Tribal, Oklahoma Water Rights Dispute Again Stayed

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma Sept. 15 granted tribal and state parties’ joint motion to stay their water rights case for an additional 120 days for settlement talks (Chickasaw Nation v. Fallin). The stay now expires Jan. 12, 2015, and the court directed the Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, state of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust to submit a status report by that date. The principal issue is whether a 2010 water storage agreement between the board and the water trust, which would purportedly ...