Know your water.
Every water right, well and parcel on a Montana property, read plainly in one report.
Priority, flow, acres and owner of record for each water right.
Depth, water level and yield from the state well logs.
A clean PDF you can hand to a buyer, lender or attorney.
How it works
Enter the property
One geocode, a whole list, or the landowner's name as it reads on the tax record.
Headgate pulls the record
Water rights from DNRC, parcels and tax classes from the Montana Cadastral, and well logs from the Ground Water Information Center.
You get the report
Every right sorted by priority date, explained in plain English, mapped on aerial imagery, with the problems listed first.
What it catches
The issues that slow a closing or change a price usually sit in plain sight in the public record. Headgate puts them at the top.
Rights in the wrong name. The water still belongs to a prior owner on DNRC's books.
Irrigated ground with no right. The county taxes acres as irrigated, but no irrigation right sits on the geocode.
Issue remarks. DNRC or the Water Court questioned the flow, acres or period of use.
Rights still in adjudication. Terms can change before a final decree.
Inactive or missing rights. Terminated rights, or none on file at all.
Wells and depths. Every logged well on the place with depth, water level and yield.
For anyone who owns, buys or sells land
Pricing
A water snapshot on any property: rights, oldest priority, wells. Free with an email.
One property, one clean report. For landowners and buyers.
20 reports a month, $2 each after. For agents and appraisers.
Unlimited reports for up to 5 users. For brokerages, lenders and title companies.
Every report includes the map, flags, water rights, well logs and parcels.
Questions
Where does the data come from?
Montana DNRC's Water Rights Query System, the Montana Cadastral maintained by the Department of Revenue and Montana State Library, and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Ground Water Information Center. All are public records.
Is this legal advice or a title opinion?
No. Headgate organizes and explains public records so you know what to ask. Confirm every right with DNRC and a water rights attorney before you rely on it.
Does it cover other states?
Montana only for now. Neighboring states will follow once the Montana version proves itself.
How current is the information?
Each report pulls live from the state's systems at the moment you run it, so it is as current as their records.
Search a property
Public records only. Not legal advice, a title opinion or a survey. Confirm with DNRC and a water rights attorney.
Sign in
Enter your email and we'll send you a 6 digit code. No password needed. Water snapshots are free.
Terms of use
Draft for attorney review. Not in effect until reviewed and adopted by the operating company.
1. The service
Headgate gathers public records about Montana land, water rights and wells and presents them in a summary report. Headgate does not create, verify or certify any of those records.
2. Data sources and accuracy
Reports draw on the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Montana Department of Revenue and Montana State Library cadastral data, and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Those agencies provide their data for informational purposes only and do not warrant its accuracy. Records can be incomplete, out of date or wrong, and a water right's terms can change in the adjudication. Headgate's flags are automated comparisons and can miss problems or raise ones that are not real.
3. Not professional advice
A report is not legal advice, a title opinion, an appraisal, a survey or an engineering study. Use it to guide your own due diligence and confirm every material fact with the issuing agency and a qualified professional before buying, selling, lending or filing.
4. Accounts and subscriptions
Your first report is free. Single reports are charged when purchased. Monthly subscriptions renew until canceled and include the reports listed for that plan, with any additional reports billed at the posted rate. You may cancel at any time and keep access through the end of the paid period. Fees already paid are not refunded except where the law requires.
5. Acceptable use
Use Headgate for lawful property research. Do not resell reports in bulk, scrape the service, or use it to harass or target any person.
6. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent the law allows, Headgate is provided as is, without warranties of any kind, and the operating company's total liability for any claim is limited to the fees you paid in the three months before the claim.
7. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Montana.
8. Privacy
Headgate stores your account details and the geocodes you search so it can run and bill the service. It does not sell your information. Searches are not shared with landowners or other users.
9. Changes
We may update these terms and will give notice of material changes before they take effect.