LOL, if your property straddled the Colorado River my guess is that it would be debated rather hotly!
I've actually worked a bit on riparian law. In effect, the owner is providing uncompensated collection and transport services. The state expects him to be responsible for "their" water quality when it leaves his property without any compensation for the service.
Effectively the Oregon law socializes every inch of dirt in the State. Let's hope the people figure that out before the bureaucrats take full advantage of it.
Colorado River: Heh heh heh, absolutely. I meant that comment to cover everything from small streams to larger rivers.
The rest of your comments address something along the lines of what I stated in one of my posts. I fully agree with your take on this.
Perhaps this guy should start billing the city every time rain falls on his property. Charge them at the same rate they bill him. If they claim all the water, then they should have to pay him the going rate for every cubic foot of it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2911470/posts?page=13#13