Carson Valley real estate: acreage, horses, water rights and the land next door

The first thing I tell a buyer about water rights in the Carson Valley is that it depends on the property, and we have to research each one. Two parcels on the same road can be in completely different positions.

Much of the valley's surface water traces back to the Carson River, and the rights to it were sorted out by a federal court decision in 1980 known as the Alpine Decree. In Nevada, the Division of Water Resources keeps the record of who owns a water right. When land with a water right changes hands, the new owner files a report of conveyance with the Division so the right is recorded in their name. The Division's own maps of decreed land are a starting point, and it says plainly that more research is needed to know whether a specific parcel still holds its rights.

On a property with acreage, here's what I look into with you:

• Whether the parcel has water rights at all, and what kind.
• Whether the rights are recorded to the current owner, and whether they're part of the sale.
• How the home gets its water: a town system, a local district, or a well. Larger parcels often have a well and a septic system.
• Whether the use you have in mind, like irrigating pasture or keeping animals, fits the water the property actually has.

Water rights are legal property, and I'm not a water rights attorney. For anything complicated, a water rights attorney or engineer can confirm what the records show before you commit.

Wild horses live in the Pine Nut Mountains east of the valley, and some bands come down near homes on the Gardnerville side, around Fish Springs. The federal Bureau of Land Management manages the Pine Nut herd under a long-range plan, and a local nonprofit, Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates, works with the BLM on fertility control for the Fish Springs horses.

Living near them comes with a few rules of thumb I give every buyer:

• Don't feed them. Feeding or watering wild horses on public land is against federal rules, and horses that learn to expect food come closer to homes and roads.
• Fence your property. Wild horses can do a lot of damage to a yard that isn't fenced. They can come through and eat all of your grass and everything else that's growing.
• Drive carefully at night. Horses cross the roads near the foothills, and they're hard to see after dark.

Whether the horses should stay wild or be rounded up is a heated local question, with sincere people on both sides. The BLM has said the range holds more horses than it can support, that overgrazing damages native grasses and wildlife habitat, and that horses leaving the range cause traffic hazards and trouble for property owners. Many Fish Springs residents and advocates value the horses as part of the valley, and favor fertility control, fencing and replanting after wildfires over removals, which they say cost taxpayers more. In 2018 the BLM put a planned removal of the Fish Springs horses on hold after strong community opposition. I don't take a side. I make sure you know the horses are part of life here before you buy.

Sellers with acreage in the Carson Valley often ask me whether their land can be split. The answer starts with the county, so I check with the Douglas County planning department and the zoning first.

The zoning sets how small a new lot can be, and that minimum varies a great deal from one zone to another. A small split usually goes through the county as a parcel map, and a larger one as a subdivision map, with public hearings along the way.

I go to the county office myself and talk with everyone involved about what the property can be used for, what it could become and what could be done with it. A seller who knows that before listing can price the land for what it is, and a buyer can see what's possible.

I also go to the building department and make sure every building on the property is properly permitted. Barns, shops, arenas and guest quarters often go up over the years, and a building without a permit is far easier to deal with before a buyer finds it. I do the same research when I'm representing a buyer, so they know what they're getting. You can read more about how I sell a home and how I help you buy.

If you're buying land, a horse property or a home in the valley, or you're thinking about selling acreage, tell me about the property, or call or text me at 530-208-7081. I'll start the research before we ever walk the fence line.

You can also read more about me, or go back to Tahoe Homes by Angela.

This page is general information. It isn't legal, tax, water rights or land use advice. Rules, maps and fees change, so confirm them for the specific property.