Add to ORKGNothing is more emotion packed than a discussion of ways and means to allocate a resource that is essential to the maintenance of human life. Yet the scarcity of water in many parts of our nation makes such a discussion imperative. Although Nebraska\u27s landscape is dotted with innumerable creeks and streams, the state\u27s tremendous irrigation developments have long since created water disputes and a legal system for adjudicating them. This article will attempt to show that from a legal-economic viewpoint at least some changes are long overdue. I. Introduction II. Watercourse Defined III. The Legal Doctrines … A. The Existing Riparian Doctrine … B. The Appropriation Doctrine IV. The Department of Water Resources … A. General Duties … B. ...