Prior appropriation doctrine the topic of New Mexico water lawsuit

A group of farmers and ranchers in New Mexico is filing a lawsuit against the Middle Rio Grande Water Conservancy District. The lawsuit claims that the Conservancy District illegally limited water deliveries for all users despite the prior appropriation doctrine, which states that senior water rights holders are entitled to their full allotment before Junior water rights holders, even in times of water shortage and drought.

Many water policy experts across United States have predicted that conflict over water in the West will intensify over the coming decades as the population grows, water uses shift, and uncertainty about climate change continues to illuminate problems in our water management strategies.

Source: http://m.westernfarmpress.com/government/new-mexico-s-fight-senior-water-rights-intensifies