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About the Water Rights & Resources Database

For those of us who take for granted the ready availability of water flowing from our taps, the concept of water rights may seem strange or confusing. Water rights refers to the right of a user to access water from a particular source. It is one facet of the complex network of water laws that address a multitude of facets over water at both the state and federal level. In the United States, water law focuses on both water use and protection.

HeinOnline’s Water Rights & Resources collection is dedicated to understanding the complex interplay of state and federal laws that govern all aspects of water in society, from municipal use to restore its pristine condition. Collecting congressional documents, books, legislative histories on major legislation, and Supreme Court briefs on related cases, this database touches on a wide range of water issues, including irrigation, hydropower, riparian rights, water conservation, drinking water quality, and tribal water rights, encompassing the unique water rights issues that span from the Eastern seaboard to the Great Lakes and across the arid West. In the face of so much uncertainty, water rights and how to use our water resources becomes even more vital to understand. This new collection includes nearly 3,000 titles and more than 600,000 pages.

Subject-Coded Content

HeinOnline editors have created 16 new subjects to help users discover the content most relevant to their research. Every title in this collection has been analyzed by HeinOnline editors and assigned one or more subjects based on its subject matter.

Subject areas include:

  • Clean Water Act
  • Dams and Hydropower
  • Drinking Water
  • Drought and Water Scarcity
  • Flood and Flood Control
  • Groundwater
  • International Bodies of Water
  • Irrigation
  • Oceans and Estuaries
  • River Basins
  • Sewers and Sewage
  • Water Delivery and Storage
  • Water Management
  • Water Rights and Claims
  • Water Supply
  • Watersheds and Drainage Basins

Featured Content

Books: Browse hundreds of books ranging in date back to the 1800s. Trace the history of water disputes, explore the geological differences in water rights, and discover the similarities between the water problems of the present with those of the past.

Government Documents: Discover thousands of government documents such as committee prints and congressional hearings that provide insight both into issues requiring federal attention and their proposed solutions. Also find hundreds of CRS and GAO reports.

Legislation and Supreme Court Briefs: Peruse more than 30 legislative histories on water rights and uncover the various legislative hurdles. Users can also explore briefs filed in cases appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court on water law issues.

Scholarly Articles and Bibliography: Access hundreds of articles selected by HeinOnline editors on water policy, environmental issues in water rights.

To access HeinOnline, please click here.