Jennifer Meeker’s Win For Imperial Irrigation District Highlighted

Jennifer Meeker’s victory for the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) was highlighted in the Daily Journal article “Judge dismisses farmers' challenge to water allocation.” (subscription required) The article noted how a “federal judge in the Southern District of California threw out a lawsuit filed by a group of farmers against the Imperial Irrigation District over rights to water from the Colorado River.”

Commenting on the victory, Jennifer said, “This is an important victory for our client and again confirms that IID's Board is, as a matter of settled law, vested with the discretion to control the distribution and allocation of its senior Colorado River water rights to all users within its water service area.”

In the case, Jennifer successfully petitioned U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello to “dismiss the case on the grounds that [plaintiff’s] allegations had already been decided in 2020, when the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that Abatti and other Imperial Valley farmers do not own the water, but instead have a right to continued water service.” The case is Abatti v. Imperial Irrigation Dist., 52 Cal. App. 5th 236, 266 Cal. Rptr. 3d 26 (Cal. Ct. App. 2020.)