The Snake Creek Mining & Tunnel Company v. Midway Irrigation Company et al., 1922, is a Supreme Court case that revolved around water rights in Utah. The Snake Creek Mining and Tunnel Company sought to divert water from the Wasatch Mountains for mining operations, but this was contested by the Midway Irrigation Company who claimed prior appropriation of these waters for irrigation purposes. The court ruled in favor of the Midway Irrigation company based on priority of beneficial use - a principle central to western water law which states that whoever first puts water to beneficial use has senior rights over later users. This decision reinforced the doctrine of prior appropriation and highlighted its importance in resolving disputes over scarce resources like water.

The dissenting opinion in the Snake Creek Mining & Tunnel Company v. Midway Irrigation Company case argued that the majority's decision to uphold an injunction against Snake Creek was incorrect. The dissent believed that there was no substantial evidence proving irreparable injury would be caused by Snake Creek's actions, which is a necessary condition for granting an injunction. They also disagreed with the majority’s interpretation of Utah state law regarding water rights and felt it did not apply to this particular situation involving underground waters whose course and volume were uncertain and variable. Furthermore, they contended that even if such harm could be proven, it should have been addressed through monetary damages rather than an injunction because of its impact on mining operations - a significant economic activity in Utah at the time.