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Cancellation Of Water Rights In Texas: Use It Or Lose It., R. Lambeth Townsend

St. Mary's Law Journal

It is the constitutional duty of the State of Texas to conserve and develop the state’s water resources. Texas effectuates water conservation and utilization through its system of granting and administering rights for the beneficial use of the state’s water. The Supreme Court of Texas concluded the state can further conserve water by cancelling appropriations not beneficially used to the limit provided in the permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication. Cancellation of unused water rights enables the Water Commission to make water available for beneficial use by others. Only by the beneficial use of water can the state obtain …