A coalition including the Mattaponi Tribe won a lawsuit that challenged federal approval of proposed reservoir in Virginia.

Judge Henry H. Kennedy said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to conduct an adequate review of the $250 million project. The planned reservoir is only about three miles from the state-recognized Mattaponi Reservation and would affect cultural sites and a species of fish important to the tribe.

"I think the judge saw things we knew all along," Chief Carl "Lone Eagle" Custalow told The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The tribe lost a separate lawsuit in state court that claimed the reservoir violated a 1677 treaty.

Get the Story:
Judge rules against permit essential to Peninsula reservoir (The Virginian-Pilot 4/2)
Federal judge rejects permit for King William reservoir (The Richmond Times-Dispatch 4/2)

District Court Decision:
Alliance to Save the Mattaponi v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (March 31, 2009)

Related Stories:
Mattaponi Tribe, city settle reservoir lawsuit (4/11)
Supreme Court rejects Virginia treaty rights case (06/13)
Virginia's top court hears treaty rights case (09/15)
Mattaponi Tribe appeals treaty case to high court (10/06)
Treaty rights referred to Virginia Supreme Court (09/03)
Judge: Treaty doesn't apply to permit process (4/4)