Water Rights:

Water rights are simply the legal right to use water. The land you purchase or own, may or may not have water rights attached to it. In the west there are primarily three systems of water law: 1) Riparian, 2) Prior Appropriation, and 3) Hybrid. The system used in each state varies and as a result, so does the actual usage included in water rights. As a landowner it is important to understand what water rights, if any, transfer in ownership and what those rights include. For more information on water rights, please see the following links:

General Water Rights Information
BLM Water Laws

Wyoming Water Rights
Wyoming Water Law: A Summary Report
Wyoming State Engineers Office

Montana Water Law Information
Montana Water Rights Information
Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation

South Dakota Water Law Information
Summary of South Dakota Water Laws & Rules
SD Department of Environmental & Natural Resources

Colorado Water Rights
Colorado Division of Water Resources