Another door bell ring.

.
.
This time it came a few hours after I had laid down to sleep. And I really needed sleep. I am surprised I heard it. I was wearing the CPAP (for the first time), which might have been new enough to keep me from deeper sleep. I wondered if I had missed something or if a neighbor needed something. I had forgotten to call my neighbor again. Odd, but the neighbor called right after the doorbell incident. It seems the Mr. got my message and was calling back? I spoke of that for a bit, he said he will look into it, then he had news.

He said his mother works for the county water board. It seems I DO have water shares or rights, two water shares. The last owners hadn't even known, somehow. The water was in the name of the original owners (only three different owners (the first owners passed it down through the family from 1880 until 2003 or so)). If so, their shares go back a long way, which is quite good in a state where the date of the claim is counted as your position in line for water in scarce years (rights though, not shares, as I have found out after researching). It is irrigation water, from what I am told. I think I was told more because I haven't been watering my lawn than anything else? That was mentioned. *grins* Never... mind. He suggested what an upwelling (or something like that, where the water comes out) might look like. As soon as I can get my act together, I will begin looking for it. Two shares. I'm not quite sure exactly what that means, though it should be plenty for a little more than an acre.

After a bit of checking, I will learn more. Okay, here it is. Both water rights and shares exist, and they are quite different. Both of them seem to have limits on non-use, where access may be canceled after so many years (5). If it is water rights, it would be a set amount of water. But if it is a water share, that is dependent on a board's ruling here in Utah that sets "water bounties" based on what is considered necessary for production locally, by county, per acre, though some counties might have more than one area if the conditions are different enough I suppose.

I am terribly surprised the last owners didn't know. I am quite sure they would have utilized that water. They did a lot of work. And, though I am not positive, it seems that even irrigation water can be used for livestock? Oops, irrigation water is seasonally available. Oh, but there is some other classification, agricultural water, which can be used for both livestock and irrigation. Ugh, this is getting confusing. I honestly can't understand why that wouldn't have been a part of the contracted deed of sale, or whatever? Perhaps the one who sold the place was a widow and she simply didn't know these things?

In any case, if I can renew that, and get it into my name, I probably will, cost dependent. If it is too much I simply won't be able to move on it. I only have just so much financial wiggle room right at this moment. But you know I would love to have some water availability, even if just for the lawn. A timer or two and hoses, I suppose.