WWRC 91-13
One Hundred Years of Wyoming Water Law
Introduction
On most occasions when I have written about Wyoming water law
I have served the role of a critic. I have criticized the State's instream
flow law, its water transfer laws, and most recently, its handling of the
dispute over Indian reserved water rights. I am pleased to use the occasion
of Wyoming's centennial not to criticize Wyoming water law,
but to praise it. The reasons for my praise stem from Wyoming's long
and proud history as a leader in the development of water law and
policy in the western United States. What I would like to do in this
article is to briefly trace 100 years of Wyoming water law. Of necessity,
I will avoid most of the nuances in the State's laws, but I do hope
to convey a sense of its history and general meaning.
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