Stockton East Water District v. United States

OPINION

MILLER, Judge.

In the dry western regions of California, water can be as precious as gold. Pitting institutional consumers against the environment, the instant ease presents a complicated dispute regarding how state-controlled water, captured and contained in a federal reservoir, should be distributed and used.

The municipal-entity plaintiffs contracted for a share of this water, but contend they received less than they bargained for. The United States Bureau of Reclamation is the entity that controls the reservoir and distributed some of its water for environmental purposes rather than…