Water Law

The Center for Ag Profitability's ag law webinar reviews concerns about Proposition 12, Waters of the U.S. and property taxes. (Photo credit: Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)

Ag Law in the U.S. Supreme Court

August 11, 2023

UNL Professor and Agricultural/Water Law Specialist Dave Aiken examines three 2023 decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court that affect the ag industry.

Smith Falls on the Niobrara River, Cherry County, Nebraska. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 6, Sharing Water with Other States and Water Use within the State

May 11, 2021

In the final installment of the series, Extension Educator Gary Stone discusses laws and regulations that govern water sharing between states.

Furrow irrigation in a field — Furrow irrigation using gated pipe in a field of dry edible beans in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Scotts Bluff National Monument is in the background. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 5, More Groundwater — Wells

April 29, 2021

Part 5 of Extension Educator Gary Stone's series on Water Law reviews the concepts and legal doctrines that are used to regulate use of groundwater wells and resolve conflicts between well users.

Center pivot irrigation in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 4, Groundwater Terms and Definitions

April 15, 2021

Part 4 of the Water Law series reviews groundwater terms and definitions, including a brief review on the different types of aquifers — an important aspect of groundwater for Nebraska due to the Ogallala/High Plains aquifer.

Niobrara River near Valentine, Nebraska. (Photo credit: Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 3, Surface Water Administration Terms and Definitions

March 31, 2021

In this third installment of the Water Law series, Gary Stone reviews terms and definitions used in administering surface-water rights.

Water flows into spillway from Pathfinder Reservoir — Water from Pathfinder Reservoir on the North Platte River near Casper, Wyoming, is sent over the overflow spillway. Water is spilled occasionally when snowmelt runoff from the mountains above Pathfinder becomes too great to store in the reservoir. (Photo credit: Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 2, Other Water Rights

March 17, 2021

In part two of the Water Law series, Extension Educator Gary Stone continues discussion on other types of water rights, such as diversion of water, and how water use is regulated and adjudicated.

Thunderstorm in Nebraska Panhandle — A thunderstorm replenishes the Nebraska Panhandle with water. (Photo credit: Gary Stone)

Water Law 101: Part 1, the Basics

March 10, 2021

The first article in a six-part series of articles covering basic water law in the United States, focusing on the defining characteristics of water sources and water rights.