STATE EX REL. STATE ENGINEER v. U.S.

No. A-1-CA-33535.

425 P.3d 723 (2018)

2018-NMCA-053

STATE of New Mexico EX REL. STATE ENGINEER, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. UNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellee, v. Navajo Nation, Defendant/Intervenor-Appellee, v. San Juan Agricultural Water Users Association, Hammond Conservancy District, Bloomfield Irrigation District, and Various Ditches and Various Members Thereof, Defendants-Appellants.

Court of Appeals of New Mexico.

Certiorari Granted, August 13, 2018, No. S-1-SC-37068.

Certiorari Denied, August 13, 2018, No. S-1-SC-37100.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Arianne Singer , Special Assistant Attorney General, Santa Fe, NM, Utton & Kery, P.A., John W. Utton , Special Assistant Attorney General, Santa Fe, NM, for Appellee State of New Mexico, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.

United States Department of Justice Appellate Section, Environment & Natural Resources Division, John C. Cruden , Assistant Attorney General, Andrew J. Guarino , Mark R. Haag , Washington, D.C., for Appellee United States of America.

Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Stanley M. Pollack , M. Kathryn Hoover , Window Rock, AZ, for Intervenor-Appellee Navajo Nation.

Victor R. Marshall & Associates, P.C., Victor R. Marshall , Albuquerque, NM, for Appellants San Juan Agricultural Water Users, Hammond Conservancy District, Bloomfield Irrigation District, and Various Ditches and Various Members Thereof.

Stein & Brockmann, P.A., James C. Brockmann , Jay F. Stein , Santa Fe, NM, for Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, City of Española, and City of Gallup.

Keleher & McLeod, P.A., Cassandra R. Malone , Richard B. Cole , Albuquerque, NM, for Cities of Aztec and Bloomfield.

Tully Law Firm, P.A., Richard T.C. Tully , Farmington, NM, for B Square Ranch; Bolack Minerals Company, a/k/a Bolack Minerals Company Limited Partnership; Estate of Tom Bolack; a/k/a Thomas Felix Bolack, Deceased; Bolack Minerals Foundation; Tommy Bolack Revocable Trust; Estate of Juanita Velasquez, Deceased; David A. Pierce ; Maxine M. Pierce ; David M. Drake ; and Shawna Drake.

Modrall Sperling Roehl Harris & Sisk, P.A., Maria O'Brien , Christina C. Sheehan , Zoë E. Lees , Albuquerque, NM, for BHP Billiton New Mexico Coal Inc. and Enterprise Field Services, LLC.

Dumas Law Office, LLC, Jenny Dumas , Albuquerque, NM, for Jicarilla Apache Nation.

Taylor & McCaleb, P.A., Elizabeth Newlin Taylor , Jolene L. McCaleb , Corrales, NM, for San Juan Water Commission.

Law Office of Priscilla A. Shannon, Priscilla A. Shannon , Farmington, NM, for McCarty Trust et al., Stephen Albert McCarty, Trustee; and Estate of Mary McCarty, a/k/a Mary Louise McCarty, Deceased.

Gary L. Horner, Farmington, NM, Pro Se.

Public Service Company of New Mexico, Mikal M. Altomare , Corporate Counsel, Albuquerque, NM, for Tucson Electric Power Company and Public Service Company of New Mexico.

Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Office of General Counsel, Leland Begay, Associate General Counsel, Peter Ortego , Lee Bergen , Towaoc, CO , Samuel L. Winder , Albuquerque, NM, for Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

C. Brad Lane Cates , Fairacres, NM, for Amici Paul Bandy, Steve Neville, and Carl Trujillo.


OPINION

Factual and Procedural Background

{1} In 1849, after years of intermittent warfare, the United States entered into a peace treaty with the Navajo Tribe (Navajo Nation). See Treaty With the Navaho, September 9, 1849, 9 Stat. 974 (Treaty of 1849). That treaty subjected the Navajo Nation...

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