What are the various types of water rights?

Water rights are legal entitlements to the use of water. In Washington, water rights are typically classified into two main categories: riparian rights and appropriation rights. Riparian rights are assigned to a landowner who owns a portion of land that is adjacent to a river or lake. Under riparian rights, the water present on the land is shared among all downstream riparian owners and the amount of use depends on the needs of the each user. Appropriation rights, on the other hand, are obtained by departments, cities and private individuals who use the water for a beneficial purpose. Appropriation rights allow for larger withdrawals of water from the rivers and lakes in order to meet the needs of the applicant. An appropriation accommodation is the most common type of water right, where the applicant must demonstrate that their desired use is reasonable and beneficial. Additionally, Washington has a system of Instream Flow Rights, which are granted to protect a waterway to preserve fish habitats and instream flows. These rights are determined by special administrative regulations and vary depending on the specific river or stream. All in all, water rights provide users the legal entitlement to use a defined portion of water. They can be allocated through riparian rights, appropriation rights and instream flow rights, depending on the needs of the applicant and the specific waterway.

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What are the various types of water rights?

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