3 ms·

Who owns water? The US landowners putting barbed wire across rivers

22 points by Huhty 9y ago

kevin_b_er 9y ago
Standard practice of their politics. Take from the public and give to the rich.
sli 9y ago
> “Private property owners are some of the biggest conservation stewards right now,” he says. “I feel like the beauty of our lands and species survival is up to private landowners.” Stands out as somewhat hypocritical to think in those terms but then act selfishly and hide the beauty away.
- nerdponx 9y ago
  Still better than developing it, in many cases.
  - stevehawk 9y ago
    I'm one of those people who thinks there's a land crisis going on and it's being fueled by wealthy, doomsday preppers. People are putting up private property signs on public (re: federal lands) every where they can and are trying to claim rivers as their own. I think a lot of it started with Michael Burry convincing wealthy people to do it after he got success by betting on the housing crash, combined with the political landscape. But regardless, as a non-wealthy person who enjoys the outdoors it's very concerning. I don't like that I may be out one day on a river or a trail (particularly when on a mountain bike, dirt bike, or in my Wrangler) and may encounter barbed wire or "private property" signs when it's definitely not private property. I canoed and kayaked 150 miles through the Adirondacks and I remember a lot of private property signs but it was all in regards to the shore and actual land; signs put up to keep people from camping on private land. I get that. But blockading a river isn't much different than blockading a road to me. They're getting away with it right now because it's small tributaries and such, but what if some jackass pulled this off on the Mississippi or something equivalent? Logistics of that aside, I bet some governments would be far more concerned. And depending on how court cases regarding this go they may be setting someone up to do just that.
mirimir 9y ago
That's been going on for decades. I recall barbed wire on rivers in the Colorado Rockies. Also on some creeks in the Southeast. But yes, hitting barbed wire sucks for canoers and kayakers. It can get people killed. Some of us carried wire cutters.

22 points by Huhty 9y ago

Standard practice of their politics. Take from the public and give to the rich.

sli 9y ago

> “Private property owners are some of the biggest conservation stewards right now,” he says. “I feel like the beauty of our lands and species survival is up to private landowners.” Stands out as somewhat hypocritical to think in those terms but then act selfishly and hide the beauty away.

nerdponx 9y ago
Still better than developing it, in many cases.
- stevehawk 9y ago
  I'm one of those people who thinks there's a land crisis going on and it's being fueled by wealthy, doomsday preppers. People are putting up private property signs on public (re: federal lands) every where they can and are trying to claim rivers as their own. I think a lot of it started with Michael Burry convincing wealthy people to do it after he got success by betting on the housing crash, combined with the political landscape. But regardless, as a non-wealthy person who enjoys the outdoors it's very concerning. I don't like that I may be out one day on a river or a trail (particularly when on a mountain bike, dirt bike, or in my Wrangler) and may encounter barbed wire or "private property" signs when it's definitely not private property. I canoed and kayaked 150 miles through the Adirondacks and I remember a lot of private property signs but it was all in regards to the shore and actual land; signs put up to keep people from camping on private land. I get that. But blockading a river isn't much different than blockading a road to me. They're getting away with it right now because it's small tributaries and such, but what if some jackass pulled this off on the Mississippi or something equivalent? Logistics of that aside, I bet some governments would be far more concerned. And depending on how court cases regarding this go they may be setting someone up to do just that.

mirimir 9y ago

That's been going on for decades. I recall barbed wire on rivers in the Colorado Rockies. Also on some creeks in the Southeast. But yes, hitting barbed wire sucks for canoers and kayakers. It can get people killed. Some of us carried wire cutters.