The Problem

Surprisingly, WRCs come from rivers and streams where there's been very little water. That's because water laws in the western U.S. allow property owners to take a certain amount of water from these water sources, but in many cases, the rights to withdraw water exceed the total amount of water in the river or stream, particularly in late summer.

These laws also mandate that property owners use their allotted water or risk forfeiting their water rights forever. So of course, landowners will withdraw all of their water, whether they need it or not. And withdrawing all that water leaves many streams completely dry or with so little water that they can't support fish, wildlife, and recreation.