water right

American  

noun

1. the right to make use of the water from a particular stream, lake, or irrigation canal.

---

water right British  

noun

1. the right to make use of a water supply, as for irrigation

---

Etymology

Origin of water right

An Americanism dating back to 1785–95

Example Sentences

The 160-acre parcel, in the parched, south-central San Luis Valley of Colorado, had been decimated by drought and overdrawn water rights and was no longer viable for farming crops or livestock.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The market is treading water right now waiting for its next catalyst,” said Paul Stanley, CIO at Granite Bay Wealth Management in Portsmouth, NH.

From Barron's

Mike Abatti served as a board member of the Imperial Irrigation District from 2006-10 and once sued the district in a dispute over water rights.

From Los Angeles Times

He later sued the irrigation district in a dispute over water rights.

From Los Angeles Times

The property features three creeks that “meander through the ranch for over five miles,” as well as irrigated meadows and “historic water rights irrigating 1,200 acres.”

From MarketWatch