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Out west, many states use a theory of law called "prior appropriation" when it comes to water rights. This means that a person upstream can do whatever they want with water, even reroute it if they want to, without considering the consequences to those down stream. I don't know if this theory of law applies to government opporated dams or not, but there is a general theme in the law out west that says those downstream are SOL. This is different in the east of the country. Most states there have a reasonable use policy which is a little more friendly to the folks downstream. This is me just proving that I actually learn things in law school.
Out west, many states use a theory of law called "prior appropriation" when it comes to water rights. This means that a person upstream can do whatever they want with water, even reroute it if they want to, without considering the consequences to those down stream. I don't know if this theory of law applies to government opporated dams or not, but there is a general theme in the law out west that says those downstream are SOL. This is different in the east of the country. Most states there have a reasonable use policy which is a little more friendly to the folks downstream. This is me just proving that I actually learn things in law school.
But I think that the Army Corps of Engineers controls the levels on all the reservoirs, so it's not like the State of AZ can just decide to withhold water.
I dunno, there is so much involved with it all, but I think it is very political. And the fact that water use continues to rise, and that water rights basically mean that all the water is "claimed" by various groups (states, ranchers, irrigation cooperatives, etc.)...Unless we get a good decade of well-above normal snowpack, Mead is never going to recover. Just frustrating, that's all.
Out west, many states use a theory of law called "prior appropriation" when it comes to water rights. This means that a person upstream can do whatever they want with water, even reroute it if they want to, without considering the consequences to those down stream. I don't know if this theory of law applies to government opporated dams or not, but there is a general theme in the law out west that says those downstream are SOL. This is different in the east of the country. Most states there have a reasonable use policy which is a little more friendly to the folks downstream. This is me just proving that I actually learn things in law school.
Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation regulate most of the water in the West. Barge traffic on the Mississippi and Missouri get preferential treatment, Montana and Wyoming have both started to push back from them in the last couple of years
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail" John Wooden- Rest in Peace
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