8: Buying and selling water rights in Moses Lake and the greater Quincy Basin: A Q&A with Kelsey Mach and Aaron Fitterer

Are you in need of buying or selling water rights? Join Kristina Ribellia, Western Water Market’s founder and president as she reflects on several water right transactions that she has been involved with over the last 5 years. Kristina provides invaluable insights to help you manage expectations and provides tips and tricks to help you move through your water right sale or purchase more efficiently.

Plus, get the latest on what Kristina has been up to, from sharing Selah-Moxee Irrigation District’s Surplus Water Rights Auction results to her work on the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program.

Get the full show notes on Western Water Market at:
https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/14

Greenland is home to 10% of the world's freshwater.  Some of which is now listed for sale on Western Water Market.  Join Thomas Schumann, global expert, thought leader, and founder of Project Greenland as he shares fascinating details about this new water source that is becoming available for domestic, agricultural, hydropower, commercial, and industrial uses in the West.  From water quality to logistics, Thomas provides a candid glimpse into this rare opportunity “for people, planet, and profit.”

Get the full show notes on Western Water Market at:
https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/13

Join Kristina Ribellia and Kelsey Collins as they dive into recent activities and updates involving one of the most valuable water rights tools in the West: Washington State’s Trust Water Rights Program.  

The Trust Water Rights Program, which protects water rights from relinquishment while retaining their original priority date, fell under close scrutiny after a 2019 Seattle Times article left the public and Legislature with pointed questions.  As a result of the Department of Ecology’s swift and thoughtful response, we now have better informed and engaged stakeholders, increased transparency, helpful guidance, and sound recommendations to continue creating win-wins for water users and streamflows across the state.  Get the details first-hand from Kelsey Collins.

Kelsey Collins is the Statewide Trust Water Coordinator and Water Acquisitions Lead for the Washington State Department of Ecology's Water Resources Program. Her duties include facilitating Ecology's water right acquisitions and policy support for the Trust Water Rights Program.

Get the full show notes on Western Water Market at:
https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/12

Selah-Moxee Irrigation District (SMID) recently created a 9,000 acre-foot water bank through various conservation projects and land uses changes to help fund its $100 million conservation and modernization plan.  Now, SMID is auctioning a large portion of these senior, surplus water rights through online auctions on Western Water Market.  Join Nathan Draper, SMID manager, Dan Haller, SMID’s consultant, and Kristina Ribellia, founder of Western Water Market, as they dive in and lift the veil on these innovative approaches – and their informative outcomes. 

RESOURCES

• SMID Auction
• SMID Water Bank & Auction FAQs
• SMID News Release

GET IN TOUCH

• Nathan Draper on LinkedIn
• Dan Haller on LinkedIn
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on Instagram
• Western Water Market on YouTube

As our landscapes, industries, and values evolve across the West, the use, need, and demand for water rights are also rapidly changing.  These transitions can be complicated – and it’s clear, now more than ever – that innovation and collaboration are key.  Join Alyssa Moir, an attorney with K&L Gates, as she shares two incredible examples of how rapport and innovative legal tools are creating win-wins for water right holders and water users in the West.  From transforming Washington’s last coal-fired power plant’s water right portfolio into the TransAlta Water Bank to forbearance agreements in California’s Shasta River Valley, Alyssa’s insights and enthusiasm give us hope for the future.

RESOURCES

• TransAlta Water Bank
• Work with Alyssa Moir, K&L Gates

GET IN TOUCH

• Alyssa Moir on LinkedIn
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on Instagram
• Western Water Market on YouTube

Buyer beware.  Whether you are looking to buy property with water rights or own water rights currently, this is one you don’t want to miss.  Andy Dunn, water rights expert and hydrogeologist with RH2 Engineering shares the top 10 things he has observed over the past 21 years working on water rights in Washington State.  

Here are Andy Dunn's top 10 things to know before buying property with water rights:

1. Look at the entire water right record for a water right that you are purchasing (or that you hold). [3:21]
2. Don’t blindly trust a real estate agent when it comes to water rights on the property. [12:41]
3. Know that a water right place of use can be larger than the number of authorized irrigated acres. [13:45]
4. The property may only cover a portion of a water right’s place of use. [16:41]
5. Assuming that owning the property containing the well or diversion is equal to owning the water right. [19:43]
6. Purchasing a property with a permit on it, but not getting the permit assigned over to you in Ecology’s records as part of the property transaction. [21:19]
7. Know and follow the provisions on your water right(s). [25:32]
8. Be aware of the location when drilling an additional or replacement well. [31:27]
9. Keep records associated with the source of water or water use. [35:52]
10. Use a water rights attorney to help you with a water right issue. [40:10]

RESOURCES

• Work with Andy Dunn, RH2 Engineering
• Washington Department of Ecology’s water rights document search 
• Search and work with a water right attorney
• Subscribe for future podcast episodes and market updates
• Western Water Market

GET IN TOUCH

• Andy Dunn, RH2 Engineering - adunn@rh2.com
• Contact Western Water Market
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on Instagram
• Western Water Market on YouTube

Moses Lake, Washington and the greater Columbia Basin Project area is not only the headquarters of Western Water Market, but it's also one of the hottest water markets in the state. Join licensed geologist and water right expert Kelsey Mach with Landau Associates and real estate broker Aaron Fitterer for a timely and informative Q&A on all things water rights in the Basin -- from how to get them, what they are going for, and who is buying them.  Learn how Quincy Basin Permits are being combined to meet demand and what creative solutions are emerging in the competitive market.  Whether you're a developer, irrigator, public servant, or resident in the Basin, this is episode is for you.

FULL SHOW NOTES

https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/08

RESOURCES

• For Sale: Quincy Basin Groundwater Permits
• For Sale: Odessa Groundwater Right
• Buyer Listing: Seeking water rights to buy or lease in Coulee City area
• Buyer Listing: Quincy Basin state basalt groundwater rights
• Buyer Listing: Domestic + Irrigation water needed for Quincy Basin development
• Subscribe for Western Water Market updates

GET IN TOUCH

• Kelsey Mach, Landau Associates — kmach@landauinc.com; (570) 980-0490
• Aaron Fitterer, Coldwell Banker - Tomlinson Ranch & Home — agfitterer@dtmmllc.com; (509) 770-0521
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on YouTube

Western Water Market is again breaking the mold, pushing the envelope, and bringing us one step closer to a more open and efficient market in the West.  Join host Kristina Ribellia as she lifts the hood on Odessa Groundwater Right No. 5797-A and walks us through how this water right, currently for sale on Western Water Market, has the potential to fundamentally change the way we buy and sell water rights in the West.  Learn specifically how this water right listing is decreasing transaction costs, reaching potential buyers, increasing confidence and certainty, and accepting offers like never before.

FULL SHOW NOTES

https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/07

RESOURCES

• View listing for Odessa Groundwater For Sale, including due diligence review, map of potential transferability, and bid form.

LET'S CONNECT

• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market

Could you imagine buying property, then being told you can’t build on it -- because you don't have a water right.  That was the frustrating reality for David Gleason, developer turned water banker and others in Kittitas County just over 10 years ago.  In this exclusive interview, David shares his invaluable insights on the Kittitas County mitigation market, including pricing information, managing expectations, and how his water bank, SwiftWater Ranch, LLC Water Bank, is keeping competitive in the evolving market.  Whether you’re looking to buy property and build in Kittitas County or the greater West, this is one you don’t want to miss. 

FULL SHOW NOTES

https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/06

RESOURCES

• SwiftWater Ranch, LLC Water Bank on Western Water Market
• "Well drilling banned in western Kittitas County" (2009, Seattle Times)
• "Governor: Upper County well moratorium stays" (2010, Daily Record)
• Intro to water banking with Dan Haller

LET'S CONNECT

• Contact David Gleason, Swiftwater Ranch, LLC Water Bank
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on YouTube

Did you know water rights can be lost, also known as forfeited or relinquished, wholly or in part for non-use and or misuse?  It’s a true story and quite possibly the most important thing you want to know and understand as a water right holder or someone interested in buying property with water rights.  Join Dan Haller with Aspect Consulting as he breaks down “use it or lose it,” a fundamental tenet of Western water law, including why it exists and what you need to know and do to protect your water rights and future assets. 

Please note, while this discussion is focussed on Washington, the “relinquishment clock” and exemptions vary from state to state and even basin to basin in some cases.  To better understand your local laws, policies, and regulations, we highly recommend working with a water right professional in your state. 

[01:00] - About Dan Haller
[04:16] - What is water right relinquishment — "use it or lose it"
[07:04] - How water rights can become relinquished
[09:10]- Exemptions to relinquishment in Washington
[13:58] - Two key things you should know and do to protect your water rights from relinquishment
[16:21] - Multiple lines of evidence and important records to keep
[19:18] - Buyer due diligence
[19:50] - Two common reasons water rights are relinquished and how to avoid it
[25:26] - Making changes to this fundamental principle of Western water law
[28:06] - Two key things to remember

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast-episode/05

RESOURCES

• Department of Ecology form: Donation of a Water Right to the State Trust Water Right Program
• Department of Ecology fact sheet: Water Right Relinquishment (including 22 exemptions)
• Department of Ecology water rights search
• Washington Trust Water Rights Program
• Confidential Water Right Assessments

LET'S CONNECT

• Dan Haller on Western Water Market
• Dan Haller on LinkedIn
• Dan Haller’s direct contact info: dhaller@aspectconsulting.com | (509) 895-5462
• Kristina Ribellia on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on LinkedIn
• Western Water Market on Facebook
• Western Water Market on YouTube