Courses 2008 - 2009

LAW A 525 Water Law

Credits: 3-4, Max 4

Origin, development, and current status of prior appropriation and riparian water law systems. Ground water allocation controls. Instream flow protection, including the public trust doctrine. Federal/state relations. Indian and other federally reserved water rights. Legal and economic aspects of increasing water scarcity. Whether existing water law, grounded in Western history, is adequate to meet contemporary needs for water reallocation, wildlife protection, recreation, instream flow maintenance, and environmental quality.