Topic
Water and land
Wells and water rights, septic and rural land, mineral rights, and what it really means to own ground in a place where water is its own kind of property.
159 notes - page 4 of 7
Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the Arkansas Valley, a Prowers County well sits in a busy water basin
Prowers County is in the Arkansas River basin, where the state administers groundwater closely and some wells must be measured.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the Arkansas Valley, ditch water is its own question
Many Otero County farms and acreages carry canal or ditch irrigation water from the Arkansas River that is separate from the household water at the tap.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the Grand Valley, irrigation water is its own question
Many Grand Valley properties carry canal or ditch irrigation water that is separate from the household water that comes out of the tap.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the lower Arkansas Valley, farm water can be bought and moved away
In Bent County and the rest of the lower Arkansas Valley, irrigation water rights have long been sold to Front Range cities, which changes what a farm property can grow.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the San Luis Valley, a well comes with groundwater rules
Wells in the Rio Grande Basin around Alamosa fall under state groundwater rules that can require a well to replace the water it pumps, often through a subdistrict or an augmentation plan.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In the San Luis Valley, a well in Conejos County comes with groundwater rules
Wells in the San Luis Valley fall under state groundwater rules and groundwater management subdistricts that affect pumping, so a well in Conejos County is not simply unlimited water.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In Weld County, ditch water and household water are two different things
Many Weld County properties carry canal or ditch irrigation water that is separate from the drinking water serving the house.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
In Yuma County, groundwater comes with the Republican River Compact
Most irrigation in Yuma County draws on the Ogallala Aquifer in a basin governed by an interstate compact, so pumping here is administered, not unlimited.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Irish Canyon: a short drive through deep time on the way to Browns Park
A narrow red, green, and gray canyon off Highway 318 packs layered rock and Fremont-era petroglyphs into one easy stop before Browns Park.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Kiowa County's Great Plains Reservoirs are a rest stop for migrating birds
The Great Plains Reservoirs near Eads provide open water on the dry prairie that attracts migrating waterfowl and other birds, which is why they matter to wildlife as well as anglers.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Lathrop State Park near Walsenburg has two very different lakes
Lathrop State Park west of Walsenburg holds two lakes, Martin and Horseshoe, that follow different rules for boating and angling.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Lemon Reservoir and Haviland Lake are quieter, non-motorized waters
Lemon Reservoir and Haviland Lake north of Durango offer fishing and calm-water paddling without the big-motor crowds, with boating limited mainly to non-motorized or electric craft.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Lone rock towers near La Veta are old volcanic plugs
Isolated rock towers like Goemmer Butte near La Veta are the hardened cores of old volcanic vents, left standing after softer ground wore away.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
McPhee Reservoir is the county's big boating and fishing lake
North of Cortez, McPhee Reservoir offers boat ramps and fishing, and any trailered or motorized boat must pass an aquatic-nuisance-species inspection before it launches.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Mineral County sits in the headwaters of an interstate river
Mineral County lies in the upper Rio Grande basin, where water is administered under an interstate compact, so water rights here carry obligations far downstream.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Motorized boats need an inspection before launching at Horsetooth and Carter
Larimer County requires an aquatic nuisance species inspection before any motor or trailered boat launches at Horsetooth Reservoir or Carter Lake, which limits launching to certain hours.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Navajo State Park is Archuleta County's big-water boating spot
Navajo State Park near Arboles is the county's large reservoir for boating and fishing, and like other Colorado waters it requires a park pass and a boat inspection for aquatic nuisance species.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Near the San Juan River, a well is its own kind of water question
Many rural Archuleta County properties rely on a well, and a well permit comes with limits that are separate from how close a parcel sits to the San Juan River.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Not every lake in the Arapaho National Recreation Area allows motors
The Arapaho National Recreation Area holds several reservoirs around Granby and Grand Lake, and the boating rules differ from one to the next.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
Old mines still shape the water in Clear Creek
Clear Creek County's mining past left behind a federal cleanup site, and treated mine drainage is part of how water quality is managed along Clear Creek today.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
On a Bent County parcel, the house water and the field water are different things
A rural Bent County property may rely on a permitted well for the household and on ditch or canal shares for irrigation, and each follows its own rules and gets confirmed in its own way.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
On a Morgan County acreage, a well permit has conditions
A domestic well permit on rural Morgan County land usually comes with limits on what the water may be used for, set by the state water agency.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
On a Teller County mountain lot, your water often starts with a well permit
Many rural Teller County properties rely on a private well, and in Colorado a well needs a permit from the state with limits on how the water can be used.
Read note ->Water and land - June 10, 2026
On Moffat County acreage, a well may need an augmentation plan
The Yampa River basin is administered for water rights, so a well on a small Moffat County parcel may not let you water more than the house without an extra supply of water.
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