BIG TIMBER — It’s a story we’ve been covering for a few months now: water controversy surrounding Crazy Mountain Ranch.
If you’re unfamiliar, in 2024, the ranch began to irrigate a new 18-hole golf course, according to the state, without proper water rights. Local ranchers got upset, a lawsuit was filed by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and I’m sure you’re familiar with the rest.
Last week, I told you how Crazy Mountain Ranch has been outsourcing water. They purchased 1,646,400 gallons of water from the City of Big Timber—until the city council decided to halt water sales on August 11.
“Can you tell me when Crazy Mountain first reached out to you guys?” I asked Trevor Campbell.
“It was a little less than a month ago. They started hauling water on August 11,” replied Trevor.
Trevor Campbell is the manager of Utility Solutions. They own the Four Corners-area water rights, controlling the private water supply through the Four Corners Water and Sewer District treatment plant.
So, for the last few weeks, that’s where Crazy Mountain Ranch has been getting its water from. Five days a week, 30,000 gallons are loaded up and shipped nearly 50 miles away to irrigate that controversial golf course.
“
I believe they were using trucks that can haul 6,500 gallons. So, they were running almost five trucks a day, five days a week...
,” shared Trevor.
Crazy Mountain Ranch is getting around 145,000 gallons weekly, at a rate of $50 per 1,000 gallons. But I realized, when CMR was getting water from Big Timber, they purchased over one million gallons over the course of a few weeks. That was a lot more water than they’re purchasing from Four Corners. So, after some digging and a quick call over to the owner of Bullock Contracting LLC, the company hauling water to Crazy Mountain Ranch, I learned they’re also getting water from the city of Boulder—a city more than 100 miles away from the ranch—as well as the town of Columbus, Montana.
WATCH: Crazy Mountain Ranch has turned to an unexpected source just outside Bozeman
On Monday, the city of Big Timber crafted a new bulk water policy, which would allow CMR to purchase water at a new rate of $20 per 1,000 gallons. According to Bullock Contracting, they have yet to return to Big Timber. CMR continues to purchase from Boulder and Four Corners. I reached out to Crazy Mountain Ranch about these recent developments. They told me they would not be commenting on the matter at this time.
As for Four Corners, I asked Trevor if Utility Solutions has enough water to sustain bulk water sales.
“Yes. I mean, we have a large permitted volume of supply water that is certainly unused. There’s effectively no impact on the aquifer for us,” said Trevor.
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