The Yale Law Journal Online: Liquid Assets: Groundwater in Texas
122 YALE Law Journal ONLINE 143 (2012)
Posted: 12 Dec 2012
Date Written: December 12, 2012
Abstract
The Yale Law Journal Online has just published Liquid Assets: Groundwater in Texas, an essay by Gerald Torres that addresses the piecemeal management of groundwater resources in the American West. A recent Texas Supreme Court case, Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day, 369 S.W.3d 814 (Tex. 2012), has significantly transformed the groundwater regime in Texas, and its changes are expected to inform discussion throughout the region, where water is scarce and valuable. Torres argues that Day has “sown confusion about the capacity of the state to regulate natural resources, while ignoring the science that ought to drive policy decisions.” He begins his critique with an analysis of the Texas groundwater-management regulatory system that existed prior to Day. He then examines the concept of ownership rights for groundwater in place. Finally, in light of Day, he considers alternative approaches to allocating the value and utility of groundwater.
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