Structure and jurisdiction of organizations of water users in chile during the 19^th century

Abstract

This article analyzes the water users associations that existed in Chile before the enactment of the 1908 Act Nº 2139. This analysis pursues to determine the type of associations used by water users up till then and whether or not they conferred upon those associations a judiciary authority to deal with conflicts about the exercise of water users´ rights. This research verifies the use of novel legal institutions, based both on contracts and quasi- contracts, which gave way to an organizational model that sprung out of some common features. Likewise, this research establishes the existence of, at least, five alternative institutional designs that dealt with the granting of judiciary authority to water users associations from 1831 through 1908.