In the Matter of Water Rights as Applied for by Meridian Service Metropolitan District: Meridian Service…

Summary

The court affirmed the determination that the Ground Water Commission had initial jurisdiction to classify the water Meridian sought to appropriate and that a portion of the water was designated ground water. It held that runoff generated by development must be evaluated under natural, pre-development conditions and that the evidence supported treating the recharge portion as designated ground water rather than water tributary to a natural stream. The court also rejected Meridian's claim-preclusion and public-policy arguments and declined to reach its constitutional challenge.