This Man Went to Prison for Collecting Rainwater

That guy wasn't just collecting rainwater, he dammed and diverted a stream to make 3 reservoirs with 13 million gallons on his property which he then stocked with fish. Then he defied court orders to drain it back into the stream for years until the court had enough.

Diverting streams for your own use is illegal pretty much everywhere.

Oh well, that's one advantage of living on the shore of Lake Michigan, no water shortage here!

Ok, but what about others, that woman and those "garden of Eden" hippies that got swatted? Why don't authorities tolerate independence?

Water out west has always been a huge issue, as are water rights. Many different laws govern this, and there are also compacts between the states governing this. Colorado law, for example, forbids rain barrels but has exemptions for certain areas. But if you are served by a municipal water system or are in a designated water basin area you cannot collect the rain that falls on your roof or property.

It might sound draconian but it does make sense, while one water barrel has negligible effect on downstream flow in aggregate it can have a significant effect and diminish the water supply to those downstream with water rights. As it is so much water is diverted from the Colorado River that is no longer even flows to the sea!

Thank you for a satisfying answer.

It's amazing that someone else is watching "russian propaganda machine" hehe