Water Rights on Belden Creek
Where official record meets living water: the pond, the North Fork weir, and the 3-inch siphon that ties Belden Creek to the largest water feature on Larkspur Run.
- The Legal Foundation
In 19xx, [Name] ,a previous owner, secured a water right authorizing supplemental diversion from Belden Creek to the Larkspur Run pond. The right was documented by Dave Jarrett, then the local Watermaster. The official certificate (scan coming soon) lives in the property files and is posted here.
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Certificate Caption
Issued by Dave Jarrett, Watermaster — Date TBD
Document No. TBD • Conditions summary to be added.
- Where the Water Comes From
Springs on the hillside below the pump house feed the pond year-round. Their steady flow becomes most noticeable during hard freezes, when the pond ices over. As the spring water continues downhill, it reaches the frozen edge of the pond and spills onto the surface ice, gradually building a thicker layer near that shore.
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During drier months, the springs are supplemented by water diverted from the North Fork of Belden Creek. A small weir on the creek creates a pool that supplies a 3-inch siphon line running several hundred feet to the pond’s western edge. The discharge can be directed either through a decorative rock fountain or straight from the syphon pipe for faster filling.
This system is described in greater detail in the Water Systems section of this site. The siphon typically requires re-priming several times each season.
- From Water Law to River Trips
The water right was approved by Dave Jarrett, then the local Watermaster. By coincidence, I later met Dave through mutual rafting friends. We shared river miles on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho, the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, and many trips on Oregon’s Rogue River. Imagine my surprise when I opened the property files and found Dave’s signature on the water right certificate.
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“It’s a rare coincidence to hold a property stamped with his signature, and later share miles of whitewater with the same man.”