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From Quantification To Qualification: A State Court's Distortion Of The Law In In Re General Adjudication Of All Rights To Use Water In The Big Horn River System, Berrie Martinis

Washington Law Review

The Wyoming Supreme Court applied state law to Indian reserved water rights in its recent decision in In re General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Big Horn River System (Big Horn III). Prior to Big Horn III, courts never applied state law to such rights. This Note argues that the Wyoming decision contradicts federal reserved water rights law and federal Indian law, and concludes that Congress should enact legislation overturning the Big Horn III decision.