A new thematic map depicting primary water rights systems across the U.S. has been developed by a collaborative team from the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Department of Agricultural Economics, all at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
The innovative tool provides a clearer understanding of the variability of surface water and groundwater rights systems, which are crucial for effective water management and policy development by researchers, policymakers and landowners alike.
Water rights systems provide legal boundaries for water management and are essential to understand when developing and evaluating policies and practices around water governance such as water transfers, irrigation limits, interstate water management and drought adaptation.
The map illustrates that western states generally adhere to the prior appropriation system, which prioritizes water rights seniority and is typically independent of land ownership. In contrast, eastern states largely follow common law principles, granting landowners the right to use water that touches their land.
This valuable tool is expected to inform future research and enhance comprehension of how water rights systems impact decisions related to drought adaptation and broader water governance strategies. The work was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist.
View the map online.
