Water Act, 1983.

An Act to regulate the management and conservation of water resources in Sweden, to provide for rights relating to the use of water, irrigation, drainage, water supply and projects relating to water, and to make provision for the resolution of disputes relating to water.
The text of the Act is divided into 22 Chapters: Introductory provisions (1); Dominion over water (2); Common requisites for water projects (3); Permit requirements (4); Special regulations regarding land drainage (5); Irrigation associations (6); Associations for the control of water (7); Special rights of coercion (8); Compensation and cooperative hydro-electric power (9); Charges (10); Special regulations for large water projects (11); Hearings on land drainage projects (12); The hearing of water cases (13); Special regulations regarding demolition, etc. (14); The validity of permit, reconsideration, etc., (15); Payment of compensation, entry, etc. (16); Maintenance, etc. (17); Supervision and inspection (18); Protection of water supply, etc. (19); Regulations regarding costs (20); Responsibility, legal assistance, etc. (21); Final regulations (22).
Section 2 of Chapter 1 and section 1 of Chapter 22 define the application sphere of the Act; sections 3 and 4 contain definitions. Provisions of Chapter 2 define "dominion over water", a prerequisite for developing water projects, and regulate the right of control over streams, etc. Section 9 imposes a duty of water developers to surrender water for public use in the case of need. Chapter 3 sets out conditions for the carrying out of water projects (defined in section 3), whereas Chapter 4 provide for the authorisation of water projects. Section 11 of Chapter 3 and section 3 of Chapter 4 imposes certain duties on applicants for water projects that may harm fishing. Chapter 5 concerns joint development of land drainage projects for which associations shall be constituted by participants in the project. If there is more than one applicant for a permit for water supply for irrigation from the same water resource, the permit may be conditioned on the formation of an association of permit holders (sect. 1 and following of Chapter 6). Chapter 7 makes provision for the participation in projects to control water (change of flow of water for purposes of irrigation, generation of power, etc. A person who constructs a water project may be given the right to develop works or take other actions on the property of someone else under provisions of Chapter 9. Section 5 of Chapter 10 allows a water court of referee to impose charges for the promotion of fishing in water affected by a water project. Project permit holders shall also pay a yearly fish promotion charge in certain circumstances (sect. 6). Hearings shall be held for the kind of larger water projects listed in section 1 of Chapter 11 and for land drainage projects. The latter hearings shall be administered by a referee appointed under section 1 of Chapter 12. Chapter 13 concerns proceedings before water courts and water appeal courts. Supervision over water projects and water works shall be the responsibility of the regional administration (sect. 1 of Chapter 18). The regional administration may establish a water protection area for the protection of surface and groundwater resources under section 2 of Chapter 19. Section 7 of Chapter 22 concerns use of the same groundwater source by more households.