Appropriative water rights are defined as water rights acquired by:

• A. Water right derived from land bordering a water body
• B. Water right acquired by physical control over the water for a beneficial use
• C. Water right granted by public agency
• D. Water right through random assignment

Answer: (B)

Appropriative water rights come from taking water and applying it to a beneficial use, with a defined priority based on when the use began. This means a right is earned by physically diverting water and putting it to a legitimate purpose (like irrigation, municipal supply, or industrial use) and maintaining that use, creating a “first in time, first in right” system. It’s not about owning land beside a stream, and it’s not just a permit granted by a agency or a random assignment. The essence is the actual diversion and beneficial use, which establishes a transferable water right with a priority date.