In early September 2025, a coalition of California cities, irrigation districts, and family farmers, represented partly by Marzulla Law, filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court to review a significant water rights dispute. The case, City of Fresno, et al. v. United States, et al., stems from the 2014 drought when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation withheld water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project, giving a “zero allocation” to Friant contractors while diverting water to other districts under “exchange contracts.” This caused severe economic losses for over 15,000 farms, with crops and orchards suffering significant damage.

The plaintiffs argue that this action violated their property rights under Section 8 of the Reclamation Act of 1902, which recognizes water rights tied to irrigated land, and constituted an unconstitutional taking without just compensation under the Fifth Amendment. Lower courts, including the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit, dismissed the takings claims, ruling that the United States, not the landowners, holds the water rights under California law. The petition seeks Supreme Court review to clarify whether Friant contractors hold compensable property rights in the water and to ensure just compensation for the alleged taking. The outcome could impact water rights security across the Western U.S.

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The above was generated by Grok on 9/24/2025