The Gila and Little Colorado General Stream Adjudications

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THE GILA AND LITTLE COLORADO GENERAL STREAM ADJUDICATIONS Cynthia M. Chandley 1 ©© 2014 2014 Snell Snell & & Wilmer Wilmer Arizona’s Watersheds 2 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Scope of Adjudications Gila Adjudication Little Colorado River Adjudication 30,000 5,000 SOCs SOCs Claimants 85,000 14,000 Claimants 3 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Initiation of Arizona’s Adjudications SRP initiates U.S. Supreme Court Phelps Dodge Verde River Buckeye Irrigation decides jurisdiction in on- initiates Little Adjudication District intervenes going state adjudications. Colorado River Ariz. v. San Carlos Adjudication Apache Tribe (U.S. 1983) 1974 1976 1978 1979 1980 1981 1983 1985 Arizona Supreme SRP initiates Phelps Dodge initiates Court consolidates Salt River Gila River Adjudication Arizona Arizona Supreme Court Gila River cases Adjudication Adjudication statues decides state jurisdiction ASARCO initiates San revised over federal and Indian Pedro River Adjudication water rights. U.S. v. Superior Court (Ariz. 1985) 4 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Maricopa County Court Proceedings • 1986 – Judge Goodfarb issues Pretrial Order No. 1 • 1990 – Arizona Supreme Court grants interlocutory review of six key issues 5 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Arizona Supreme Court Rulings • Issue 1: Service of process – Gila I (1992) • Issue 2: Subflow – Gila II (1993) & Gila IV (2000) • Issue 3: Indian reserved water rights – Gila V (2001) • Issues 4 & 5: Federal reserved groundwater rights – Gila III (1999) • Issue 6: To be decided. 6 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Major Adjudication Issues Subflow Trial No. 1; Adjudication Gila III and San Subflow Order Carlos Apache Court defines ADWR Subflow defines saturated Tribe, et al. v. ADWR Subflow 50%/90-day test Technical Report floodplain Holocene Superior Court Delineation ADWR Revised alluvium and evidentiary Report Subflow Report hearing 1986 1988 1993 1994 1995 1999 2000 2002 2005 2009 2012 2014 2014 2012 20142014 Pretrial Order Gila IV – affirms Gila II: rejects Subflow Subflow trial No. 1 1994 Subflow 50%/90-day test House Bills 2005 order and order 2276 and 2193 Order 7 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer San Pedro River Watershed Contested Cases • In re Powers Garden Administrative Site • Subflow Zone Map of the San Pedro River Watershed • In re Redfield Canyon Wilderness Area • In re Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area • In re San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area • In re Fort Huachuca 8 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer Map from 2014 Revised Subflow Delineation Report 9 © 2014 Snell & Wilmer .

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