News Release
11/18/2009
Court Dismisses Tarrant Water District Lawsuit
Attorney General Drew Edmondson today said a federal court has dismissed a Tarrant Regional Water District lawsuit which aimed to send Oklahoma water to Texas.
Claiming Oklahoma water law was unconstitutional, Tarrant sought to force the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to allow the Texas water district access to waters within Oklahoma’s borders. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma today granted Edmondson’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
“The judge said our statute does not violate the Commerce or Supremacy Clauses of the U.S. Constitution regarding waters subject to the Red River Compact,” Edmondson said. “The judge agreed with our argument that our statute is constitutionally sound.
“While we welcome this ruling,” Edmondson said, “the water wars will continue for a number of years. We will wait for Tarrant to take its next step and in the meantime we look forward to the completion of Oklahoma’s comprehensive water plan.”
The attorney general is fighting a similar federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in which the City of Hugo wants to sell Oklahoma water to the City of Irving, Texas.
Today’s ruling serves to bolster the state’s position in that suit as well, Edmondson said.