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A North Dakota real estate licensee is advising a client purchasing irrigated farmland in the Red River Valley. The client asks about water rights issues that could affect the property. Which of the following is NOT a water rights concern that a North Dakota licensee should typically address when facilitating an agricultural land transaction?

Correct Answer

D) Whether the buyer can unilaterally change the permitted water use from irrigation to municipal supply without state approval

Changing the purpose or place of use of a water appropriation permit in North Dakota requires approval from the State Water Commission — it cannot be done unilaterally by the buyer. Because this action requires state approval rather than being a concern the licensee must 'address' as part of the transaction due diligence, it is the option that does NOT represent a standard water rights concern a licensee would raise on its own. The licensee's role is to identify existing rights and their status, not to advise that unilateral changes are permissible. This answer also reflects a common misunderstanding: buyers sometimes assume they can freely change permitted water uses after purchase, which is incorrect under North Dakota prior appropriation law.

Answer Options
A
Whether the existing water appropriation permit is appurtenant to the land and will transfer with the property
B
Whether the seller has maintained beneficial use of the permitted water to avoid forfeiture for non-use
C
Whether the property's water rights are senior or junior relative to neighboring appropriators on the same water source
D
Whether the buyer can unilaterally change the permitted water use from irrigation to municipal supply without state approval

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

water_rightsprior_appropriationpermit_transferbeneficial_useseniorityreverse_question

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