Lake Ownership/Water Rights/Trust Property

Mr. Givens has successfully litigated lake ownership, water rights and related issues in many contexts.  Recent U.S. Supreme Court litigation established the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s ownership of the portions of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the St. Joe River within the Tribe’s Reservation. Other cases established riparian property owner’s water rights and included numerous hydroelectric utility matters.

• Idaho v. U.S. and Coeur d’Alene Tribe, 533 U.S. 262 (2001) (Won - Supreme Court upheld Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s sovereign ownership of Lake Coeur d’Alene).
• Oenga v. U.S., BP, U.S. Court of Federal Claims (Oil lease Breach of Trust damage action)
• Templin v. State, Louisiana Pacific and Washington Water Power, State D.Ct. Idaho (Settled favorably - established client’s water right for marina).