Texas v. New Mexico
Texas v. New Mexico
Opinion of the Court
Upon consideration of the report filed October 15, 1979, by Senior Judge Jean S. Breitenstein, Special Master, and the exceptions thereto, and on consideration of briefs and oral argument thereon,
It Is Adjudged, Ordered, and Decreed that all exceptions are overruled, the report is in all respects confirmed, and the ruling of the Special Master on the “1947 condition” as that term appears in Arts. II (g) and III (a) of the Pecos River Compact is approved.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
Under the Pecos River Compact of 1949, ch. 184, 63 Stat. 159, the State of New Mexico has a duty “not [to] deplete by man’s activities the flow of the Pecos River at the New
Article VI (c) of the Compact provides that the “inflow-outflow” method is to be used to determine whether New Mexico is complying with this obligation.
For years after the Compact was signed, there were disputes between the States over the proper application of the inflow-outflow method. Both sides recognized that the routing study contained some errors, and they attempted to correct those errors through negotiation. When negotiations ultimately failed, Texas brought this suit, alleging that New Mexico had breached its obligations under the Compact by using more water than it was entitled to use under the proper definition of the “1947 condition.”
One of the main issues before the Special Master was the meaning of the term “1947 condition.” The Master found
The objections filed on behalf of the State of Texas persuade me that the Master’s definition is not the one the two States agreed upon when they entered into the Compact. Article II (g) provides that, as used in the Compact:
“The term ‘1947 condition’ means that situation in the Pecos River Basin as described and defined in the Report of the Engineering Advisory Committee. In determining any question of fact hereafter arising as to such situation, reference shall be made to, and decisions shall be based on, such report.”
The routing study that Texas relies upon was a part of the Report of the Engineering Advisory Committee as that term is defined in the Compact.
This method is to be used “unless and until a more feasible method is devised.” See Art. VI (e). In this proceeding the States agree that the inflow-outflow method continues to apply.
The Master defined the term as follows:
“The 1947 condition is that situation in the Pecos River Basin which produced in New Mexico the man-made depletions resulting from the stage of development existing at the beginning of the year 1947 and from the augmented Fort Sumner and Carlsbad acreage.”
The routing study was Appendix A to the Report. Article II (f) provides:
“The term ‘Report of the Engineering Advisory Committee’ means that certain report of the Engineering Advisory Committee dated January 1948, and all appendices thereto; including, basic data, processes, and analyses utilized in preparing that report, all of which were reviewed, approved, and adopted by the Commissioners signing this Compact at a meeting held
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