Helena, MT 59601(Lewis and Clark County)

The Tenmile Creek Water Rights are comprised of five individual water rights totaling 1,212 acre-feet which have been changed from irrigation water rights to temporary in-stream use. Located west of Helena Montanas state capital the Tenmile Creek drainage serves as the major water source for the citys municipal water supply. The Helena Valley is positioned on the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. Both Helena and Great Falls continue to experience consistent growth which in turn places greater demands on a limited water supply. Competition for senior water rights will only become more competitive and difficult to acquire as the popularity of the Rocky Mountain States grows.

The rush to control water resources is gathering speed around the Nation. Rural residents around the country are attracted to selling their land and water to water bottlers like Nestl and Aquafina as well as municipalities. Oil companies utilizing large quantities of water to run their operations are seeking to buy up available water supplies. This is happening in Eastern Montana and Northern Wyoming as companies prepare to drill for coal-bed methane.

The one commodity that sells today at gas stations and convenience stores for almost twice the price of gasoline is water, and consumers never complain about it. Though it seems expensive to buy water rights, consider how much bottled water costs $1.00 per quart or $4.00 per gallon equates to $1,300,000 per acre-foot and it only gets utilized once. With a water right the use is in perpetuity!

The Upper Missouri Basin is a closed basin to new appropriation of surface water or groundwater development. The result being that new water rights are very difficult if not impossible to obtain for city municipalities, irrigation or development.

Where does one find a solid investment in liquid assets today which doesnt require feed, maintenance, tax levys or management?