U.S Supreme Court won’t hear IID Abatti lawsuit
Imperial Irrigation District speaks out following U.S Supreme Court decision - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) speaks out following the U.S Supreme Court's recent decision to not hear the water rights case from Mike Abatti farms.
RELATED STORY: IID defends itself over Abatti lawsuit regarding water rights
IID says this ruling brings closure to a years-long case. It also believes this serves to clarify certain misconceptions about the water rights IID currently holds.
This lawsuit has been years in the making, but IID says it will continue distributing water to the Imperial Valley fairly.
RELATED STORY: Court of Appeals denies rehearing of IID over Abatti case
The IID came up with an equitable distribution plan to evenly disperse the Colorado River water. Still, some agriculture companies in the area argue that the allocation of water isn't fair. The Imperial County Farm Bureau aligns with farmer Michael Abatti's views that water rights should be tied to the land.
IID's Public Information Officer Robert Schettler says the district is ready to move on.
"We are thankful that the dispute has been resolved, we think the supreme court made a firm opposition, but we don’t want to be at odds. We think that we should work together,” Schettler says.
As for Abatti himself, he was unable to take our interview, but Jeff Dilourd with the Imperial Valley Farm Bureau has been involved.
“I have not talked to Mike in the past couple days and talking about this case but that is our understanding this was kind of a last avenue to pursue and this would refer back to the court district," he said.
“I think we are prepared in our group the Imperial Valley water and most land owners to move forward and work with the IID as much as possible," Brian Strahm Chairman of Imperial Valley Water said.
An apparent value shared by many farmworkers including Strahm, is that the water belongs solely to the land.
“And we want to strengthen IID’s position in the river and make sure we keep all the water here in the valley to the land," he said.
The Supreme Court decision may mark the end of this eight year battle but according to Abatti's attorney, whether he and other farmworkers possess a federal water right must be decided in a future case.
