250 CONSERVATION OF GROUND WATER 



higher priority than the rights to wells in the same basin. As 

 shown in Chap. II, the natural priorities of the hydrologic 

 cycle are just the opposite, and replenishment to ground-water 

 reservoirs commonly takes precedence over maintenance of 

 stream flow. To date relatively few conflicts have arisen be- 

 tween users of water from wells and from streams, and in 

 most states it is still possible to administer water laws as if sur- 

 face water and ground water were separate and independent 

 resources. However, as more complete utilization of water re- 

 sources is made in various areas, it is inevitable that complex 

 problems will arise. These problems can be settled only by 

 an adjudication of all water rights, based on full recognition 

 of the physical principles governing the movement of water 

 throughout the hydrologic cycle under natural conditions and 

 on determination of the changes that have been effected by 

 development. 



INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS VERSUS PUBLIC RIGHTS IN EACH PHASE OF 



the hydrologic cycle. In the states where waters have been 

 dedicated to the public and made available for use by appro- 

 priation, each water user deserves a clear statement as to his 

 rights in the water in each phase of the hydrologic cycle, both 

 as an individual landowner and as a member of the public 

 who appropriates the water to his use. No state has yet at- 

 tempted to spell out the rights inherent in land ownership 

 versus the rights developed by appropriation in all phases of 

 the cycle. 



As to precipitation, just a few years ago it would have been 

 pointless to consider any legislation as to rights, because a land- 

 owner could be assured of getting all that was coming to him 

 under natural conditions, regardless of statutes. But dry ice 

 and silver iodide give promise now of diverting precipitation 

 in transit, and it thus becomes important to the landowner 

 to know his rights to precipitation without interference. Un- 

 fortunately we appear to be on the verge of learning how to 

 interfere with the natural conditions before we have sufficient 

 knowledge to say exactly what is the destination of water vapor 

 in the atmosphere and what quantity will be discharged natu- 



