Who owns water?

Dear Editor,

Do certain states or counties own lakes, rivers or streams?

"No clear path on water problems" in the April 4, 2013 Gazette stirred up a lot of questions in my mind.

Worldwide, there are 81 major rivers. This includes Egypt's Nile River, which covers 4,160 miles. I traveled a short distance on it by barge in 1995. It is the longest river in the world.

While living in Montana, I saw the headwaters of the Missouri River. Later, while on a trip to Illinois, I stood on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.

Ownership of these rivers never occurred to me. E.S. Sutton's book, "Teepees to Soddies (a centennial edition, 1867-1967)" includes a map and mentions that in 1906 there were eight irrigation projects.

"Sutton's History of

Southwest Nebraska," published in 1983, gives more details about attention paid to water rights in Kansas and Nebraska (see page 43 in "Teepees to Soddies.")

The Republican River cuts a meandering course from Nebraska into Kansas. Later, it flows into the Missouri River. Our dependence on irrigation brings about some major issues.

Technically, rivers and other bodies of water are not owned by the inhabitants on the planet Earth. Genesis 1:9-10 state that waters were created by God. So states and countries don't own lakes, rivers or streams -- God does.

Helen Ruth Arnold

Trenton, Nebraska