Historical Research Services

Water Rights • Navigability of Rivers and Other Waterways • Interstate Compacts • Environmental Problems • Natural Resources • Land Claims • Land Uses • Mining • Native Americans & Tribal Historical Issues • Corporate History • Cultural Resources Management

Littlefield Historical Research provides a systematic and scholarly approach to meeting the requirements of each client. This includes establishing the relevant historical questions and criteria for research, on-site inspections of historical locales, preparation of multifunctional databases and spreadsheets, identification of research methodologies for examining and collecting relevant data, and preparation of in-depth reports with (when necessary and appropriate) photographs, maps, and other relevant visual aids. Depending on the historical issues involved, research and reports may include extensive study and analysis of archival collections from across the United States, manuscript and agricultural census records, historical studies, land surveys, photographs, plats, historical newspaper accounts, and records of various government commissions and agencies. When called for, Littlefield Historical Research utilizes the expertise of cartographers and other specialists to add further depth and dimension to final reports and exhibits for courtroom use.

A sampling of cases illustrates the broad scope of historical issues addressed by Littlefield Historical Research. Some of these include the following general topics:

• History of water rights on specific rivers and streams
• History of interstate river apportionment and compacts
• History of navigability for riverbed title purposes
• History of specific land site uses and claims
• History of mining and toxic waste issues
• History of individual dams
• History of natural disasters, including mudslides, floods, fires, and earthquakes
• History of irrigation and land uses and their impacts on anadromous fish and other wildlife
• History of Native Americans and Tribal issues in relation to water and land uses

Selected Cases and Historical Research Projects

• Kansas v. Colorado, U.S. Supreme Court, Original No. 105, regarding the interstate apportionment of the waters of the Arkansas River. Testified for eleven days at trial.
• Kansas v. Nebraska and Colorado, U.S. Supreme Court, Original No. 126, regarding the interstate apportionment of the waters of the Republican River.
• Nebraska v. Wyoming, U.S. Supreme Court, Original No. 108, regarding the interstate apportionment of the waters of the North Platte River.
• Virginia v. Maryland, U.S. Supreme Court, Original No. 129, regarding the 1785 “Mount Vernon” Compact.
• Dane W. Alvis, et al., v. La Conchita Ranch Company, et al., Ventura County (California), Superior Court Case No. CIV 238700.
• The General Adjudication of Rights to the Use of Water From the Snake River Drainage Basin Water System, State of Idaho v. United States; State of Idaho; and all unknown claimants to the use of water from the Snake River Drainage Basin Water System, County of Twin Falls (Idaho) District Court, Case No. 39576.
• The General Adjudication of All Rights to Use of Water in the Little Colorado River System and Source, Apache County (Arizona) Superior Court, Case No. 6417.
• The General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Gila River System and Source, Maricopa County (Arizona) Superior Court, Case No. W1-203.
• State of New Mexico v. Elephant Butte Irrigation District, Dona Ana County (New Mexico) District Court, Case No. CV 96-888.
• Fort Hall Water Users’ Association, et al., v. United States of America, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Case No. 01-445L.
• U.S. Department of Justice. Provided historical documentation on the history of water rights on the Santa Margarita River at U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, in southern California.
• The General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Big Horn River System and All Other Sources, State of Wyoming.
• State v. Lewis, Chaves County (New Mexico), Case Nos. 20294 & 22600, Consolidated.
• El Paso v. Reynolds, U.S. District Court, Civ. Case No. 80-730-HB.
• Testimony before a Committee of the Arizona Legislature regarding the Salt River.
•  Testimony before the California Water Resources Control Board regarding Lake Arrowhead.
• Flood Control District of Maricopa County v. Paloma Investment Limited Partnership and Paloma Investment Limited Partnership v. Flood Control District of Maricopa County, Maricopa County (Arizona) Superior Court, Case No. CV97-07081.
• Salt River Project. Historical documentation and reports on whether the Salt, Gila, and Verde rivers were commercially navigable in 1912 when Arizona became a state. Testified between 1997 and 2005 several times before the Arizona Navigable Stream Adjudication Commission regarding the navigability of the Salt, Verde, and Gila rivers. Testified on the same subject in 1998 and 1999 before the Arizona State Legislature.
• Extensive research in records relating to the Colorado River and Missouri River basins, and other watersheds throughout the United States.
• Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, et al., v. Blue Tee Corp, et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Civil Action No. 03-CV-486-CVE-PJC.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District v. California Department of Transportation, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, et al., Sacramento County (California) Superior Court, Case No. 96AS04149.
• Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District v. City of Santa Maria, Southern California Water Company, City of Guadalupe, et al., Santa Clara County (California) Superior Court, Case No. CV 770214.
• North Kern Water Storage District v. Kern Delta Water District, et al., Tulare County (California) Superior Court, Case No. 96-172919.
• Nickel Enterprises v. State of California, Kern County (California) Superior Court, Case No. 199557.