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Western Water Law in Transition
Author(s) -
Wilkinson Charles F.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1986.tb05829.x
Subject(s) - recreation , commodity , water use , law , order (exchange) , water resources , political science , geography , economy , business , economics , market economy , ecology , finance , biology
The key elements in traditional western water law were developed in the nineteenth century, when water was viewed almost exclusively as a commodity to support consumptive uses such as mining and irrigation. This article examines a changing American West, which demands efficiency in water use and gives increasing weight to the recreational, wildlife, and aesthetic values of water. Obligations to Indian tribes have also come to the forefront In response to these societal imperatives, water law is undergoing steady and fundamental reform in order to meet modern perceptions of the highest and best use of western water.