State v. Norrell
State v. Norrell
Opinion of the Court
This is an application for a peremptory writ of mandamus, directed to the defendant, as judge, commanding him to make and sign the findings of fact, conclusions of law', and decree referred to in the petition. It appears that the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company on March 9, 1897, commenced an action in the district court against the Utah & Salt Lake Canal Company, the South Jordan
“Whereas, this cause was tried and submitted to this court on March 25, 1897, upon the equitable issue therein alone (the question of damages being reserved), on May 8, 1897, findings of fact and conclusions of law were made, and on the same day a decree and judgment was rendered in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiff, from which judgment and decree the plaintiff appealed to the supreme court of the State of Utah; and whereas, said judgment and decree were at the January term, 1898, of said supreme court reversed, and this court was directed to set aside the findings and conclusions and decree heretofore rendered herein, so far as they conflict with the opinion and decision of said supreme court, and to make new and additional findings in accordance with the decision of said supreme court, and to enter a decree perpetually enjoining the defendant canal companies from draining seepage and surplus waters from the lands irrigated by their canals, or any or either of them, or the waters of the chain of lakes mentioned in the pleadings, or otherwise, into the Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal, or into White Lake, a part of said canal, and ordering such defendants to fill up said drain ditch, and ordering a prohibitory writ of injunction to the same effect against each of the other defendants, with costs to plaintiff against the defendants: Now, therefore, in pursuance of the said direction and mandate of the supreme court, this court finds the following facts and conclusions of law:
“(1) That the plaintiff is a corporation organized under the laws of the territory of Utah, with its principal place of business in Salt Lake City, Chali.
“(3) That the defendant the county of Salt Lake is a public corporation, and the City of Salt Lake is a municipal corporation, in the State of Utah.
“(4) That the Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus Canal Company was incorporated under the laws of the territory of Utah March 9, 1895, with the objects and purposes, expressed by its articles of incorporation, To construct and manage a canal from the Jordan river to Salt Lake, for the purpose of diverting a portion of the water of the Jordan river from its channel, and causing it to flow into said Salt Lake at a point (designated, in order to) prevent the western portion of Salt Lake City, and lands along the Jordan river, from being submerged in times of high water, and to make practicable the drainage, irrigation, and cultivation of large tracts of land heretofore unavailable for agricultural purposes and to that end to construct and maintain all necessary dams, head gates, flumes, and other means necessary to control, regulate, and distribute water for the purposes mentioned’; that this company commenced the construction of its canal in 1885, and completed it in the spring of 1886, at a cost of about nineteen thousand dollars ($19,000), one-third of which was contributed by Salt Lake county, one-third by Salt Lake City, and the balance by private persons.
“(5) That the North Point Canal Company, an unincorporated association, at the same time owned an irrigating canal, and on the 27th day of February, 1886, its members held a meeting, and appointed two committees, — one to prepare articles of incorporation, and the other to negoti
“(7) That the canal and property of the North Point Canal Company and the interest of the members in the unincorporated association were transferred and passed to the North Point Irrigation Company, and became a part of its capital stock; that on the 9th day of December, 1886, a written contract was signed and entered into between the Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal Company and the North Point Irrigation Company, in the following language: ‘Agreement between Surplus Canal Company and North Point Canal Company, Salt Lake City, 1886. Know all men by these presents, that whereas, at a meeting of the board of directors of the Jordan and Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal Company held in Salt Lake City on the 27th day of February, 1886, the privilege to take water from the said Jordan and Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal by the North Point Canal Company was granted on condition that the said North Point Canal Company assist materially in the construction of the said Jordan and Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal; and whereas, the said North Point Canal Company, by its stockholders owning land under the said North Point Canal, have contributed the sum of $600 (six hundred dollars) to the construction of said Jordan and Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canab the re
“(8) That in said agreement the name of the North Point Canal Company was by mistake used in place of its successor, the North Point Irrigation Company; that the intention of both parties was to make the grant to the North Point Irrigation Company, to whom the instrument was delivered, and who duly filed the same for record.on December 9, 1886, and has ever «ince acted thereunder.
“(9) That the said Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus Canal Company on December 13, 1886, by deed, conveyed to the City of Salt Lake and county of Salt Lake all of its property, privileges, and rights, including the said Surplus
“(10) That the plaintiff, the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company, was incorporated August 15, 1889, and that the canal of the North Point Company, and all its franchises and interests in its property, were then transferred to the plaintiff.
“(11) That large tracts of land owned by the stockholders of the plaintiff and others depend upon its canal for irrigation; that after this canal was connected with the Surplus Canal, and up to 1892, its waters were used for irrigation and domestic purposes; that rhuch of the land under plaintiff’s canal would be productive and valuable if irrigated with water suitable for irrigation, such as is taken from the Jordan river; and that other portions contain alkali, that renders it unsuitable for growing crops, but that it would be improved through irrigation with pure water.
“(12) That the plaintiff’s canal connects with the Surplus Canal about four miles below its mouth, at the Jordan river; that above that portion of the Surplus Canal, and to the south and west, the canals of the defendants, the Utah & Salt Lake Canal Company, South Jordan Canal Company, and the North Jordan Irrigation Company, are situated; that these canals take water from the Jordan river miles above the head or mouth of the Surplus Canal; that drain ditches from defendants’ canals are used further up the river to carry the seepage and surplus water from the lands irrigated back to the Jordan river, but that
“(13) That the North Point Irrigation Company acquired its right to take water from the Surplus Canal before the waters of said canal were rendered unfit for irrigation by the impure seepage water discharged into it by defendant canal compánies through the drain ditch from Decker’s Lake.
“(14) That the defendant canal companies first constructed their drain ditch from Decker’s Lake to White Lake in the spring of 1886, but enlarged and extended it in 1892; that plaintiff used water from the Surplus Canal the latter year, when it was found to be unfit for irrigation, culinary, or other domestic uses.
“(15) That the drain ditch between Decker’s Lake and the Surplus Canal was first constructed by the defendant canal companies in the spring of 1886, and in 1892 this drain ditch was enlarged and extended by defendants; that during and since 1892 the plaintiff has been unable to use the water from said Surplus Canal for irrigation, culinary or other domestic purposes, by reason of the seep
“(16) That the waters of the Surplus Canal and White Lake would be suitable for irrigation and domestic purposes if supplied from the Jordan river alone, and not contaminated with the befouled seepage and surplus water drained from the lands irrigated by the defendant canal companies, and from the water discharged from the chain of lakes and Decker’s Lake, through the said drain ditch, into the Surplus Canal and White Lake.
“As conclusions of law, the court finds:
“(1) That the Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal Company was a duly incorporated company, under and by virtue of the laws of Utah territory; that its object and purpose was to construct a canal from the Jordan river to Salt Lake for irrigation, and to carry off the surplus water of said Jordan river at times of high water; that this company had the right to contract and to convey to the North Point Irrigation Company the privilege to take water from the Jordan river, from and through its said canal, for irrigation and culinary use; that the use of the Surplus Canal for the drainage of water unfit for irrigation or domestic use is inconsistent, and contrary to its intent and purposes.
“(2) That the North Point Canal Company, an unincorporated association, had a right to, and did, enter into a contract with the Jordan & Salt Lake Surplus-Water Canal Company, on February 27, 1886, for a valuable consideration, to take water from the Jordan river, from and through the Surplus Canal; that said North Point Canal Company was merged into a duly incorporated company by virtue of the laws of Utah territory, and known as the North Point Irrigation Company, which latter company succeeded to all the privileges, rights, and properties of the North Point Canal Company, and to any interest of its
“(3) That the plaintiff, the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Company, a duly incorporated company, succeeded to, and became and is possessed of, all the rights, privileges, and property of the North Point Irrigation Company, and of the right to take water from and through the Surplus Canal from the Jordan river, and is now the owner of all such rights and property.
“(4) The plaintiff’s right to take water for irrigation, culinary, and other domestic purposes from the Surplus Canal is superior to any rights of defendants, or either of them, to use the same for drainage, or any other purpose inconsistent therewith, and the conveyance into said canal of water unfit for irrigation or domestic purposes is a violation of plaintiff’s rights in said canal..
“(5) That the defendant canal companies have no prescriptive right to use the Surplus Canal or White Lake for drainage purposes.
“(6) That the acts of the defendants in conveying befouled water, or in permitting the same to be conveyed, into the Surplus Canal, constitute, and are, a private and public nuisance.
“(7) That the defendants the city of Salt Lake and the county of Salt Lake are the owners and possessed of the Surplus Canal, but subject to the purposes for which the same was built, to-wit: irrigation, and to convey off the surplus water of the Jordan river in times of high water; also subject to the rights of plaintiff.
“(8) That a perpetual injunction should be directed against each and all of the defendants, enjoining them from draining seepage or surplus water from the lands irrigated by the defendant canal companies, or any or either of them, or the waters of the chain of lakes mention
“(9) That the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and decree thereon, dated May 8, 1897, heretofore made and filed in this case, be set aside, and that the foregoing be substituted therefor, and in place thereof.
“Decree. This cause having been regularly tried and submitted to this court on March 25, 1897, upon the equitable issues therein, — the question of damages having been reserved, — and on the 8th day of May, 1897, this court having rendered a judgment in favor of the said defendants and against the plaintiff, and a decree having been made in accordance therewith, and from which findings and decree the plaintiff appealed to the supreme court of the state of Utah; and a remittitur in this cause from said supreme court having been filed in this court, reversing the decision and decree heretofore made and filed herein, and directing that such findings and decree be set aside, and new ones made, in accordance with the findings of said supreme court: Therefore, it is ordered, adjudged, and decreed, in accordance with the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law, that the above-named defendants, the Utah & Salt Lake Canal Company, the South Jordan Canal Company, the North Jordan Irrigation Company, and the county of Salt Lake, and the city of Salt Lake, them and each of them, their agents, servants, and employes, be, and they are hereby, perpetually enjoined from draining, or conducting any drainage, seepage, or surplus water from lands irrigated by the Utah & Salt Lake Canal Company, the South Jordan Canal Company, the North
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE v. A. G. NORRELL
- Status
- Published