This morning the Federal Circuit released a precedential opinion in a government contract case that includes takings arguments and three nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Here is the introduction to the opinion and links to the dismissals.
City of Fresno v. United States (Precedential)
In this case, we are called upon to review how the federal government resolved a particular dispute over water distribution during the drought-ridden year of 2014. As we explain in more detail below, individual growers, irrigation districts (which provide water to farms), water districts (which provide water to municipalities), and the City of Fresno, all located within the area served by the Central Valley Project (“CVP” or “Project”), sued the United States (“government”) over its failure to deliver water they contend they were entitled to under a series of contracts. The government defended its water allocation decisions by pointing to obligations it had under other contracts, to deliver water to another set of entities. Through adjudication of a series of motions, the Court of Federal Claims dismissed several of the plaintiffs’ claims and granted summary judgment to the government on all remaining claims.
Because we agree with the disposition of the Court of Federal Claims, we affirm.