How are water rights allocated among users?

In South Carolina, water rights are allocated among users based on a variety of priorities and rights. There are four primary kinds of water rights: appropriative, public trust, riparian, and groundwater. Appropriative rights are granted on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning that the first person to make a claim on the water has priority over any subsequent claimants. This system was designed to encourage the earliest possible use of water for beneficial purposes. Public trust rights are held by the government and are designed to protect shared natural resources. These rights provide for the use of water for such public purposes as navigation, fishing, and recreational activities. Riparian rights are held by people whose property borders a body of water. These rights protect the reasonable use of the water for domestic purposes such as watering livestock or irrigating a garden. Groundwater rights are held by people who own the land on which the water is located. These rights are usually in the form of a permit issued by the state that allows the owner to access the water for specific purposes, such as drinking water or irrigation. In South Carolina, water rights are allocated according to a hierarchical system that gives priority to public trust and domestic uses, followed by riparian and appropriative rights, and then groundwater rights. In most cases, water rights are granted through a combination of state and federal laws, as well as judicial decrees.

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How are water rights allocated among users?

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