Empire West Side Irrigation District v. Stratford Irrigation District

This is an action for declaratory relief by which it is sought to have interpreted and made certain the provisions of a contract relative to the water and water rights represented by shares of stock in a mutual water company. From a decree construing the same favorably to the defendants, the plaintiffs have appealed.

It appears that in 1905 a corporation known as the Empire Investment Company, hereinafter referred to as the land company, was the owner of a large tract of land in Kings County, containing in excess of 18,000 acres and lying on both sides of the Kings River and riparian to it. As…