Water Rights
by Eric Peterson
YOU
HEAR THAT? IT'S WATER BEING SUCKED THROUGH A HEADGATE. NOW ACROSS MOST OF
WYOMING, MORE WATER WILL EVAPORATE DURING THE YEAR THAN WILL FALL AS RAIN OR
SNOW. THAT IS WHY WE IRRIGATE.:
MARK
TWAIN SAID,"WHISKEYS FOR DRINKING AND
WATER IS FOR FIGHTING." IT IS BECAUSE WATER VASTLY INCREASES LAND
PRODUCTIVITY, VALUE, AND ABILITY TO SUSTAIN WYOMING'S AGRICULTURE.
IN
WYOMING, WATER IS OWNED BY THE STATE AND RIGHTS TO USE THE WATER ARE ISSUED BY
THE STATE THROUGH THE WYOMING STATE ENGINEERS OFFICE.
THOUGH
THERE ARE OTHER PERMITTED USES, IRRIGATION IS BY FAR THE GREATEST USER OF
WYOMING WATER. LIKE MOST WESTERN
STATES, THE OLDEST RIGHTS GET FIRST DIBBS ON STREAMFLOW.
THE
OLDEST RIGHTS ON A STREAM ARE ALLOTTED TWO CUBIC FOOT PER SECOND PER SEVENTY ACRES OF LAND. NOW THAT FIGURES OUT TO BE ABOUT FIFTEEN
GALLONS A SECOND FOR A SEVENTY ACRE PIECE
IN
MORE FAMILIAR TERMS, IT'S ABOUT LIKE
SPRINKLING AN INCH AND FOUR TENTHS OF WATER ON YOUR LAWN EVERY OTHER
DAY.
NOW
WHEN STREAMFLOW ISN'T ABUNDANT, YOUNGER WATER RIGHTS ARE SHUT OFF IN FAVOR OF
OLDER WATER RIGHTS. THAT'S A MIGHTY
FRUSTRATING PROSPECT FOR A JUNIOR RIGHT,
AND THE SOURCE OF MARK TWAIN'S OBSERVATION!
FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I'M ERIC PETERSON.