Oswalt v. United States

85 Fed. Cl. 153, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 364, 2008 WL 5337452
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedDecember 17, 2008
DocketNo. 97-733C
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 85 Fed. Cl. 153 (Oswalt v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oswalt v. United States, 85 Fed. Cl. 153, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 364, 2008 WL 5337452 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

FUTEY, Judge.

This breach of contract case is before the Court on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiffs A. Dean and Reinie Oswalt, Craig and Michelle Oswalt, and Kirk and Stacie Oswalt (collectively, “plaintiffs”), allege in their Renewed Motion For Summary Judgment1 that plaintiffs had contracted with defendant for the provision of irrigation water to seven allotments of land leased by plaintiffs from the government. Plaintiffs further allege that defendant breached those contracts by failing to provide irrigation water to plaintiffs from June 10, 1994 through July 25, 1994. Finally, plaintiffs allege that as a result of defendant’s breach, plaintiffs suffered a substantial crop loss.

Defendant, on the other hand, asserts in its Motion For Summary Judgment that plaintiffs failed to make timely payment of operation and maintenance assessments for four of the land allotments at issue, thereby relieving defendant of its obligation to provide irrigation water to those allotments. With regard to the allotments for which plaintiffs did pay the operation and maintenance assessments, defendant contends that plaintiffs cannot establish the amount of [156]*156damages caused by the alleged breach with reasonable certainty.

Currently before the Court are plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion For Summary Judgment And Memorandum In Support Thereof, Defendant’s Response To Plaintiffs’ Motion For Summary Judgment, and Plaintiffs’ Reply Memorandum, as well as Defendant’s Motion For Summary Judgment, Defendant’s Proposed Findings Of Uncontroverted Fact, plaintiffs’ Memorandum In Opposition To Defendant’s Motion For Summary Judgment, Plaintiffs’ Response To Defendant’s Proposed Findings Of Uncontroverted Fact, and Defendant’s Reply In Support Of Its Motion For Summary Judgment.

1. Background

Plaintiffs farm lands located within Wapato Irrigation Project (“WIP”). WIP is located in the Yakima Indian Reservation (“Reservation”), and is administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior.2 The Reservation, created by treaty on June 9, 1985, is located in Yakima County, in the State of Washington.

In 1887, Congress passed the General Allotment Act (“GAA”), which directed the Secretary to allot lands within the Reservation to individual Indians. 49 Cong. Ch. 119, 24 Stat. 388-390 (1887). The GAA authorized the Secretary to hold the allotted land in trust for a period of twenty-five years. Id. Additionally, the GAA authorized the Secretary to promulgate rules and regulations in order “to secure a just and equal distribution” of irrigation water to the extent the water was necessary to render the land “available for agricultural purposes.” Id.

The Reclamation Act of 1902 (“RA”) permitted the Secretary to construct irrigation projects to provide water for agricultural purposes. 43 U.S.C. § 317 (repealed). WIP was created pursuant to the RA. In 1904, Congress enacted legislation that directed the Secretary “to sell or dispose of unallotted lands embraced in the Yakima Indian Reservation.” Pub.L. No. 58-3, 33 Stat. 595 (1904). This legislation required the Secretary to apply the proceeds of the sale of unallotted land to, among other things, “the construction, completion, and maintenance of irrigation ditches.” Id. This legislation further permitted the Secretary “to require ... annual proportionate payments to be made as may be just and equitable for the maintenance of [irrigation] systems.” Id.

In 1916, Congress enacted legislation permitting the Secretary to fix operation and maintenance (“O & M”) charges, as well as implement rules and regulations concerning the distribution of water. Pub.L. 64-80, 39 Stat. 123 (1916). Under the regulatory scheme promulgated by the Secretaiy, defendant, acting through BIA, sets rates paid for water, assesses and collects fees for maintenance, and delivers irrigation water to the boundary of individual farm units. 25 C.F.R. § 171 (1994). BIA also operates, controls, and manages the diversion and distribution facilities that serve the lands within WIP. Once water is diverted into the Yakima Indian Reseivation at WIP diversion points, WIP allocates this water among landowners or users through a system of irrigation canals.

There are two categories of land serviced by irrigation water — fee lands and trust lands. Fee lands are lands conveyed by the Department of the Interior to private individuals. Trust lands are held by the Secretary in trust for the Yakima Nation, and they are leased by Indians. The right to obtain irrigation water for fee lands is governed by a document entitled “Application for Water Right,” whereas the right to obtain irrigation water for trust lands is governed by the Lease Agreements. Plaintiffs have an interest in five allotments of fee lands and seventeen allotments of trust lands; claims concerning seven of the trust land allotments are presently at issue.

The parties’ dispute concerns a number of events that occurred in 1994. First, plaintiffs failed to fully pay their O & M assessments for all of their allotments prior to the 1994 irrigation season. The record provides that plaintiffs made partial payments on April 29, 1994, and June 23, 1994. Second, the Reseivation experienced one of the worst [157]*157droughts on record, resulting in drastic reduction in the amount of water available for irrigation. In fact, on May 18, 1994, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (“BOR”) notified all Yakima district managers, including the manager of WIP, that each district would receive only thirty-five percent of the proratable storage water to which it was entitled for the 1994 season. On June 8, 1994, BOR notified district managers that water supply conditions deteriorated, and consequently, only thirty-four percent of the proratable water entitlements would be available to each district. In order to cope with the drought conditions, WIP adopted a diversion plan, as well as a water distribution plan, for the 1994 season. The purpose of the water distribution plan was to “ensure an equitable distribution of the available water to each major lateral and subdivision of the project.”

Plaintiffs admit they received their proportionate share of water until June 9, 1994. According to plaintiffs, from June 10, 1994, until July 24, 1994, there was insufficient water in the canals servicing the land they farmed to permit irrigation. Plaintiffs maintain that other farmers, whose lands are located further up the canal, received sufficient irrigation water. Plaintiffs contend that in June 1994 they met with A.C. Oberly, WIP’s Administrator, and complained that the lands they farmed were not receiving adequate irrigation water for their crops. In addition, plaintiffs posit that at this meeting they “agreed to sign a promissory note for the balance of the money due on the [O & M] assessments for the 1994 season,” and that “Mr. Oberly agreed to draw up the note for signature by the plaintiffs.”

Plaintiffs filed them Amended Complaint on April 21, 1998, asserting that defendant breached its contractual obligations by failing to provide them with their proportionate share of irrigation water for land allotments plaintiffs owned or leased.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Olson v. United States
Federal Claims, 2021
Cheung v. United States
Federal Claims, 2019
Menendez v. United States
Federal Claims, 2018
Lucier v. United States
Federal Claims, 2018
Wade v. United States
Federal Claims, 2018
Yee v. United States
Federal Claims, 2017
Baley v. United States
134 Fed. Cl. 619 (Federal Claims, 2017)
Klamath Irrigation v. United States
134 Fed. Cl. 619 (Federal Claims, 2017)
Gazpromneft-Aero Kyrgyzstan LLC v. United States
132 Fed. Cl. 202 (Federal Claims, 2017)
James v. United States
130 Fed. Cl. 707 (Federal Claims, 2017)
Phipps v. United States
126 Fed. Cl. 674 (Federal Claims, 2016)
Thomas v. United States
122 Fed. Cl. 53 (Federal Claims, 2015)
Stathis v. United States
120 Fed. Cl. 552 (Federal Claims, 2015)
Kingman Reef Atoll Investments, L.L.C. v. United States
116 Fed. Cl. 708 (Federal Claims, 2014)
Seven Resorts, Inc. v. United States
112 Fed. Cl. 745 (Federal Claims, 2013)
Ingram v. United States
105 Fed. Cl. 518 (Federal Claims, 2012)
Longnecker Property v. United States
105 Fed. Cl. 393 (Federal Claims, 2012)
Beres v. United States
104 Fed. Cl. 408 (Federal Claims, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 Fed. Cl. 153, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 364, 2008 WL 5337452, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oswalt-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.