepper , Bina Peters , River and Range Law, PLLC, Bozeman, Montana.


¶1 Open A Ranch, Inc. (Open A) appeals from the Montana Water Court's December 24, 2020 Final Order and July 3, 2019 Summary Judgment Order adjudicating 11 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) water rights claims in Basin 41B. The Water Court consolidated objections, counterobjections...

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