• David Tewes •
• Originally published April 12, 2009 at 10:48 p.m., updated April 12, 2009 at 10:48 p.m.

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• Victoria spent $4.69 million over the past four years buying 7,006 acre-feet peryear of river water rights.

  That's equal to about seven months of water needs for Victoria in a typical year. But they are senior water rights that will ...

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Victoria spent $4.69 million over the past four years buying 7,006 acre-feet peryear of river water rights.

That's equal to about seven months of water needs for Victoria in a typical year. But they are senior water rights that will allow the city to continue to take water longer during a drought.

Victoria has been buying water rights along the Guadalupe River over the last four years, and it might not be long before residents see the payoff.

Jerry James, Victoria's director of Environmental Services, said the drought could force the city to begin using the water by year's end.

"The river depends upon spring flow, and right now the spring flow is continuing to drop," he said. "Weather forecasters are predicting we won't see significant rainfall during this next rainy season."

Victoria has a state permit to withdraw up to 20,000 acre-feet of water from the river each year. That's about twice what the city uses in a typical year.

But the permit is relatively new, or "junior" to others along the river. The city would not be able to take water during a severe drought as long as those with more senior rights needed it.

However, the city has spent $4.69 million over the last four years buying 7,006 acre-feet per year of senior water rights. Those rights date as far back as 1918.

"Compared to most communities in our river basin, we're in excellent shape," James said. "While they may not get us through the drought of record, they will get us much further into a severe drought."

Besides providing for the city's immediate needs, it puts it in a position to continue to grow, Council Member Tom Halepaska said.

"If you lose your water, you've lost your future," he said. "If you gain your water, you've gained your future."

James and Halepaska said Victoria probably has enough water available to carry it into the next century.

While some may balk at the money spent on the water rights, Halepaska and James said they think time will show the city used good judgment.

"Is this expensive?" Halepaska asked. "Yes and no. I predict that in a short number of years it will triple and quadruple in price and keep going from there."

They said they foresee a time when water rights will no longer be available for purchase.

"I expect the market conditions are going to change within a fairly short period of time when rights are no longer available for purchase, but only for lease," he said. "What we're trying to do is make one-time purchases of that water where the city has control without having to pay an annual fee."

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