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No. 17-269October Term 2017Decided Jun 11, 2018

Docket 17-269October Term 2017 (2017–2018)

Washington v. United States

This case is about whether treaties guaranteeing Northwest tribes the right to fish at their usual places require Washington to fix or replace state road culverts that block salmon from reaching tribal fishing grounds.

Case status

Current stage
Decided
Latest event
Decision released Jun 11, 2018
Case Accepted
Arguments
Decision ReleasedJun 11, 2018
What it's about

This case is about whether treaties guaranteeing Northwest tribes the right to fish at their usual places require Washington to fix or replace state road culverts that block salmon from reaching tribal fishing grounds. The Ninth Circuit said the treaties protect enough fish to provide the tribes a moderate living, and the Supreme Court later affirmed that ruling by an equally divided Court.

Question presented

1. Whether the treaty "right of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations . . . in common with all citizens" guaranteed "that the number of fish would always be sufficient to provide a 'moderate living' to the Tribes."? 2. Whether the district court erred in dismissing the State's equitable defenses against the federal government where the federal government signed these treaties in the 1850's, for decades told the State to design culverts a particular way, and then filed suit in 2001 claiming that the culvert design it provided violated the treaties it signed. 3. Whether the district court's injunction violates federalism and comity principles by requiring Washington to replace hundreds of culverts, at a cost of several billion dollars, when many of the replacements will have no impact on salmon and Plaintiffs showed no clear connection between culvert replacement and tribal fisheries.

Case path

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Jun 11, 2018

Area

Decided Supreme Court case

Timing

Decided June 11, 2018

The Court released its decision on June 11, 2018 without hearing oral argument.

Grounding

Grounding
Primary-source trail available.
Note
Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
Checked
Jul 3, 2026
Primary materials5