Mesquite Market

Leading the way to higher food production utilizing less water and energy is a lofty goal to feed the increasingly hungry world. As the population expands demand will increase energy and fresh water use are both exponentially becoming critical to humanities ability to not only survive but save our planet.

Food production requires both energy and water. Quality food production without growth hormones, pesticides, and many other types of toxins has become high priority for many consumers. Look at Whole Foods success and the organic food craze. Who in the world would not choose a healthier diet given the opportunity?

So how do we get from old traditional farming techniques to a more efficient, productive, resource conserving food producing world? Can the free market with innovation and capitalism driven by consumer demand really make the numbers work? New innovative irrigation technology has made huge strides in recent years in both production and water consumption. We all know the government spending our money, picking winners and losers is not the answer, it up to you and me.

From the beginning of cultivation and farming, they have lived and died by the fickle and unpredictable weather, praying for rain, cursing floods and drought. Weather affects crops to the extreme. Our world weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable. You can not argue with the statistics, the ice caps are melting and the last ten years have had record warm temperatures. Drought currently grips much of the world. The weather has the potential to put world food supplies at extremely vulnerable levels in the near future.

Drought and flooding today is having a dramatic affect on food production in Europe, China, Africa, America, and Russia

As the wealth effect spreads throughout the emerging markets, protein is in increasingly higher demand. This is not a fad; China and India are demanding more beef, pork, dairy, and poultry. These countries consist of billions of consumers; all who would like to eat more like Americans, less rice! The middle class in these countries is exploding and they now have the discretionary income to demand higher quality foods. China has 20 percent of the world’s population and only 7 percent of the arable farm land. They have a serious problem with drought right now compounding their dilemma.

At the same time the aquifers of the world are dropping. Much of the world’s food production is not only subject to fickle weather patterns requiring the pumping ground water. This resource may be a far greater problem than peak oil. It is a combination of dwindling availability and contamination.

The average cow will drink 30 to 50 gallons of fresh water or a bath tub full per day, and eat up 90 pounds of feed. Hogs or pork production is not much different. Growing corn requires nearly 3000 gallons of water per bushel, Alfalfa requires about one acre foot per ton of hay, which is 325,851 gallons of fresh water per ton. These farm animals are the only source of the beef and pork the world demands. Cows are of course the primary source of dairy. All protein rich foods.

Speaking of the cattle, pork, and dairy industries, if you think you can keep antibiotics out of animals, dairy, and farming, you are dreaming. Prior to penicillin people regularly died from simple infections. You or some of the people you love would be dead today if you had been denied antibiotics.

So this brings us to the balance of the human food sources, fruits, vegetables, and grains. None of these grow without fresh water and good quality arable farm ground. Arable farm is a shrinking natural resource world wide. Aquifers world wide are dropping and irrigation pumping restrictions and reductions are becoming common in some of the most fertile and productive growing areas in the world.

The world will reward richly those who can produce quality food utilizing less water, less energy, and less land, or better yet turn today‘s unproductive lands into food producing regions.

Nevada has abundant affordable land, sunshine, and excellent solar intensity. Much of this land does not produce crops today. Can geothermal climate control coupled with solar, heat and cool green houses? Can hydroponics growing techniques reduce water consumption? Is it possible to eliminate the weather risk and seasonal limitations in farming by bringing farming indoors?

There are many ways you protect yourself and help solve the inevitable food and water shortages. Build your own greenhouse, get some egg laying chickens, get involved in your community gardening program or help develop one. Become educated about water consumption and use. Plant a garden. Move to a small farm .

If you are interested in the business opportunity utilizing affordable land to bring food production indoors in Nevada, call Chris W. Miller at 435-862-5951. We have the business plans, water rights, and the land.

Chris W. Miller

Independence Realty

435-862-5951

702-733-9337

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market

Nevada Water Rights

Excerpts from Southwest Hydrology September/October 2008, with some Commentary!

Early in U.S. history, public policy was fashioned to encourage settlement of the West. Laws such as the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Desert Lands Act of 1877 were framed to transfer government land to settlers. In 1902 the Reclamation Act provided funding for construction and maintenance of western irrigation projects. In its first annual report (1903), Reclamation had this to say” so that the remaining public lands will furnish the greatest possible number of homes, is an object worthy of the sustained effort of enlightened and patriotic citizens”. The public works that followed included such things as Hoover Dam, Shasta Dam, Newlands project, Yuma Project, Klamath project, Hetchy Aqueduct, and many more. With the 1902 Reclamation act the face of the West was changed forever. It must be pointed out and understood, these efforts and projects were directed at irrigation needs, based on a population that farmed for a living. Nothing like the urban shifts projected today!

Basin and Range Carbonite Aquifer System Study

What is a Water Table?

NASA Data Reveal Major Groundwater Loss in California

Groundwater Depletion Rate Accelerating Worldwide

Then came the drought-at a magnitude that had no probability of occurring, according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation models based on a century of historical data. Sorry science guys, in the big picture, a century of data, barely counts as a data base.

In the blink of an eye, half a decades work to manage the Colorado River and meet the supply requirement and commitments has faded, as have the water levels in the Colorado River’s two prime reservoirs. Lake Mead and Lake Powell.   Today science is telling to expect less in the furture.

Lake Powell Water Levels

The opportunity to own water rights in this arid region, especially at today’s prices will soon go by the way side. This offering price is currently subject to change without notice.

Some of our Blog Sites

Irrigated Nevada Farm and Ranch Land Blog

Land in Nevada Blog

Water Rights in Nevada Blog

We have cattle ranches with live springs filling stock tanks to water the cattle, and the ranch owns those water rights. We have sections of land with irrigation pivots watering grains like wheat and barley, as well as potatoes, and alfalfa. These irrigation pivots are fed from wells on the land and the farmers own those water rights.

Is Las Vegas going to run out of water? Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Water Problem.

May 26, 2010
I attended the Southern Nevada (CCIM) Certified Commercial Investment Managers Chapter monthly meeting at the Rio in Las Vegas. I went for one reason, the title and speaker, “

How You May Be Impacted by Nevada’s Water Supply” presented by Pat Mulroy. Mrs. Mulroy is the general manager of Southern Nevada Water Authority.

As a long time real estate professional who specializes in agricultural land with water rights in Nevada, I talk with Nevada’s farmers and ranchers’ everyday; I was shocked by the introduction.

The lady introducing Mrs. Mulroy said about her, among other things, how wonderful she is, how hard she works, how powerful she is, and then she said, “and something I’ll bet none of you know about her, She HATES COWS”.

Mrs. Mulroy took the stage and went on to say “anything that dumb and big has to be dangerous” referring to cattle. The friendly crowd of men and women dressed in suits and ties laughed.

I on the other hand, immediately took umbrage, and thought to myself, I wonder if this lady realizes where the food in the grocery store comes from.

I took notes the whole time she talked.

Her presentation seemed to me to be based on the fear factor.

She talked about snow pack in Colorado this past winter being at 67% of normal. She talked about continuing drought conditions.

She explained that Lake Mead is running an annual deficit of approximately 2.7 million acre feet this year. There are 8.2 million acre feet coming in and 10.9 million acre feet going out.

Mrs. Mulroy explained the Lake Mead water level measurements  with future projections.

But first let me give you a little history, from 1939 to 2003 Lake Mead averaged 1173 foot elevation, the high water or maximum point for Lake Mead is 1229.

Today it stands at about 1094. Since the canyon narrows as it descends, the water level drops faster and faster as it is over drafted, so expect the drop to accelerate.

Mrs. Mulroy explained that at the 1088 foot elevation level they could lose the upper intake for the water supply to Boulder City and 40% of Las Vegas’s supply. 

She said, “At 1050 Hoover Dam stops generating power and that the dam supplies all of the electricity to Overton Power and Lincoln County Power.”

 At 1000 Vegas loses the lower intake that would literally cut off 90% of the water supply to Las Vegas and all of the water supply to Boulder City.

Work has begun on a so called third straw.  This so called third straw has been referred to as a bath tub drain.

Michael Johnson, Virgin Valley Water District hydrologist, told me years ago the aquifer that runs under our Mesquite Valley travels under Lake Mead, could they tap into it?

Pat Mulroy said, “SNWA will be utilizing all the water rights it owns or controls in the Virgin River, which runs through Mesquite/Bunkerville and the Muddy River in Moapa/Overton”.

She stated that, Southern Nevada Water Association uses approximately 9.5 million acre feet per year, (that sounds like ten times too much to me) and once Lake Mead goes below 1025 there are only 4 to 5 million acre feet of water left in the reservoir.

She said the Lincoln and White Pine Counties pipeline will start construction in 2012 if the lake goes below 1075, period!

Her facts can be verified at:  http://www.snwa.com/html/wr_resource_plan.html 

She said ”If I have to set up a cot in Harry Reid’s office, I will stay until I get a permanent chair”. I did not know Harry passed out water rights! That job belongs to the State Engineer.

She said “the hyperbole (hyper exaggerations) coming from rural Nevadan’s about their water table concerns was childish.” She went on to say “the rural Nevada farmers and ranchers are being Pig Headed.”

She referenced a recent USGS Basin and Range study  that she claims shows plenty of extra water. I have not yet located any completed study.

What makes you think they will stop in White Pine County?

When I asked, she said the reason for the huge draw down or overdraft, according to a recent NASA study in California’s Central Valley was the result of farmers irrigating and lack of government regulation. New space observations reveal that since October 2003, the aquifers for California’s primary agricultural region — the Central Valley — and its major mountain water source — the Sierra Nevada — have lost nearly enough water combined to fill Lake Mead, America’s largest reservoir.

Finally for the record, she said “there are plenty of un-appropriated water rights in Nevada and the Snake Basin is next in her sights.”

She appears to me to be dead set on tapping into and draining rural East Central and Northern Nevada, Western Utah and Southern Idaho’s aquifers to supply Las Vegas.

 They did it to Pahrump, Nevada

When I questioned her, she lashed out at me, “Do you have a better idea?”

She said to watch for a favorable Moodys Rating Agency report coming out that should help support project financing in Las Vegas. I wonder if Moodys knows any thing about water. Remember the rating agencies said the Mortgage Backed Securities were safe and secure too.

She may be powerful, but based on her comments, attitude and general demeanor; clearly she is not as sharp as you would expect!

That does not mean you should underestimate her ability or determination to get this done.

You can learn more about me by searching “Irrigated Nevada farm and ranch land with water rights for sale” on any search engine. 

Land in Nevada

Nevada Ranch Properties

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Water Rights

Mesquite Nevada Real Estate Market

Are you unsure if all the hype about water and food shortages in the future is real or just?

The science is mounting and it is not any one single cause or source. You may not buy into global warming or maybe you do and just do not believe it is man caused. Either way drought is real.

As mentioned the science is mounting in favor of serious problems in coming decades for mankind’s ability to provide adequate fresh drinking water and food to the increasing billions of us on the planet.

In previous blogs I have referenced National Geographic’s April 2010 Special Issue, “Water Our Thirsty World”. They clearly believe we have a problem already in many parts of the world including parts of the United States.

A new study called, the gravity recovery and climate experiment, or GRACE shows the following.

“Combined, California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin drainage basins have shed more than 30 cubic kilometers of water since late 2003, said Jay Famiglietti, UCI Earth system science professor and director of the UC Center for Hydrologic Modeling. A cubic kilometer is about 264.2 billion gallons, enough to fill 400,000 Olympic-size pools. The bulk of the loss occurred in the state’s agricultural Central Valley. The Central Valley depends on irrigation from both groundwater wells and diverted surface water.

“GRACE data reveal groundwater in these basins is being pumped for irrigation at rates that are not sustainable if current trends continue,” Famiglietti said. “This is leading to declining water tables, water shortages, decreasing crop sizes and continued land subsidence. The findings have major implications for the U.S. economy, as California’s Central Valley is home to one-sixth of all U.S. irrigated land and the state leads the nation in agricultural production and exports.”

The loss is nearly enough to fill Lake Mead, America’s largest reservoir and Las Vegas Nevada’s primary water source. The Central Valley’s major source of water comes from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Source: University of California - Irvine (2009, December 15). California’s troubled waters: Satellite-based findings reveal significant groundwater loss in Central Valley. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/12/091214152022.htm

Next week I will be attending a luncheon in Las Vegas;
How You May be Impacted by Nevada’s Water SupplyPresentation by: Pat Mulroy
General Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority

I will report what she has to say about our water in Nevada.

Chris W. Miller
Independence Realty
435-862-5951
Land in Nevada
Nevada Ranch Properties
Lincoln County Land Market
Nevada Water Rights
Mesquite Nevada Real Estate Market

Home Buyers sitting on the Fence Should Know This

Currently FHA has been playing a large role in home mortgage lending. The relatively easy to qualify for and low down payment requirements have made FHA loans attractive to many of today’s home buyers, FHA Does not actually Loan money to home buyers, but insures lenders against default on loans that meet FHA criteria.

Some rules changes are on the way to FHA guidelines. They will include higher upfront insurance premium, current buyers pay 1.75% of the loan amount that will go to 2.25%, that will be the second increase in two years.

The current value of the FHA’s reserves to cover losses has fallen to $3.6 billion, less than.05% of the roughly $680 billion in loans outstanding, down from 3% a year earlier.

In addition the agency may ask for buyers to pay annual premiums. FHA runs a risk of coming up short and may be forced to go to congress to ask for a bail out of its own for the first time in history.

Today only a 3.5% down payment is required on FHA loans. There has been much criticism, that FHA is only prolonging the current crisis, and even creating a new bubble of buyers unable to afford the home they are buying.

There is speculation FHA will increase the required down payment to ten percent, this idea is supported by many housing analysts. As well reducing the amount sellers can contribute to the costs of sale for the buyer from 6% to 3%.

That seller’s contribution has undoubtedly lead to inflated pricing to give the seller the funds to pay the buyers costs. This artificial inflating of prices to allow people to buy homes by paying their down payments and closing costs sounds the reverse of what the market needs right now.

For now Mesquite Nevada real estate home buyers still have USDA financing available, a low down payment program. It could be gone with the 2010 census if we have grown above the 20,000 population mark.

Chris W. Miller has 33 years in the real estate industry, was trained and worked as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and currently specializes in Irrigated Nevada land with water rights with ERA Brokers Consolidated in Mesquite Nevada. He can be reached at 702-346-7200 or chris@mesquitemarket.com
Chris W. Miller

Chris W. Miller

ERA Brokers Consolidated

Mesquite NV 89027

702- 346-7200

435-862-5951

Mesquite Market

chris@mesquitemarket.com

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Ranch Properties

When the well runs dry
Las Vegas depends on Lake Mead, the Colorado River for its water supply. So do the other six states that are parties to theColorado River Pact of 1922. California grows much of the produce you eat.

The Ogallala has been over drafted for the last 60 years and it will not last forever. From the North Plains District,
The Ogallala Aquifer within the boundaries of the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District is declining at an average of 1.74 feet per year (1,082,631 acre ft). Could the well run dry and if so what next?
Can they conserve and save it?

The Memphis Alluvial along the Mississippi River is being over drafted to the extreme in places, who would have thought this part of the country would have water issues.

Washington State certainly gets plenty of rain how could they have water problems? Yet
Washington State has an aquifer in trouble.

While they argue about global warming at the Copenhagen Global Warming conference and the politicians figure out cap and tax, our ground water,
our aquifers, are in trouble all over the country.

Water rights in Nevada are owned as an appurtenance to the land.

If you would like to learn more about Nevada Ranch land and Nevada’s Irrigated Farm land market,

Chris W. Miller specializes in this area of the real estate business, this is a specialized Business.

Dedicated Land Professionals with the Answers You Need.

Nevada Land opportunities in Irrigated Farm and Ranch Land with Water Rights.

Water Rights For Sale on Irrigated Nevada Farms and Ranch Land

1200 Acre Ranch with Live springs and Water Rights

4.5 sections, 17 Wells, 18 Pivots Irrigated Farm

2000 Acres Irrigated, 10 Wells, Nice Nevada Farm Land

1000 Deeded, 33,479 Acre Grazing Lease Cattle Ranch With Water Rights

266 Acres, 821 Acre Feet of Ground Water Rights, BLM Grazing Leases

These are a sampling of the types of Nevada Ranch properties available. For more information on Nevada Farm and Ranch Land Call Chris

Chris W. Miller

ERA Brokers Consolidated

Mesquite NV 89027

702- 346-7200

435-862-5951

Mesquite Market

chris@mesquitemarket.com

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Ranch Properties

Nevada Ranches and Farms, in general own their water rights. These water rights are sold as an appurtenance to the land.

Land in Nevada without water can be desolate. Most every Nevada Ranch and Farm has water rights. For more information on Nevada water rights the Nevada State Engineers office is your best bet. The State Engineers office regulates and controls water rights in Nevada.

Water rights being sold with Nevada farms and ranches may be for irrigation, livestock watering, or domestic use. It may come from live springs, artesian wells or be pumped ground water. Regardless the use or source, they must have have water rights to utilize that water. Some Nevada ranches own water rights located on public lands and have BLM grazing leases.

A single household can use a domestic well without any special rights. Nevada ranch property and farms need certified water rights.

Water in Nevada is scarce, a valuable resource to be protected and managed. Fresh water around the world is becoming a coveted commodity.  Nevada’s Irrigated Farms and Ranch land with water rights provide food for the world, and jobs as well as a quality lifestyle for those who operate them.

Since the State of Nevada has more public land than any other in the lower 48, privately owned Nevada Farms and Ranches tend to be few and far between. Again land in Nevada without water tends to be rather barren.

The State of Nevada is divided into water basins, many basins are closed to any future allocations. They will not issue additional permits in these areas to use the water resources. While demand increases, supply is very limited.

If you would like to learn more about Nevada Ranch land and Nevada’s Irrigated Farm land market,

Chris W. Miller specializes in this area of the real estate business, this is a specialized Business.

Dedicated Land Professionals with the Answers You Need.

Nevada Land opportunities in Irrigated Farm and Ranch Land with Water Rights.

 Land in Nevada Blog 

Water Rights For Sale on Irrigated Nevada Farms and Ranch Land

 1200 Acre Ranch with Live springs and Water Rights 

 4.5 sections, 17 Wells, 18 Pivots Irrigated Farm

2000 Acres Irrigated, 10 Wells, Nice Nevada Farm Land

1000 Deeded, 33,479 Acre Grazing Lease Cattle Ranch With Water Rights

266 Acres, 821 Acre Feet of Ground Water Rights, BLM Grazing Leases

These are a sampling of the types of Nevada Ranch properties available. For more information on Nevada Farm and Ranch Land Call Chris

Chris W. Miller

ERA Brokers Consolidated

Mesquite NV  89027

702- 346-7200

435-862-5951

Mesquite Market

chris@mesquitemarket.com

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Ranch Properties

Fortune magazine, June 22, 2009 issue has a good article on “Why Farm Land is Hot”. Why ETF’s are investing today for the long haul on the food and water shortages in our future. From 1960 to 2000 the world went from over one acre of arable land per person to just over a half acre of arable land per person.

Growing populations and the shrinking supply of arable land will be a key focus of humanity as millions starve in the not too distant future. Water in many locations is the key to food production.

Water rights in Nevada are our most valuable resource. Irrigated agricultural land is available and the prices are increasing. Many basins in Nevada are closed to any future additional water rights; the supply side is very limited and will not increase. While demand continues to grow, with or without future housing developments.

We have cattle ranches with live springs filling stock tanks to water the cattle, and the ranch owns those water rights. We have sections of land with irrigation pivots watering grains like wheat and barley, as well as potatoes, and alfalfa. These irrigation pivots are fed from wells on the land and the farmers own those water rights.

Many farmers are willing to pay handsome lease payments to farm this ground, offering good rates of return to investors. You can own a half full strip mall with falling rents and potential future higher vacancy rates, or farm land with water rights.

If you have the means and are still not sure of the future demand, check out what the executives from some the nation’s largest agricultural companies have to say about the future demand.

Chris W. Miller

ERA Brokers Consolidated

Mesquite NV  89027

702- 346-7200

435-862-5951

Mesquite Market

chris@mesquitemarket.com

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Ranch Properties

Interested in the future of Real Estate development and agribusiness in Nevada? 

Look closely at the water supply. 

Southern Nevada Water Authority is planning a 327 mile pipeline to bring more water to the Las Vegas Valley at a cost of 3.5 billion dollars. This fact alone should tell you something about the available supply.

Whether it is climate change, normal drought,  or increased demand, the future for water’s value has only one way to go. One thing is certain, we can not live with out it.

Some say water will be more valuable than oil to future generations. At the most basic level it already is.

Nevada Water Resources is sponsoring a dinner September 22, 2009, “Water Crisis in California: Challenges Faced by Metropolitan Water District to Adapt to Long-term Water Curtailments”.

The term “prior appropriation” when it comes to water rights in Nevada could become very meaningful to those who may be asked to turn off the pumps. The State Engineers Office states it this way;

Nevada’s first water statute was enacted in 1866 and has been amended many times since then. Today, the law serves the people of Nevada by managing the state’s valuable water resources in a fair and equitable manner. Nevada water law has the flexibility to accommodate new and growing uses of water in Nevada while protecting those who have used the water in the past.

Nevada water law is based on two fundamental concepts: prior appropriation and beneficial use. Prior appropriation (also known as “first in time, first in right”) allows for the orderly use of the state’s water resources by granting priority to senior water rights. This concept ensures the senior uses are protected, even as new uses for water are allocated.

Irrigated Farm Land and Ranching operations in Nevada generally own their water rights.  Farm and Ranch properties like  Diamond Springs Ranch,  Flatnose Ranch,  Adams Peak,  Eden Valley, and others like the 265 acres in Lincoln County are all opportunities to own water rights.

Areas of the state that are projected to experience explosive growth in the future in Lincoln County Nevada,   often referred to as transition land.

If you would like to learn more about Nevada land for sale with water rights, I am here to serve you.

Please call Chris W. Miller at ERA Brokers Consolidated 435-862-5951 or702-346-7200
 

Chris W. Miller

ERA Brokers Consolidated

Mesquite NV  89027

702- 346-7200

435-862-5951

Mesquite Market

chris@mesquitemarket.com

Lincoln County Land Market

Nevada Ranch Properties