I think when the SHTF this tax/fee scheme is going to fall into 2 distinct categories. I have already received a letter last year telling me to register my wells. But they made the distinction of over a certain volume used, if I recall, it was a huge volume, maybe 650,000 gal per year, 2 ac/ft.?
Now say what you will about what you 'own' on deeded land, but the reality is you cannot separate what you own water wise when an aquifer extends past all property lines. And the same is true of surface water, creeks, rivers etc. The water is generated elsewhere and just passes thru your property. You are entitled to use some of that water certainly, especially if the water right is written into the deed. But out west, water in a creek for instance, is not yours. Now throw into the debate...water use for profit as opposed to water use for domestic/household use. One would think that basic human needs water right will trump water for profit. But we live in a crazy world, so who knows how this will shake out. There is a huge amount of case law dating back to the water wars in eastern Colorado, where wealthy ag conglomerates kept punching big ag wells deeper and deeper depleting the aquifer starving the Jim Conrads and Sam Olsons into bankruptcy. Add to all this, there are active ditches in use in this county that pre-date California joining the Union...how will the courts view that? If I had to guess, the only winners here will be lawyers. As they say, "whisky is fer drinkin', water's fer fightin''.
