Water Rights

Water rights (the legal entitlement to use water from surface waters) are state law rights. The Federal Government has no inherent right to own water. They can appropriate for consumption or diversion but they stand in equality with other holders of water rights.

Water from springs is legally groundwater and not a water subject to a water right including the annual charge. The surface owner can take water from underground springs for reasonable uses without a permit from the SWRCB. We as lessees of the NF surface lands can take water for personal use if our permits provide for that taking and use.

There are a lot of examples with the Forest Service where they were granted water rights for permittees possibly in error or the Forest Service incorrectly required water rights for ground water, e.g. wells and springs.

Permittees and water associations with existing water rights are getting their annual bill from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). CCORP leadership feels this is wrong and is working on a resolution; however, the bill is for the right to use water, whether or not you do so. Contact us if you have received a bill. In the meantime, hold off as long as you can, but do pay the bill if we haven’t yet resolved this by the time it’s due. When paying the bill, state your objections