United States v. Alpine Land & Reservoir Co.

PAEZ, Circuit Judge:

Churchill County (the “County”) and the City of Fallon (the “City”) appeal the district court’s judgment that affirmed the Nevada State Engineer’s (the “State Engineer” or “Engineer”) Ruling 4979. In that ruling, the State Engineer approved eight applications of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) to transfer the place of use of certain water rights to supply needed water to the wetlands in the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge (“Still-water”) in western Nevada. The State Engineer, rejecting the protests filed by the City and the County, determined that…