The resource would not be returned- they would gladly pay for the water in most cases. Plus, in a flood time heavy users would be a bonus! I did not know the current situaltion of Lake Mead (I thought it was still dropping). West TEXAS could use the water almost ANY time except hurricane season . FYI did you know that the consumers of water from the Rio Grand (Mexico included) pull so much water that much of the year the river fails to flow into the Gulf of Mexico? It stops several hundred yards from the beach! Strange sight to see.

Also, in West Texas irrigation wells have pulled the water table so low there are restrictions on how much a farmer can pull- Some of that has almost resulted in farmers shooting each other over it! Water is worth more than oil or gold in some places!