Withdrawal permits

From Water Wiki

Many states in the United States require persons who want to withdraw a significant amount of water to first get a permit. These permits may apply to surface and/or groundwater withdrawals and may have various conditions attached to try to ensure that the withdrawal does not harm other water users or waste water. The permittee, in turn, gets more assurance than under the riparian rights approach that this allocation of water will be available.

North Carolina only requires water withdrawal permits inside capacity use areas. South Carolina also has a capacity use area law, passed shortly after N.C.'s in the late 1960s. South Carolina began considering legislation in 2007, and is still debating legislation in 2008, to start a water withdrawal permit program for surface withdrawals over 3 million gallons per day. But chances for passage in 2008 were dimmed or eliminated by disagreement over instream flow requirements. 

Georgia has had a statewide water withdrawal permit since 1973, and copies of typical permits are available here.

Virginia also has a withdrawal permit.

See also: Instream flows