The Red River, which forms most of the border between Oklahoma and Texas, was the subject of a high profile water rights case pitting the two states against each other.

In a unanimous decision that may have a widespread impact on interstate water wars, The United States Supreme Court on June 13 ruled in favor of the state of Oklahoma in the case of Tarrant Regional Water District v. Rudolf John Herrmann, et al.

The key issue in the case was whether the water district, which encompasses Fort Worth, could purchase about 150 billion gallons of water from southeastern Oklahoma tributaries of the Red River that separates Oklahoma and Texas.

The case arose from a federal lawsuit in 2007 that the Tarrant Regional Water District filed against Herrmann and his fellow members on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board who blocked the water district's permits to procure water at three locations in Oklahoma for use in Texas. The water district countered that the Red River Compact, which allows Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana to share water in the Red River Basin, prevented the OWRB's actions.

Writing for the court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated, "Cross-border rights were never intended to be part of the states' agreement. There is no indication that Tarrant or any other Texas agency, or the state of Texas itself, previously made any mention of cross-border rights within the compact."

The court's 24-page decision means the Tarrant Regional Water District will have to find other ways to supply its growing population.

"We are disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision," responded Jim Oliver, the general manager of the water district. "The population in our service area is expected to double over the next 50 years, so we will act quickly to develop new sources."