Dear Sir,
Reading the reply of Hal Minor about the article concerning the CRMWA water well project in Roberts County, I realized Mr. Minor totally missed the whole point of the article. Of course, Mr. Minor's appointment on the Board of Directors of Canadian River Municipal Water Authority clouds his vision considerably.

What ranchers and farmers must concern themselves with is the way water authorities and the municipalities are using the Texas Right of Capture Doctrine.

Water authorities and municipalities are buying water rights as quickly as possible and with complete disregard for a neighbor’s property value, (and) are going to pump vast amounts of water. This pumping threatens our whole way of life. Without water we can no longer raise cattle. The CRMWA project next door to our ranch will dry up a perennial creek as well as the springs that feed it, lakes, wetlands and subirrigated meadows in the valley.

To fund these projects, the water authorities sell bonds without the public vote or comment. These bonds are paid for with increased water rates. This in itself bypasses the constitution's "No Taxation without Representation." Only because of the government owned pipeline, where they will connect this fresh water project, was I even able to comment or become involved in the biggest thing to ever impact our property. The Water Authority doesn't want anyone telling them what to do. Not even the public who funds this costly and shortsighted project.

On the whole, I was trying to send a much needed wake up call to ranchers and farmers of the takeover of our water by the cities. If we had true property rights in the state of Texas, someone would not be able to come next door to your property, and without any compensation to you, damage your property to the extent that it destroys what we have so long built and cherished.

We have not sold our water rights. It will not make any difference. CRMWA will get all our water anyway and they certainly want to shut me up with instilling unfounded fears in the hearts of ranchers about the effects of listing the Arkansas River shiner. The only effect having the shiner on the list would be to slow down the pumping CRMWA will do and not allow them to dry up a creek that has flowed for centuries. But CRMWA will make certain that legislation is passed to take away this protection of your water and mine.

Patsy Duncan Ward
Duncan Ranch
Skellytown, Texas

(Editor’s note: Mrs. Ward refers to a letter in the May 14 issue of Livestock Weekly, which in turn referred to an April 30 article quoting Mrs. Ward.)