FARMER BEWARE: WATER RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT IN UTAH

摘要

Much of the water in the state of Utah has been appropriated by-water users. In fact some water bodies are over-appropriated, meaning there are more water rights than water.1 This problem became even more evident in 2003 as the state felt the effects of a persistent drought Faced with an abundance of water rights and declining aquifers, the State Engineer announced that cutbacks in allocations would be necessary.2 During a 2003 speech to the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, the State Engineer complained about the lack of money available for water rights enforcement.3 He said he was aware of one farmer who has exceeded his water rights by more than 90 acre-feet annually but that prosecuting that case would cost more than