Purpose of law - Legislative intent

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights Page 16

It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the purpose of

Section 105.1 through Section 105.32 of this title is to provide for

stability and certainty in water rights by replacing the

incompatible dual systems of riparian and appropriative water rights

which governed the use of water from definite streams in Oklahoma

prior to June 10, 1963, with an appropriation system of regulation

requiring the beneficial use of water and providing that priority in

time shall give the better right. These sections are intended to

provide that riparian landowners may use water for domestic uses and

store water in definite streams and that appropriations shall not

interfere with such domestic uses, to recognize through

administrative adjudications all uses, riparian and appropriative,

existing prior to June 10, 1963, and to extinguish future claims to

use water, except for domestic use, based only on ownership of

riparian lands.