BLM Water Rights Policy

As Outlined in:
United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Manual Transmittal Sheet
7250 - Water Rights
3/19/1984

The water policy of the BLM is that the states have the primary authority and responsibility for the allocation and management of water resources within their own boundaries, except as otherwise specified by Congress. The objectives of the BLM water rights program are to:

1. Cooperate with State Governments - Cooperate with state governments under the umbrella of state law to protect all water uses identified for public land management purposes.
2. Conform to Applicable State Water Rights Laws - Conform to applicable state water laws and administrative claims procedures in managing and administering all BLM programs and projects, except as otherwise specifically mandated by Congress.
3. Protect Water Rights - Protect the existing federal reserved water rights and State appropriative water rights of the United States.
4. Acquire and/or Perfect Water Rights - Acquire and perfect the water rights necessary to carry out public land management purposes through state law and administrative claims procedures unless a federal reserved water right is otherwise available, and a determination is made that the primary purpose of the reservation can be served more effectively through assertion of the available federal reserved water right.