Law Commons^™

White Mountain Apache Water Rights Quantification Settlement Judgment And Decree, Superior Court Of Apache County, Az.

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Post- Settlement Court Decree, White Mountain Apache Water Rights Quantification Settlement Judgment and Decree, Parties: WMAT, White Mountain Apache Tribe, AZ, Arizona, USA, United States of America,, Arizona Water Company, Buckeye Irrigation Company, Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District, CAWDC, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, City of Avalon, City of Chandler, City of Glendale, City of Mesa, City of Peoria, City of Phoenix, City of Show Low, City of Scottsdale, City of Tempe, Town of Gilbert, RWCD, Roosevelt Water Conservation District, SRP, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, Salt River Valley Water Users' Association,

Quantification of WMAT rights …

Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2014, United States 113th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to provide for the settlement of specific water rights claims in the Bill Williams River watershed in the State of Arizona.

Great Nations Can Work On Mistakes, Kevin Washburn

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe - Fish Springs Ranch Settlement Act, United States 113th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

The overall purpose of this Act is to ratify a water settlement agreement affecting the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and for other purposes.

Final Unified Decree For The Snake River Basin Adjudication, Fifth Judicial District Court, Twin Falls County, Idaho

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Court Decree: Unified Final Decree relating to all water rights in Snake River Basin. Contents: I. Procedure, p.1; II. Findings of Fact, p.4; III. Conclusions of Law, p.6; IV. Order p. 9; Attachments available on website:

Attachment 1: Snake River Basin Water System Map

Attachment 2 -- Issued Partial Decrees by subcase or basin number

Attachment 3 -- General Provisions by Basin

Attachment 4 -- Water Right Agreements Between the State of Idaho and the United States of America:

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Revised Partial Final Consent Decree Determining the Rights of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Water Right Partial Decrees

- …

Final Unified Decree For The Snake River Basin Adjudication, Fifth Judicial District Court, Twin Falls County, Idaho

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Court Decree: Unified Final Decree relating to all water rights in Snake River Basin. Contents: I. Procedure, p.1; II. Findings of Fact, p.4; III. Conclusions of Law, p.6; IV. Order p. 9; Attachments available on website:

Attachment 1: Snake River Basin Water System Map

Attachment 2 -- Issued Partial Decrees by subcase or basin number

Attachment 3 -- General Provisions by Basin

Attachment 4 -- Water Right Agreements Between the State of Idaho and the United States of America:

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Revised Partial Final Consent Decree Determining the Rights of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Water Right Partial Decrees

- …

Final Unified Decree For The Snake River Basin Adjudication, District Court Of The Fifth Judicial District Of The State Of Idaho, In And For The County Of Twin Falls

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Court Decree: Unified Final Decree relating to all water rights in Snake River Basin. Contents: I. Procedure, p.1; II. Findings of Fact, p.4; III. Conclusions of Law, p.6; IV. Order p. 9; Attachments available on website:

Attachment 1: Snake River Basin Water System Map

Attachment 2 -- Issued Partial Decrees by subcase or basin number

Attachment 3 -- General Provisions by Basin

Attachment 4 -- Water Right Agreements Between the State of Idaho and the United States of America:

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Revised Partial Final Consent Decree Determining the Rights of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

- Water Right Partial Decrees

- …

Indian Gaming – The Next 25 Years, Kevin Washburn

Faculty Scholarship

Testimony of Kevin K. Washburn Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs United States Department of the Interior Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Oversight Hearing

The End Of Sustainability, Melinda Harm Benson, Robin Kundis Craig

Publications

No abstract provided.

The End Of Sustainability, Melinda Harm Benson, Robin Kundis Craig

Publications

It is time to move past the concept of sustainability. The realities of the Anthropocene warrant this conclusion. They include unprecedented and irreversible rates of human-induced biodiversity loss, exponential increases in per-capita resource consumption, and global climate change. These factors combine to create an increasing likelihood of rapid, nonlinear, social and ecological regime changes. The recent failure of the Rio +20 provides an opportunity to collectively reexamine--and ultimately move past--the concept of sustainability as an environmental goal. We must face the impossibility of defining--let alone pursuing--a goal of "sustainability" in a world characterized by such extreme complexity, radical uncertainty and …

Managing Complex Water Resource Systems For Ecological Integrity: Evaluating Tradeoffs And Uncertainty, Richard Morrison

Publications

Water resource systems often contain numerous components that are intertwined or even contradictory, such as power production, water delivery, recreation, and environmental needs. This complexity makes it difficult to holistically assess management alternatives. In addition, hydro climatic and ecological uncertainties complicate efforts to evaluate the impacts of management scenarios. We need new tools that are able to inform managers and researchers of the tradeoffs or consequences associated with flow alternatives, while also explicitly incorporating sources of uncertainty. My research addresses this limitation using two modeling approaches: stochastic system dynamics modeling and Bayesian network modeling. I developed a stochastic system dynamics …

Spring 2014 Utton Center Newsletter, Utton Center, University Of New Mexico - School Of Law

Publications

No abstract provided.

Law And Order Commission Report: “A Roadmap For Making Native America Safer.”, Kevin Washburn

Faculty Scholarship

Testimony of Kevin K. Washburn Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs United States Department of the Interior Before The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs On The Law and Order Commission Report: “A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer.”

Forrest Gerard’S Legacy Is Self-Determination For Tribes, Kevin Washburn

Faculty Scholarship

The passing of Albuquerque resident and former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Forrest J. Gerard, on Dec. 28 provides an opportunity to take stock of the important federal Indian policies he championed and his contributions to Native Americans across the country deserve to be celebrated.

Developing The Law Of The River: The Integration Of Law And Policy Into Hydrologic And Socio-Economic Modeling Efforts In The Willamette River Basin, Adell Louise Amos

Publications

A legal and policy infrastructure -- referred to as a "law of the river" -- exists for every river basin in the U.S. an can be as important as natural processes in terms of managing the future of the resource. Because of the way that water law and policy have evolved in the U.S., this infrastructure involves a matrix of state and federal law that governs the choices that policymakers, end users, and agencies make. This "law of the river" provides the context in which decisions are made and not made. It also draws the boundaries within which decision makers …

Jump In Before It's Too Late: Protecting And Increasing Streamflows In New Mexico, Sharon Wirth

Publications

Freshwater ecosystems need adequate streamflow to supply clean water for humans and maintain healthy habitat for wildlife. Over-appropriation, overuse, climate change, and drought plague New Mexico's rivers, taxing many rivers beyond sustainability. Despite the myriad of problems caused by little or no water in our rivers, policies and procedures to protect and increase streamflows in New Mexico are limited. While most Western states have made demonstrable progress in alleviating various legal and technical barriers to protecting and increasing streamflows, New Mexico has made only limited, recent progress towards solutions for our drying rivers. This article takes a critical look at …

Water Governance Challenges In New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley: A Resilience Assessment, Melina Harm Benson, Dagmar Llewellyn, Ryan Morrison, Mark Stone

Publications

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Understanding Tribal Courts And The Application Of Fundamental Law: Through The Voices Of Scholars In The Field Of Tribal Justice, April L. Wilkinson, Kiowa Tribe Of Oklahoma

Tribal Law Journal

Through an examination of scholarly articles, this paper examines traditional tribal justice systems set in tribal communities in an effort to establish a framework for understanding tribal courts and the unique challenges they face. The research presented describes a spectrum of traditional aspects within tribal courts, and analyzes the impact that changing social dynamics have had on the tribal court construct. A rigorous review of available research concerning traditional tribal courts showed scholars repeatedly arguing that traditional law, also called fundamental law, which existed before Western style courts, exists beyond the tribal court setting and is fundamental to a tribal …

She Saves Us From Monsters: The Navajo Creation Story And Modern Tribal Justice, Heidi J. Todacheene

Tribal Law Journal

The goal of this paper is to attempt to provide a general social and political framework of the Navajo tribe using the creation story and journey narrative. This will provide a comprehensive insight into the history and modern functioning of the tribe for someone who may not understand traditional Navajo thought. Modern legal cases have been integrated into this paper to demonstrate how Navajo courts use and preserve traditional concepts in current legal analysis. This paper will try to convey a traditional Navajo perspective whose ideology is deeply rooted in the creation story and illustrated through the Holy Beings, especially …

Fond Du Lac Band Of Lake Superior Chippewa V. Frans: An Examination Of State Taxation Of Off-Reservation, Out-Of-State Tribal Member Income, Christopher A. Dodd

Tribal Law Journal

This article analyzes the propriety of state taxation of tribal members’ out-of-state, off-reservation income through a critical examination of Fond du Lac Band of Lac Superior Band of Chippewa v. Frans, 649 F.3d 849 (8th Cir. 2011). The article argues that Judge Murphy’s dissent in the case provided the correct analysis—that state taxation of out-of-state, off-reservation tribal member income is improper when the tribal member resides on tribal land and the only nexus between the state and the taxed income is the tribal member’s state citizenship. The article explains that by granting citizenship to tribal members with the Indian Citizenship …

The Seminole Way: The Path To The 2011 Reestablishment Of The Seminole Nation Of Oklahoma Tribal Court System, John Haney

Tribal Law Journal

This article will examine the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma’s path from the federal dismantling of the Seminole Nation tribal court system upon the statehood of Oklahoma in 1906 to the Seminole Nation’s reestablishment of its tribal court system in 2011. This article will also explore the Seminole Nation’s methods of integrating tribal tradition and custom into the Seminole tribal court system, and will also present the many challenges that exist in developing an efficient and sustainable tribal justice system. The article will demonstrate that the Seminole Nation’s persisting determination to reestablish its judicial authority stems from the desire to maximize …

Tribal Environmental Programs: Providing Meaningful Involvement And Fair Treatment, Jeanette Wolfley

Faculty Scholarship

Tribal governments are developing and implementing federally authorized and/or approved tribal environmental programs in the areas of water quality, air quality, and solid waste. As part of this federal delegation process there are federal requirements relating to due process and fair treatment of the public and stakeholders who may be affected by the tribal environmental laws and regulations. This article explores and examines public participation and due process within the tribal context and proposes tribal institutions are in the best position to articulate the tribal cultural and social norms of public participation and fair treatment. It is through this process …

Adjudications, Brigette Buynak, Darcy S. Bushnell

Water Matters!

Adjudications are lawsuits that take place in state or federal court to resolve all claims to water use in the state of New Mexico, including those of Pueblos, tribes and the federal government. These cases are required by statute to create a formal inventory of water uses and to facilitate administration of New Mexico’s surface and groundwater. The geographic scope of each case is generally described by a stream system and occasionally by a groundwater basin. By statute, the State is always the plaintiff. The mission is to formally identify and recognize all valid water rights in each area being …

New Mexico Water Law Capsules, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

This article contains a list some of the key cases decided in the state and federal courts of New Mexico with very brief descriptions of the rulings. The finalized cases have been arranged by topic. This chapter is intended to be a quick and handy reference guide and not a thorough summary of the facts and law of each case. This year we have also included a list of water law statutes.

Drought, Adrian Oglesby

Water Matters!

New Mexico is renowned for its high deserts, mild climate, and abundant sunshine. Incidentally, these physical attributes, which make New Mexico so unique and beautiful, are also characteristic of a naturally dry environment. The state has been subjected to severe drought conditions in the past, alternating with times of uncharacteristically high supplies of moisture upon which its population has at times over-relied.

This article will provide various definitions of drought and a short history of drought in New Mexico; discuss impacts of drought on the state’s human water user communities and environment; discuss in brief the priority call and water …

Priority Administration, Ed Merta

Water Matters!

Since the turn of the twenty first century, drought conditions have frequently stricken much of New Mexico. Such intervals of extreme dryness have been a permanent, recurring feature of the state’s climate for at least two thousand years, according to tree ring data and other scientific evidence. Some of these past droughts lasted for decades, exceeding in severity the Dust Bowl of the 1930sand the great New Mexico drought of the 1950s. Today, climate change models indicate that the Southwest will likely become even hotter, potentially making future droughts in New Mexico more extreme. Managing water shortages promises to become …

Active Water Resource Management, Paul Bossert, Gregory C. Ridgley

Water Matters!

For decades, most of the waters of the State of New Mexico have been the subject of water rights adjudications to establish all the water rights. Stream systems and sub-basins geographically define the adjudications. There are twelve active cases. However, complete adjudication of all New Mexico water rights is still many years away. Meanwhile, water use in the state has evolved.New water users increasingly look to acquire existing water rights rather than developing new rights. Decisions on administration, distribution, and redistribution of water have to be made.

It was widely held, though not unanimously, that the State Engineer needed greater …

Inter-Basin Water Transfers, Anne Minard

Water Matters!

Inter-basin water transfers move water from one watershed to another. As droughts constrict the availability of water, and cities grow larger and thirstier, such transfers are increasingly being eyed as a solution. Although inter-basin transfers usually do not increase the overall availability of water in a state, they can move water to where it is needed most. Some of the main proponents of inter-basin transfers are pro-growth city and state governments as the re-allocation of water across watersheds allows for flexibility in planning for future growth.

Domestic Wells, Paul Bossert, Sarah Armstrong

Water Matters!

The domestic well statutes direct that the State Engineer “shall” issue a permit for certain types of temporary or low volume wells, including wells for household use. For the past fifty-five years, the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) has interpreted this to mean that such permits are granted with no evaluation, public notice, or hearing.

Water For New Mexico Rivers, Beth Bardwell, Adrian Oglesby

Water Matters!

The Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Gila, the San Juan, the Canadian—New Mexico’s rivers are synonymous with the state’s culture and natural heritage. New Mexicans overwhelmingly care about the health of the state’s rivers and that includes flows to support fish and river dependent wildlife. Rivers, wetlands, and riparian areas comprise a very small part of our landscape—a mere 1 percent. This 1 percent plays an essential role in renewing the state’s water supply for its two million residents; for sustaining the state’s second largest industry—tourism; for producing food and fiber; and for sustaining New Mexico’s web of life. Eighty …