United States v. Clifford Matley Family Trust

Opinion by Judge PAEZ; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge SNEED.

PAEZ, Circuit Judge:

This appeal involves another aspect of the many disputes over rights to water from the Newlands Reclamation Project (the “Project”) in western Nevada. Appellants United States and Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of Indians (the “Tribe”) appeal the district court’s order affirming a ruling by the court-appointed Water Master to reclassify farm land located in the Project from “bottom land” to “bench land” for water allocation purposes. Although the Appellants raise several procedural issues, the heart…