Define 'Water Rights'

Domestically, water rights are the right to use water.  Instead of allowing individuals or parties to own water, the state grants the right to use water.  According to the State of Washington Department of Ecology, “a water right is a legal authorization to use a predefined quantity of public water for a designated purpose” (wa.gov).  Currently, water rights are being cut for some entities with ‘senior’ water rights in California, because the state is in the midst of a drought.

References

Mandatory usage cuts loom even for those with Senior Water Rights, LA Times (2015).  Accessed from http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-water-rights-20150522-story.html

Water Rights, State of Washington Department of Ecology.  Accessed from: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/rights/water-right-home.html (2015)

Water right, Wikipedia.  Accessed from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_right (2015)