Supreme Court of the United States
No. 137, Original In the Supreme Court of the United States STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff v. STATE OF WYOMING and STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA, Defendants OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL MASTER OPINION OF THE SPECIAL MASTER ON REMEDIES December 19, 2016 1 OPINION OF THE SPECIAL MASTER ON REMEDIES Montana brought this case in January 2007 to resolve disagreements with Wyoming over the protections provided to pre-1950 appropriative rights in Montana under the Yellowstone River Compact, 65 Stat. 663 (1951) (the “Compact”). Montana and Wyoming had long disagreed as to the meaning of key provisions of the Compact. Second Interim Report of the Special Master (Liability Issues), Dec. 29, 2014, p. 2 (“Second Interim Report”). As a result, the Compact had failed to accomplish its principal goal to “remove all causes of present and future controversy between the States and between persons in one and persons in another with respect to the waters of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries.” Compact, pmbl. In its complaint, Montana sought four types of relief: (1) a declaration of its rights under the Compact, (2) an injunction “commanding” the State of Wyoming to deliver water “in accordance with the provisions of the Yellowstone River Compact,” (3) damages, including pre- and post- judgment interest, and (4) “such costs and other relief as the Court deems just and proper.” Bill of Complaint, Jan. 2007, ¶¶ A-D. The Case Management Plan bifurcated proceedings into two phases, one dealing with liability and the other with remedies. Final Case Management Plan, Dec. 20, 2011, ¶ II. Matters pertaining to retrospective or prospective remedies were explicitly reserved for the remedies phase.
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