Property Ownership

Under Alaska's 'prior appropriation' water rights doctrine, the right to use water is based on:

AOwnership of adjacent land
BPriority of beneficial use — the first person to beneficially use water has the senior right✓ Correct
CAnnual permit renewal by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources
DSize of the land parcel relative to the water source

Explanation

Alaska follows the prior appropriation doctrine for water rights, where rights are established by priority of use ('first in time, first in right'). Water rights are separate from land ownership and are allocated by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources through a permit system.

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