WATER RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA

The paper defines a water right and discusses the origin, description and relationship of riparian rights, appropriative rights, overlying rights, pueblo rights, prescriptive rights and rights to spring water and return flows as recognized in California. It reviews the objectives and physical criteria on which administration of water rights in California is based and describes the administrative body, then outlines the procedures in regard to appropriation of water and determination of existing rights. It discusses watermaster service and water use recordation as practiced in California, and mentions Federal-State relationships, including the “reservation principle” asserted by the Federal Government. It concludes with observations of the deficiencies in the California system.