How does the law of riparian succession affect water rights?

The law of riparian succession affects water rights in Colorado by protecting the rights of downstream property owners. This principle is often referred to as “first in time, first in right” in reference to the right of a downstream property owner to have access to the water that is naturally occurring on their land. When a parcel of land is divided, the rights to the water on that parcel remain with the downstream property owner. This ensures that the water rights belong to the owner of the land at the time and it will not be taken away without that owners permission. The riparian succession principle also affects water rights in Colorado by protecting the prior appropriation doctrine, which states that those who make the first use of the water are granted priority over those who use it later. This helps to ensure that the rights to the water are given to individuals and organizations that are responsible and actively using the water, instead of those who may just be hoping to hoard the water rights for speculative purposes. Riparian succession also protects public water sources by ensuring that the source is not taken away and used for private purposes. This is particularly important in Colorado which has a high population of people who rely on access to groundwater and other water sources. This law helps to ensure that these water sources remain available to all members of the public and remain accessible for anyone who needs the water for any legitimate purpose.

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