[Rockhounds] This Is Why It’s Illegal to Collect Rainwater in Some States

[Doug Bank]

Dora,

I’m not sure what you are getting on about. I am the first person who responded to this post. I noted that I *read the article*, and it was clear that it was hogwash. Without even knowing all the background info that Tim provided, it was clear that the guy was in trouble for a lot more than capturing rainwater. 

So what is your point?? You should be complaining about the people that WROTE the article!!  After that, who cares? Aren’t we allowed to take the conversation in any direction we want? Even if the guy got in trouble for building dams, the discussion of rainwater restrictions is still interesting. 

Doug

> On Nov 29, 2018, at 7:18 AM, Dora Smith <tiggernut24 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> See what I mean?  Only one person besides myself ever Read. The. Article.   Why would anyone be talking about collecting rainwater if they knew it was never at issue.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Dora Smith
> 
> 
> On 11/29/2018 6:18 AM, Stephen Shimatzki wrote:
>> In Toledo, ( lucas county Ohio) they tax you on the size of your house and
>> how much impenterable surface area you have.  The idea being that rain then
>> runs into the storm sewers then eventually to the lake.  So they argue
>> someone has to pay for that system...   I argued that i had rain barrels
>> and overflow to the sandy/grassy back yard so no runoff going to the storm
>> sewers from my property but was still taxed.  Btw, that tax is added on the
>> water bill.
>> 
>> Glad we moved to the country, city folks are crazy, i think its from all
>> the lack of rain in their drinking water.  ;)
>> 
>> -Steve
>> 
>> On Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 3:01 PM Don Halterman <donhalterman at comcast.net wrote:
>> 
>>>   Indeed it's a rural western thing.  In Nevada I have the right to
>>> drill a domestic well with rights to 2 acre-feet a year, which is pretty
>>> generous.  However I do not have the right to impound any flowing
>>> surface water--not that there is any except during spring runoff.  I
>>> also cannot collect rainwater--all 11 inches of it a year in Elko
>>> County--though the state website says that this not generally enforced.
>>> 
>>> LOL Kitty I don't think Hawaii would have any water issues... plenty of
>>> rain water there I'm sure.  :)
>>> 
>>> Don
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 11/28/2018 10:48 AM, Tim Fisher wrote:
>>>> I hadn't even read the article but I immediately knew what it would have
>>> to say about Oregon. And I also knew that the news media had screwed that
>>> one up, royally. He can't build ponds to collect the water without numerous
>>> state and federal permits, which for that size pond would easily take a
>>> year and thousands of dollars to obtain. Somehow this got twisted into
>>> "collecting rainwater is illegal". Building structures to impound a stream,
>>> spring, seep, wetland, surface runoff, or just plain old rain from the sky
>>> without any permits or water rights whatsoever is as illegal as it gets in
>>> the west. Even a removal/fill permit (not necessarily from the Corps, that
>>> usually applies in flowing water or wetland situations) is necessary to
>>> move that much dirt (in our county anything deeper than 2 feet). Googling
>>> it, even Snopes has weighed in. Which is news to me, and a great summary of
>>> exactly while the guy had the book thrown at him.
>>>> 
>>> https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/man-gets-prison-sentence-for-collecting-rainwater-on-his-own-property/
>>>> 
>>> 
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