Collecting rain water.

[oosik]

I wonder - you install a roof line gutter and direct it into a barrel. This is in a state that prohibits such actions. Who is going to contact you and tell you to discontinue this collection action. Do these states have rain police. I'm glad I live in a state where such foolishness is in other areas.

 

[R134a]

Its very simple to understand. They want to TAX you ! Once they TAX something, then it becomes OK:stirthepot:

 

[PILOON]

We probably have it all wrong.
They enact bylaws so that in the future they can collect fines and taxes, oh and emit permits.
Problem is the bureaucracy keeps growing and it gets hungrier all the time.
As it is 1/2 of our incomes goes to support that bureaucracy.

 

[Egon]

Water in all its forms is more regulated/controlled than most of us realize. You may find that almost all water is spoken for. It's just not enforced in most areas.

 

[oosik]

I do know that water rights go WAY BACK in history. Having a document issued by the state or federal government or right issued by the crown to withdraw a certain amount of water from a lake or river is a very valuable commodity. Many times it is as valuable or more than the land it serves.

 

[GSVette]

Welcome to the wacky, wonderful world of water law-every state is different and there are vast differences as you move west.

Washington recently had a state Supreme Court decision that, in effect said, ‘just because you drill a well (with state Dept. of Ecology permission btw) your aren’t necessarily entitled to take any of the water in said hole’ effectively overturning 100+ years of western water law and numerous legal opinions regarding ‘permit exempt domestic wells’. The decision was ‘to protect minimum stream inflows and senior water rights’-really a way to grab more money from the citizenry.

Legislators ‘fixed’ the resulting chaos a year later. The ‘fix’ entails you paying the state and county more money for less water out of the well.

 

[oosik]

Yes - those in the know realize how truly valuable water right and in particular - senior water rights are. In many areas water rights are the modern day gold.

 

[dmccarty]

Yes - those in the know realize how truly valuable water right and in particular - senior water rights are. In many areas water rights are the modern day gold.

Exactly. And it is shocking for us in areas without water/rain shortage to hear about these water rights. Just not something many of us are aware exists.

Tis a big thing in CA right now where the cities are trying to take the water from the farmers. That is going to get danged interesting to watch, and if the cities win, the US is going to have less fresh fruit and veggies to eat.

Later,
Dan

 

[GSVette]

Yes - those in the know realize how truly valuable water right and in particular - senior water rights are. In many areas water rights are the modern day gold.

Yes they are- however Hirst really wasn’t about ‘protecting senior water rights’ it was really about the state (and the tribes) finding a way to make a bunch of money off domestic wells-mostly via the purchase and sale of water rights from water banks.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

MD has a rain tax...