Im Not sure how the cowboy water thing works either.( havent has a well drilled - yet& lawyer dble speak confuses me))

But a lot of ppl haul water around here also & some wells can be very expensive- as they have to go very deep. Anyone with a recorded well before you has senior water rights to you i believe( so if there well starts going dry or having problems & they think you & your well are at fault- there are problems)

We have some land( a few 40 acre lots) well north of rawlins( the rattlesnake mtns& pedro mtn areas)that we we where going to get a well drilled on- but never did. We bought those about -13& 16-r 17 yrs ago or soi think ( 2 seperate time/s places anyways ) Very dry areas also..

And we almost boughta 160 acreblock in the rawlins area also about 8-10 yrs ago i think it was - a lot cheaper then 50 k then to.
A lot of new gas wells being drilled in the area i understand.

Many areas ( some more some less)in Wy are dry including where i live( outside of casper)If im not mistaken the rainfall of the area is about equal to the sanora desert(11- 14 inchs)- on a good yr ( not counting snow in that moisture counti dont think) & thats in a good yr & we have been in draught conditions about 7 or so yrs now. Snow pack also is down - it is Dry & then some.

One thing to remember about the rawlins area- it is the great divide basin area- & the red desert is right there.
It is a true desert( about 5 inchs of raina yr i think )& very dry.

Water is not to be taken for granted or lightlyin Wy thats for sure.
There have been water wars in the past here & i can see why..

If all of Wy in the future turned into one big dust /sand pile i wouldnt be to suprized.