Who owns your water?

[winds-of-change]

Hi Guys...an update on this post. Our property was always 7 miles from the city limits, they have recently extended the city limit to just the property after mine, so now we are in the city limits....damn....recently my son was at our shelter and he heard someone talking and laughing nearby so he snuck on them. It was a city work crew, they cut the lock on our back road access gate and were posting signs of "no access to waterway". My son watched them, and they were not aware of his presence, and he was taking pictures, to his surprise when they were finished installing their posts and signs, they backed their truck into the brook sat on the tailgate, and had a cooler of beer, tossing the empties into the brook. He has a really good pic of one guy taking a piss in the brook. Once they were gone my son called city hall and spoke with the manager, he made an appointment to meet the manager and mayor to discuss this occurrence. My son advised me that the meeting started with them on the defense and citing the local laws and regulations, my son let them talk then showed them the pictures and advised the manager he was taking the pics and story to the local newspaper and TV news. They changed their tune quite quickly and made a deal with him that NO one would ever go through our locked gate ever again, and we will be left alone. They asked him to delete the pics but he said no... it's our only insurance that they will abide by the agreement. Let's see what happens.

I wouldn’t be so upset about the peeing into the brook but the tossed emptied would infuriate me. I hope they leave you alone.

 

[Caribou]

I Alaska it is the feds we have to worry about. The EPA claims control over all wetlands. S.E. Alaska is a rain forest. If certain plants grow on your property they consider your land wetlands, whether you can walk or drive across it, and want to control all construction and road building.

Probably half the population of S.E. Alaska collects rain water for ll their water needs.

 

[lonewolf]

water company owns the mains water and water in the rivers and streams.
rain water is free......so far.

 

[SLADE]

The state.

 

[Magpie]

I do, I have a well. Saying that, there is probably some law somewhere saying they have a right to stop me using it... rainwater is ours, no laws against collecting.
I did read somewhere that only the top 6 inches of the property is actually your own, in case minerals/gold or oil are ever found nearby.

 

[Magus]

Me. My aquifer is too small for the scumbags to care.
Now get this, no joke! the local water mogul is named V.D Parrotwater!
His parents must have despised the poor guy!

 

[winds-of-change]

I do, I have a well. Saying that, there is probably some law somewhere saying they have a right to stop me using it... rainwater is ours, no laws against collecting.
I did read somewhere that only the top 6 inches of the property is actually your own, in case minerals/gold or oil are ever found nearby.

In Oklahoma, the property owner also owns the underground water going to your well. But any oil or mineral rights go to the Indian tribes and they have the right to put oil wells on one’s property. But they are usually very respectful of the homeowner. Repairing ant fence damage or lawn damage they may have caused.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I do, I have a well. Saying that, there is probably some law somewhere saying they have a right to stop me using it... rainwater is ours, no laws against collecting.
I did read somewhere that only the top 6 inches of the property is actually your own, in case minerals/gold or oil are ever found nearby.

That's why it's critical to see who owns the mineral rights, as well as water rights on your property. Ideally before you buy it. I own the mineral rights and water rights on my property. There's a major mining company that has discovered a large silver deposit near our property, and they have staked mining claims around 4 sides of our property. Since we own the mineral rights they can't touch our property. It just adds a lot more value to our land.

 

[viking]

Here in Oregon the state claims to own all water, but we have water rights on our spring. All the water from our spring flows through our cistern, the overflow goes down to a 11,00 gallon tank that our son and his girlfriend use and overflow from that tank goes into our chickens yard for their water supply, also that water is used in our fenced garden area. The overflow from the old iron bathtub in the chicken yard goes into the ground to replenish the water table.

 

[PaulKersey]

Here in Yuma, I had my well drilled in 1993. Before drilling, I had to submit a drilling request and $200 to a state agency in Phoenix, Az. Circa 2000, a full page artical in our local paper said that all well owners are STEALING FEDERAL WATER. The article went on to say that a nice man with a badge will come by and put a meter on our well head, then we may purchase the water from our wells. “The nice man with a badge” eventually came to my house. I was polite, but I sent him packing. So many well owners had greeted him and his ilk with shotguns, the feds ended their pursuits to own our well water.

The “nice man with a badge” told me that all the water under my property belongs the the Federal Govt. I told him to get his water off my property or pay me rent for storage, but if I can use the water, I’ll wave the monthly rent fee. He didn’t find it humorous.