The case **Ickes, Secretary of the Interior, v. Fox et al., Parks et al., and Ottmuller** involves a dispute over water rights and their ownership or control under federal law. **Summary of the Case:** - **Parties:** The plaintiffs, including Fox, Parks, and Ottmuller, were landowners and irrigators in the western United States. The defendant, Harold L. Ickes, was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior at the time. - **Issue:** The primary legal issue in the case was whether the federal government, through the Secretary of the Interior, had the authority to control and allocate water rights for irrigation purposes under the federal reclamation laws. The landowners claimed water rights based on state laws and prior usage, while the Secretary of the Interior asserted federal control under reclamation statutes. - **Background:** The case arose under the federal Reclamation Act, which aimed to manage and distribute water resources in arid western states to promote irrigation and settlement. The plaintiffs claimed vested water rights based on state law, arguing that they had been using the water for irrigation prior to federal involvement. The government argued that under the Reclamation Act, the federal government had the authority to allocate and manage water resources on federal reclamation projects. - **Court's Decision:** The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, holding that water rights acquired by settlers under state law were valid and could not be overridden by federal law or the actions of the Secretary of the Interior. The Court recognized the supremacy of state law in determining water rights, particularly when settlers had already established prior usage before federal reclamation projects were initiated. **Impact:** This case was significant in affirming the primacy of state law in determining water rights, even in the context of federal reclamation projects. It limited the power of the federal government to interfere with existing water rights and recognized the importance of prior usage and local control over water resources in the western United States.
