How Big Is Big - The Scope of Water Rights Suits under the McCarran Amendment

The federal government claims vast quantities of water in connection with the national forests and parks, Indian reservations, and other land holdings in the Western states.' As a result of this massive federal presence, almost any comprehensive allocation of water resources in the West must involve the United States' water claims. Recognizing this reality, in 1952 Congress enacted the McCarran Amendment, 2 which authorizes suits against the United States to determine the water rights of all parties claiming water from "a river system or other source."' 3 Since