WHOSE WATER IS IT? Salt River Project explains historic rights, questionable rights, water certainty
The website LawForSeniors.org is a veritable treasure trove of information that breaks down water rights in the most layman of terms.
For those who prefer the human touch, there’s always Lucas Shaw, water rights analyst for the Salt River Project.
It was 100 years ago – June 12, 1919 to be exact – when the Arizona Surface Water Code was enacted. What this means, Shaw said, is that water users must apply and receive a permit for new or expanded water uses.
Before 1919, water users “generally only had to provide written notice of their new water uses,” he said. “Then, they could begin using water.”
