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22 Mass. 175

Anthony v. Lapham

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided September 15, 1827

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1827-09-15

<p>Where the owner of land through which a natural stream flows, diverts the water for the purposes of irrigation, without returning the surplus into the natural channel, whereby the owner of land below entitled to use the water in the same manner, is deprived of bis privilege, an action lies.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently January 1973

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1827-09-15

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Per Curiam.

¶1This case is to be supported, if at all, upon the authority of Weston v. Alden. The difference is that there the defendant took the water by small sluices over his land and returned it into the natural channel. Here the water was stopped by a dam. A great deal of it was absorbed by the land or lost by evaporation, and the surplus was not returned into the natural channel ; so that the plaintiff was deprived of the privilege which belonged to him. Every man, through whose land water passes, may use it for watering his cattle or irrigating his land, but he must use it in this lattsi *177way so as to do the least possible injury to his neighbour who has the same right.1

¶2 Judgment affirmed.

¶3 See 3 Kent’s Comm. (3d ed.) 439,444, and cases cited in notes; Blanchard Baker, 8 Greenl. 253.

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