The Riparian Doctrine is in direct contrast to the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation, which governs human water use west of the 100th meridian. As settlers of the west faced the reality of water scarcity, this doctrine, also known as “first in time, first in right,” was created to manage the many “straws” pulling from the west’s streams and rivers. Under the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation, the first user to divert water and put it to beneficial use has the senior claim over later water users, regardless of whether their land is adjacent to the river. The most senior water rights holders have first dibs on water use, and users may take water in order of priority until the water is gone. Water rights are not tied to the land, and it is possible that a landowner adjacent to a river or stream would not be permitted to divert water under this system if their water right is junior or if they do not own water rights.