The Supreme Court case Utah v. United States in 1971 revolved around the ownership of the bed of the Great Salt Lake, located within Utah's boundaries. The state claimed that it had inherent sovereignty over this land since its admission to the Union in 1896. However, the federal government argued that it retained control because at no point did it explicitly relinquish ownership to Utah. The court ruled in favor of the United States, stating that upon becoming a state, Utah only gained title to lands beneath navigable waters if they were held by U.S as part of public trust doctrine and not reserved for any public use or purpose inconsistent with state ownership under equal footing doctrine. Since there was no explicit transfer from federal government to state at time of admission and given lake’s historical usage for military testing and mineral extraction purposes which are incompatible with typical uses under public trust doctrine (like navigation), court concluded these lands remained federally owned.

In the dissenting opinion for Utah v. United States, 1971, Justice Blackmun argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with previous rulings and failed to consider important historical context. He contended that when Utah became a state in 1896, it gained ownership of all lands beneath navigable waters within its borders under the "equal footing" doctrine - a principle affirming new states enter the Union on an equal footing with original states in all respects. According to him, this included Great Salt Lake despite fluctuations in its water levels over time. The majority's reliance on technical definitions of navigability ignored this broader constitutional principle and effectively penalized Utah for natural changes beyond its control. Furthermore, he disagreed with their interpretation of congressional intent behind relevant statutes and believed they had not adequately proven federal ownership prior to statehood or clear relinquishment by Utah afterwards.