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Consultant: Wellsville holds enough water rights for 40-year plan, recommends active management
Summary
Consultant Tyson Roper told the council Wellsville City has about 6,303 acre-feet of water rights (excluding irrigation shares), enough to meet a conservative 40-year planning horizon; he recommended ongoing proof-of-right processes, leak reduction and updates to a living 40-year plan.
Tyson Roper, a consultant working with city staff, presented a 40-year water plan to the Wellsville City Council on Feb. 19, 2025, summarizing the city’s water-rights portfolio and the capacity to meet future demand. Roper said the city's recorded water rights total about 6,303 acre-feet (this total does not include certain irrigation shares such as Hiram Dam rights), and he concluded that "from a water rights perspective, the city has enough to support...a 40-year window," in line with state planning requirements.
Roper outlined five core questions for the council: how many rights the city has, the city's average use, how much remains, how far remaining rights will go under conservative growth assumptions, and management steps to keep rights secure. He noted one specific right associated with Murray Spring (about 1,400 acre-feet) and said staff are pursuing administrative actions (change applications) to add a newly drilled well as a point of diversion for existing rights. Roper and staff emphasized the plan is a living document and recommended continuing active management of rights and the proof process to maintain certificates.
Council members and staff asked follow-up questions about developed supply versus raw water rights. Scott and Chris said the city's existing wells and recent well development add developed capacity, and that the system currently uses far less than the total rights on paper. The council also discussed system losses — a figure of about 30% system loss was referenced — and members identified leak reduction as a priority to extend usable supply. Roper said the model used conservative growth assumptions; staff said they would continue coordinating with the state engineer and water-rights counsel on proof filings and change applications.
No council action was required that night; staff and consultant said they would incorporate feedback into the living 40-year plan and return with details as projects and change applications progress.
