Who owns water? The US landowners putting barbed wire across rivers
by Cassidy Randall from Environment | The Guardian on (#3J834)
New Mexico is a battleground in the fight over once public waterways, sparking fears it could set a national precedent
As Scott Carpenter and a few friends paddled down the Pecos river in New Mexico last May, taking advantage of spring run-off, the lead boater yelled out and made a swirling hand motion over his head in the universal signal to pull over to shore. The paddlers eddied out in time to avoid running straight through three strings of barbed wire obstructing the river.
Swinging in the wind, the sign hanging from the fence read "PRIVATE PROPERTY: No Trespassing".
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