Not Your Ordinary Canal…
Last week, community members risked the rain to join the Gallatin Watershed Council in learning from Susan Duncan about the Farmer’s Canal and the fundamentals of Montana water rights. Susan is the local “guru” when it comes to these topics and is an Association of Gallatin Agriculture Irrigators (AGAI) director.
All water in Montana is owned by the state, so it is necessary to have a water right to use it. This means that even if water flows through someone’s property, they cannot use it unless they have a water right. Water rights are defined by seven different elements, and they’re not always cut and dry to understand. Susan provided a “water rights 101” and explained how ditches and canals play a vital role in our community.
Our favorite fun facts from the tour:
Farmer’s Canal has the highest volume of water out of any ditch in the valley and serves many irrigators in and around Bozeman.
Farmer’s Canal has junior water rights.
There are over 1,000 miles of ditches and canals that provide water to Gallatin Valley for a variety of uses, including irrigation and drinking water.
When developers purchase land, some also get the water right. That water right can be transferred to the HOA of the neighborhood.
The elements that define a water right include: source, purpose, point of diversion, place of use, period of use, period of diversion, flow rate, volume, and priority date.
In the Gallatin Watershed, water is a finite resource shared by all that live here, for a variety of different uses. Susan ended the tour with a reminder, “history isn’t in the past, we are a continuation of it… you are incorporated as a part of history”. The rules of nature that govern water in this Valley have existed forever, and the rules that we constructed as part of our western society in the late 1800’s, both persist today. Turning your tap on and canoeing across Hyalite Reservoir are courtesy of systems set up long ago and which still need our ongoing attention and care.
The Farmer’s Canal tour with GWC and Susan is an annual event. If this topic interests you and you would like to learn more, stay tuned for next year’s tour. Many more educational opportunities are happening throughout the summer and fall - keep up to date through our events page and by signing-up for our newsletter.
Interested in learning more about water rights? Here are a few educational resources you may find helpful:
Water Rights Gallatin County.pdf
Thank you Susan Duncan for being a generous and informative host! Be sure to check out AGAI’s website for more information on the irrigation in Gallatin County.
