Question: where does drinking water come from in california

title: Water in California
text: `` The appropriation doctrine confers upon one who actually diverts and uses water the right to do so provided that the water is used for reasonable and beneficial uses , '' regardless of whether that person owns land contiguous to the watercourse . In addition , all appropriative rights are subordinate to riparians or earlier appropriators . In times of shortage riparians are entitled to fulfill their needs before appropriators are entitled to any use of the water . `` And , as between appropriators , the rule of priority is ' first in time , first in right . ' '' Beginning in 1914 , a statutory scheme has provided the exclusive method of acquiring appropriation rights through the California State Water Resources Control Board . The modern system of prior appropriation water rights followed by California is characterized by five principles :