You are correct, water is blood and life in the West and people will fight over it to the death. I looked at some retirement places in the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula less than 10 years ago when they were relatively cheap and stayed on the market for a long time. A place with a little ditch that has water rights is golden.
Considering what has happened up there since covid I'm mostly happy I stayed where I am. People are loving the area to death and they will run out of water. Never mind how much property taxes have gone up.
IN THE WEST:
WHISKEY IS FOR DRINKING——
WATER IS FOR FIGHTING OVER