Ask SAM: Investigate water rights before buying

This column is provided by Larimer County Extension's Small Acreage Management (SAM) Program to assist rural residents.

Dear SAM,

I'm considering buying property. I have an opportunity to buy water rights at the same time. The Realtor told me I could get two shares of water. How much water is that and how much is it worth?

Jackie L.

Dear Jackie,

A share refers to an interest in a ditch company. It represents a portion of water that flows through the ditch. The amount of water represented by a share varies greatly among ditch companies and from year to year, depending on how much water is available in storage and from the current year's snowpack.

Before you purchase shares in a ditch company, contact the company to determine how much water is typically allocated per share. While they can't promise you an exact amount that will be delivered every year, they can tell you how much is delivered during an average year. Most ditch companies inform water users in the spring how much water per share will be delivered for the coming irrigation season.

Differences in the amount of water delivered per share are great. Some companies in Larimer County deliver close to 100 acre-feet per share, while others deliver less then one acre-foot per share.

A list of ditch companies and contact information can be found on the Larimer County web page at www.larimer.org/engineering/ditchco/ditchcompanydirectory.htm.

Water is usually measured in acre-feet or cubic feet per second. An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land one foot deep. Imagine a one-acre swimming pool filled to a depth of one foot. One acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons.

Cubic feet per second, sometimes called second-feet, refers to the rate at which water is passing through the headgate. One cfs will produce approximately one acre-foot of water in 12 hours.

The value of a share of water depends on the amount of water, reliability of delivery, seniority of the water right and type of decree. Junior, or recent, water rights tend to be less expensive than senior, or older, rights. Junior rights are also less reliable than senior rights. Water rights decreed for municipal or industrial use are more expensive than rights for agricultural use.

Owning ditch water rights can also give you some responsibilities, such as ditch maintenance. It is advisable to consult with the ditch company, and in some cases a water rights attorney, prior to purchasing ditch shares for a rural property.

SAM

Have a question about rural living? Write to Ask SAM, Larimer County Cooperative Extension, P.O. Box 543, Fort Collins, CO 80522.