The Supreme Court appears skeptical of a claim by Texas that it has a right under a 30-year-old agreement to cross the border with Oklahoma for water to serve the fast-growing Fort Worth area.
The justices heard arguments Tuesday in a dispute over access to southeastern Oklahoma tributaries of the Red River that separates Oklahoma and Texas.
The Tarrant Regional Water District serving an 11-county area in north central Texas including Fort Worth, Arlington and surrounding areas, wants to buy 150 billion gallons of water and says the four-state Red River Compact gives it the right to do so. Arkansas and Louisiana are the other participating states and they are siding with Oklahoma.
Several justices pointed to the absence of an explicit approval for cross-border water sales in the agreement.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.