The Utah Bar Journal recently published the article “Water Rights General Adjudications: What’s Going on and Where Are We Now?,” written by attorneys Emily E. Lewis and Timothy R. Pack.
The quality of Utah’s future is closely linked to our ability to understand and manage our water resources. As one of the driest states in the nation, water is vital to the economic growth, quality of life, and environmental stewardship of Utah. The Water Rights General Adjudication process is intended to provide a framework for evaluating and decreeing water rights so that the public has a contemporary record of valid water rights. This article provides a basic overview of the importance of water rights and the basics of the General Adjudication process, provide a status update on the Utah Lake Jordan River General Adjudication, and identify key upcoming events practitioners should be watching for.
This article originally appeared in the Utah Bar Journal November/December 2019 issue.