United States Ninth Circuit

Subjecting intervenor-contractors to a pro-rata water allocation along with Water Districts ignores the contractors' priority to project water under a water service contract.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/04/2002
• Decided 07/31/2003
• Published 07/31/2003

Judges

• Before B. FLETCHER, RAWLINSON, and CLIFTON, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• William T. Chisum and Daniel J. O'Hanlon, Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard, and Thomas W. Birmingham for plaintiffs-appellants Westlands Water District and San Benito Water District.


• For Appellees:
  
• Todd Aagaard for defendant-appellee United States of Amer ica., Maria A. Iizuka for defendants-appellees Bureau of Reclama tion, Department of the Interior, and Secretary of the Interior., Michael V. Sexton, Minasian, Spruance, Baber, Meith, Soares, & Sexton, for defendant-intervenors San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority and Friant Power Authority., Gregory K. Wilkinson, Best, Best, & Krieger, for defendantintervenor Friant Water Users Authority., Michael A. Campos, Washburn, Briscoe, & McCarthy, for defendant-intervenor, Madera Irrigation District., Denslow Green, Green, Green & Rigby, for defendant-intervenor, Chowchilla Water District.