Does a river or a lake have a water right?
This question gets asked more often lately, as the drought makes lakes and rivers run low or dry, while nearby water users still get their water.
A California court just ruled that the pumping of water out of the ground must be regulated to protect nearby rivers. An environmental group filed the suit.
It's the first use of the "public trust doctrine" in this manner in the state.
We explore this latest crossing of the environmental and legal realms.
