As reported by Bloomberg, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to resolve a decade-long water dispute concerning the Rio Grande River. This issue centres around the 1938 Rio Grande Compact, which initially determined water apportionments between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
The states implicated have since reached a settlement agreement; however, the Federal Government opposes this resolution, claiming it establishes obligations upon the U.S. that were not previously agreed upon.
Because it began directly in the Supreme Court – without prior visits to other courts – the case falls under the purview of “original jurisdiction”. While we await arguments and eventual resolution, the ramifications of this outcome could have substantial implications for future interstate compact quarrels and the Federal Government’s involvement therein.
For more details, do check out the original Bloomberg article.