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Old and new rights of watermills
Centuries old rights protect watermills and the mill habitats necessary for their operation. In this brief reflection, we journey through time to explore the current state of rights surrounding watermills. Traditionally, mill and weir rights have enabled the operation of watermills. Even today, these old mill and weir rights provide a powerful safeguard for the watermill itself and the operators or millers against potential infringement of their property by the government in its role as water manager. This allows operators to enforce the economic viability of their watermill by a water authority – usually a water board. Given its monumental status, both the watermill and its surroundings (habitat) must remain untouched so the mill can continue to function. New legislation, the Environmental Act, offers new opportunities to protect and enhance the watermills, their habitat and their functioning and the watermill landscapes.