Getting wet in rain might not be something that every person enjoys, after all who likes to soak in dripping water right before entering the office or school. This is the reason umbrellas and overcoats exist, and why most people take broad measures to remain indoors when it’s raining outside.
Not many people are aware of this, and it might come as a shock to some, but rainwater is actually illegal to collect in some states. Weird, right? Let’s look at the logic behind it.
Every state has its own law when it comes to collecting and using rain water. For instance, home owners in Colorado are only permitted to collect and use two barrels of the rain water that falls on the rooftop of their house, according to a law that was passed in 2016.
This might make you wonder, why am I not allowed to collect and use the rain water that falls on my roof?
According to The Washington Post, it all boil downs to something known as “prior appropriation.” Also referred to as “first come, first served,” it’s an ancient strategy that goes back to the Gold Rush when miners went across the nation to California’s streams for Gold panning. The whole process was sped up using water, frequently utilizing a technique called “hydraulic mining”, which in the long-run was unhealthy for the environment by making big demands on the dry area’s water assets.
To proceed with their gold-digging routine work, diggers would burrow channels that siphoned water from sources that were far away. A rule was set up that was continued from mining standards: First served, meaning the very first person to burrow his canal would be the one could claim the water that coming that way.
Not long after, Western states started adopting this strategy as well, and water ruled to have its own, discrete property right. Claiming land didn’t mean you possessed the water that accompanied it.
The issue of collecting rainwater, and the laws that came with it caught renewed public attention in 2012, after Gary Harrington, a 54-year old was sent to jail for thirty days due to collecting water on his own property in Oregon.
Gary’s detainment wasn’t solely due to the reason of collecting rainwater but because of the volume of the rain water he collected. Surprisingly, he managed to collect 20 Olympic-sized pools’ worth of it. As indicated by Health Guidance, Harrington utilized up to 20 feet tall dams to gather the water across 40 acres of land. Afterwards, he added boats, trout’s and moors for the purpose of recreational fishing. The cause of detention was due to of “redirecting water.” Laws against redirecting water exist for climate protection
Hence, this is the reason why it is illegal to collect rain water in some states
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
