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Show Chapter 39. RHODE ISLAND CONTENTS Page 1. Development of Rhode Island Water Law______________________ 651 2. State Organizational Structure for Water Administration and Control__ 651 2.1 Administration of Water Rights_______________________ 651 2.2 Resolution of Water Use Conflicts_____________________ 652 2.3 Other Agencies Having Water Resomce Responsibilities____ 652 3. Surface Waters___________________________________________ 654 3.1 Method of Acquiring Rights__________________________ 655 3.2 Nature and Limit of Rights__________________________ 655 3.3 Changes, Sales, and Transfers_________________________ 657 3.4 Lo?s of Rights_____________________________________ 657 3.5 Storage Waters, Artificial Lakes, and Ponds_______________ 657 3.6 Springs__________________________________________ 658 3.7 Diffused Surface Waters_____________________________ 658 4. Ground Water____________________________________________ 659 Publications Available________________________________________ 660 DISCUSSION 1. Development of Rhode Island Water Law Rhode Island normally enjoys a plentiful water supply, and has many small rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, as well as an extensive seashore. Because of the general availability of water to satisfy existing demands, water use conflicts have not been extensive and, thus, there has been no comprehensive body of water law developed, either judicially or legislatively. The legislature has left the problem of defining individual water rights to the courts, and has concerned itself with such matters as protecting water quality,1 navigation, and other uses related to the State's tidal waters.2 Legislation has also been dealing with water resource development,3 inspection and safety of dams,4 the right to construct mill dams,5 and the registration of well drillers.6 In resolving water use conflicts and apportioning the available water supply among those entitled to its use, the Rhode Island court has adopted and applied the reasonable use rule of the riparian rights doctrine as the basic water law of the State.7 2. State Organizational Structure tor Water Administration and Control 2.1 Administration of Water Rights Rhode Island has no State organizational structure governing the acquisition, distribution or transfer of water rights, and there is no 1 General Laws of Rhode Island, chs. 46-12, 46-13, and 46-14. For convenience, the Rhode Island statutes will hereafter be cited by chapter or section numbers only. *ChS. 46-2, 46-4, 46-5, 46-6, 46-7, and 46-8. •Chs. 46-15 and 46-15.1. *Ch. 46-19. *Ch. 46-18. "Sec. 46-15-6(h). 'Lonsdale Go. v. City of Woonsocket, 25 R.I. 428, 56 Atl. 448 (1903). 651 |