State and Regional Water Rights Law

Overview of Regional Water Rights

This section provides an overview of state water rights and appropriations. The information provided comes from both federal and non-profit sources.

• Water Appropriation Systems (US BLM) Provides a historical outline of the main water appropriation systems, Riparian Rights, Prior Appropriation and Hybrid Approaches.

• Federal Reserved Water Rights (US BLM) Historical outline of the Federal Government's reserved water rights for uses such as Indian reservations, military reservations, national parks, national forests, or national monuments.

• Western States’ Water Laws (US BLM) This website reviews the water laws of eleven western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming). Special attention is paid to the states’ water rights systems, application processes, groundwater regulations, the general adjudication processes, and the states’ instream flow programs.

• National Analysis of State Drinking Water Programs in the Areas of Water Availability, Variability, and Sustainability (WAVS) (Feb2009) - is a publication of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). This document explains the roles that state drinking water programs have and examines the regulatory capacity.

• Water Allocation Law (Western Water Assessment) - This website provides an overview of water allocation law in western states. The information is provided through a private collaboration of Non-profit organizations and Universities.
• State Law and Prior Appropriation -
• Interstate Arrangements and Compacts -
• Federal Water and Environmental Law  -
• Water Management in the Southeastern US - a wiki for discussion
• Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study - BuRec study began in January 2010
• Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lakes Powell and Mead - Final EIS, November 2007

Water Law Articles and Journals

This section provides a short collection of journal and law articles that trace the history of water policy in the western United States.

• Two Decades of Water Law and Policy Reform: A Retrospective and Agenda for the Future (2001) - from the University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center.

• Water and Growth in Colorado: A Review of Legal and Policy Issues (2001) - from the University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center.

• The Natural Resources Law Center (NRLC) - at the University of Colorado-Boulder School of Law is a non-profit research and educational organization committed to improving the governance and management of water and land resources in the western United States.

• University of Denver Water Law Review - the “first and the only law review entirely devoted to publishing articles concerning water law and water related issues.”   

• Western Water Law & Policy Reporter - a monthly publication that provides detailed analysis of key news, judicial and regulatory developments, and policy and legislative updates.

• The Public Interest Test for Water Appropriations (2006) - The Faculty Publications from The Water Center University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

• Water Law - Circle of Blue water law site.