ENVECON 162 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Riparian Water Rights, Mono Lake, Marginal Utility
4 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Economics of Water Resources
Spring 2018
Lecture 2-3: Introduction to Water Rights
Types of Water Rights
Water rights in the US are defined at the state level. These water rights systems vary widely
across different states.
The federal government’s role is to regulate water use to protect national objectives and to
provide funding for water infrastructure.
There are two types of water rights: riparian and appropriative.
Riparian Water Rights
Riparian rights are a system for allocating water among those who passes land along its
path. These rights originated from English common law and were adopted in the eastern
US.
The riparian principle states that all landowners whose property adjoins a body of water
have the right to make reasonable use of it.
Reasonable use relates to other riparian rights holders in the following way:
❖ Use of one riparian user cannot unreasonably impinge on the use of another.
❖ If there is not enough water, use is generally allotted in proportion to frontage on the
water source.
In addition to this, riparian rights cannot be sold or transferred other than with the
underlying land. Lastly, riparian rights are not typically quantified.
Appropriative Water Rights
Riparian rights do not work well in areas where water shortages are frequent and
potentially large, or in areas where rivers are rare.
To address these issues, the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation was developed in the western
US.
The appropriative principle states that the first person to use a quantity of water from a
water source for a beneficial use has the right to continue to use that quantity of water for
that purpose.
A major feature about this water right system is how it deals with changes in the economy.
The Doctrine of Prior Appropriation has led to new demands, new industries and changes
in water productivity.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Water rights in the us are defined at the state level. These water rights systems vary widely across different states. The federal government"s role is to regulate water use to protect national objectives and to provide funding for water infrastructure. There are two types of water rights: riparian and appropriative. Riparian rights are a system for allocating water among those who passes land along its path. These rights originated from english common law and were adopted in the eastern. The riparian principle states that all landowners whose property adjoins a body of water have the right to make reasonable use of it. Reasonable use relates to other riparian rights holders in the following way: Use of one riparian user cannot unreasonably impinge on the use of another. If there is not enough water, use is generally allotted in proportion to frontage on the water source.
