Water Wells In Montana are a risk we all take, the first time!
Great blog, thanks for sharing. Water is arguably our most precious resource, even more so than petrolium or even our currency. Up here in Flathead County our water rights still have not been adjudicated, making it that much more important to file for a water right if you have a producing source.
Water is really, really important (and not just in Montana), but some people think it either comes to you in a ditch or comes outta the ground via a well, and well, there you are! I know I'm leaving out the municipal water systems, often supplied by rivers and reservoirs, but I'm talking country living here!
Several times over the years I've shown clients Montana Land and welcomed the assistance of a seller's agent to help with property details only to have the seller's agent claim that the water is about 200 feet down and very plentiful. Oh really? How do you know for sure? Well, we had a witcher come out and witch the land and that's what they said.
Water witching is a great tool, but that's all it is, a tool. A witcher cannot guarantee a water producing well anymore than a cloud seeder can promise a good rain!For those of you who don't know what a water witcher does, think of someone who really connects well with the earth, so well in fact that when they hold a length of willow or more commonly, a metal rod, they can walk the ground and sense a pull of water under the ground. (I think I should just try this sometime, I'm kinda earthy myself)
A Montana Land buyer takes the same risk with drilling a well as anyone else who either owns land or buys a piece. There just aren't any guarantees.I've sold subdivisions before that had a good producing well at 50 feet on one lot, and 2 lots away (2 acre lots) the water was 600 feet away and gassy, salty and a low producer.
Sometimes I think we like to believe that someone can give us good information on a water well, even if one doesn't exist. I'm sorry, but this is just impossible. A Montana Land Buyer needs to weigh the information that is available and make their own decision about the value of the land, with or without water.
Having purchased 2 pieces of land myself, without wells, I knew I would need to drill and hope for the best (thank goodness it all worked out well). I keep using the word well, a lot! Happy Drilling!
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