Which of the following legal doctrines governs water rights for users with recorded beneficial use permits?

The doctrine that governs water rights for users with recorded beneficial use permits is the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation. This legal principle is based on the concept of "first in time, first in right," which means that the first person to divert a certain amount of water from a water source for beneficial use has the right to continue to use that water, even if the demand from other users increases.

Users with beneficial use permits are granted specific rights to access water based on their historical usage and priority of use, which aligns with prior appropriation principles. This legal doctrine is particularly significant in arid regions where water resources are limited and allows for a structured way to allocate water among various stakeholders, creating certainty for those holding permits.

In contrast, the other options relate to different legal frameworks for managing water rights. The East River doctrine is not commonly referenced in water law, while the Water Entitlement Act is more specific to California's water rights system and the rules governing them. Riparian rights, on the other hand, apply to landowners whose property is adjacent to a water source, granting them rights based on their proximity but not necessarily related to a beneficial use permit system.