appropriation doctrine
Definitions from Case Law · United States Supreme Court
Definitions from Case Law
From 304 U.S. 92 - Hinderlider v. La Plata River & Cherry Creek Ditch Co. · 1938Most cited · 346 citing opinions
the first person who acts toward the diversion of water from a natural stream and the application of such water to a beneficial use has the first right, provided he diligently continues his enterprise to completion and beneficially applies the water. The rights of subsequent appropriations are subject to rights already held in the stream.
How often courts cite the case defining “appropriation doctrine”
Court decisions citing the opinion that defined “appropriation doctrine” — 345 in all, by decade. Counts are citations to the defining case as a whole, not verified uses of the term. The dip in the most recent years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the latest years.