Andrus v. Charlestone Stone Products Co.
United States Supreme Court
436 U.S. 604 (1978)
Relevant factsFree
Charlestone (defendant) discovered water while drilling on one of its 23 mining claims and asserted the water itself supported a valid claim under the General Mining Law; the BLM invalidated most of Charlestone's claims but the Ninth Circuit held the water-discovery claim (Claim 22) valid, treating water as a "valuable mineral" under the statute.
IssueFree
Whether water is a valuable mineral that may be claimed by a party under the General Mining Law of 1872.