Scenarios about 'prior appropriation'
A legal doctrine governing water rights predominant in the western United States, establishing that the first person to use water from a source for beneficial use has the senior right to it. Prior appropriation developed during the 19th century mining and settlement era when water scarcity necessitated a "first in time, first in right" approach. In alternate histories, changes to this doctrine could dramatically alter western development patterns, agricultural possibilities, and power dynamics between states and communities.
What If Arizona Implemented Different Water Rights Policies?
Exploring the alternate timeline where Arizona adopted a modified riparian rights system instead of prior appropriation, fundamentally altering the Southwest's water management, urban development, and environmental landscape.