Water rights analysis system

Abstract

Exemplary water rights analysis systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes obtaining water rights data from a water rights agency database, maintaining a database of water rights data, receiving from a user a search query for water rights data, and presenting the search results on the user device. The exemplary method may additionally or alternatively include displaying on the user device one or more graphical elements on a geo-reference base layer representing one or more water rights data elements, such as a point of diversion change. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a water rights analysis system, water rights data from a water rights agency database;   maintaining, by the water rights analysis system, a water rights database comprising the water rights data;   receiving, by a water rights analysis system from a user device, a search query for defining a geographic search area;   searching, by the water rights analysis system, the water rights database to identify relevant water rights data, the relevant water rights data comprising water rights data for water rights having one or more geo-referenced water rights data elements located within the geographic search area; and   presenting, by the water rights analysis system, the relevant water rights data for display on the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 searching, by the water rights analysis system in response to the receiving, the water rights database to identify at least one match to the search query;   determining, by the water rights analysis system, a geographic starting point location based on the at least one match to the search query; and   defining, by the water rights analysis system, the geographic search area based on the geographic starting point location.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the search query comprises a water rights data search query or a direct geographic search query. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the water rights data search query comprises an owner name or a water right reference number. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the direct geographic search query comprises a user placement of a marker on a geo-reference base layer, an address, a parcel number, or a section, township and range entry. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the searching the water rights database to identify the relevant water rights data comprises searching the water rights data associated with a hydrologic basin in which the geographic starting point location is located. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises displaying, on a geo-reference base layer, one or more graphical elements representing one or more geo-referenced water rights data elements of one or more relevant water rights represented by the relevant water rights data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more graphical elements comprises at least one of a placemark representing a point of diversion, a polygon representing a place of use, a change line representing a change in a point of diversion, a change line representing a change in a place of use, and an exchange line representing a water right exchange. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the change line includes one or more end shape identifiers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 a starting endpoint of the change line is located at one of a heretofore point of diversion of a relevant water right included in the one or more relevant water rights, an average of the heretofore points of diversion of the relevant water right having multiple heretofore points of diversion, and an intelligent average of the heretofore points of diversion of the relevant water right having multiple heretofore points of diversion; and   a terminal endpoint of the change line is located at one of a hereafter point of diversion of the relevant water right, an average of the hereafter points of diversion of the relevant water right having multiple hereafter points of diversion, and an intelligent average of the hereafter points of diversion of the relevant water right having multiple hereafter points of diversion.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more graphical elements are configured to be selectively removed from the geo-reference base layer by a user of the user device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more graphical elements are configured to selectively display additional water rights data associated with the relevant water rights. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the geo-reference base layer comprises a map, a satellite image, or an aerial image. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the presenting further comprises displaying a results table including the water rights data associated with the relevant water rights, wherein the results table is customizable by a user of the user device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 translating, by the water rights analysis system, the water rights data obtained from the water rights agency database.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by the water rights analysis system, one or more filters for selective application by a user, the one or more filters including filter criteria corresponding to water rights data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the water rights analysis system from the user device, a selective application of at least one of the one or more filters,   wherein the relevant water rights data represents the water rights that satisfy the at least one of the one or more filters.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a user device from a user, user input comprising a search query for defining a geographic search area;   transmitting, by the user device, the search query to a water rights analysis system; and   receiving, by the user device from the water rights analysis system, data representative of a geo-reference base layer and a geographic search area and one or more graphical elements representing one or more geo-referenced water rights data elements of one or more relevant water rights; and   displaying, by the user device, the geo-reference base layer with the geographic search area and the one or more graphical elements,   wherein the one or more relevant water rights have at least one geo-referenced water rights data element located within the geographic search area.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more graphical elements comprises one or more change lines representing a change in a point of diversion or a change in a place of use of at least one of the relevant water rights.