The United States has multipart legal systems for assigning water rights that vary by region. These varying systems exist for both historical and geographic reasons. Water law covers a wide array of subjects or categories designed to provide a framework to resolve disputes and policy issues relating to water. In this second category, more specifically the Water Law in the United States category, I have covered:
- Administrative Law
- Trusts
- Water for Native Americans
- Harris County Water Control vs. Houston
- Cross Timbers Water Supply Corp vs. Horizon Oil & Gas Inc
- Community Aquifers
- Native American Water Rights
- Lochner v New York
- Snake River Basin Adjudication
- Law regarding groundwater
- Pardee Dam Authority
- Municipal Water District
Public waters include:
Liquids other than groundwater, for example, surface waters and diffused surface waters, are generally characterized by the following attributes:
- Climate - The climate of the location in which the water occurs, often expressed as the average temperature and precipitation
- Geology - the rock formations, structure, depth, and depth of groundwater
- Soil - the nature of the soil characteristics that are necessary for soil to support vegetation, as well as water.
- Vegetation - the vegetation characteristics that are needed to remove water.
Floodwaters, snowmelt, and wastewater from sewers and septic tanks are regulated through various pollutant concentrations and discharge limits. Before those waters reach public watercourses, they usually pass through storm sewer systems, consisting of inlets and pipes designed to transport rainwater and melt water.
Groundwater or underground water is located under the earth's surface that fills the voids between soil and rock particles. The cracks and fractures permeate the rocky material.
Regulation of Waters and Airspace
A problem of conflict in rights to water arising from multiple public and private interests in natural waters, the local sovereign's right to protect and regulate their public infrastructure from elements that constitute a nuisance, and the navigable right of surface waters controlled by private riparian landowners.
Native American water rights (and fishing rights) are governed by federal case law, often drawn from tribal case law. Case law can vary with the particular concerns of the public that was addressed by it.
