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WATER AND LAND ASSETS | 12 Months Ended
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Aug. 31, 2021
WATER AND LAND ASSETS [Abstract] |
WATER AND LAND ASSETS | NOTE 4 – WATER AND LAND ASSETS Investment in Water and Water Systems The Company’s water and water systems consist of the following: ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | August 31, 2021 | ​ | August 31, 2020
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | Accumulated | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | Accumulated
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | Depreciation | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | Depreciation
​ |  | Costs |  | and Depletion |  | Costs |  | and Depletion
​ | ​ | (In thousands)
Rangeview water supply | ​ | $ | 14,622 | ​ | $ | (17) | ​ | $ | 14,570 | ​ | $ | (15)
Sky Ranch water rights and other costs | ​ |  | 7,338 | ​ |  | (1,087) | ​ |  | 7,499 | ​ |  | (981)
Fairgrounds water and water system | ​ |  | 2,900 | ​ |  | (1,327) | ​ |  | 2,900 | ​ |  | (1,239)
Rangeview water system | ​ |  | 17,526 | ​ |  | (1,470) | ​ |  | 15,948 | ​ |  | (789)
Water supply – Other | ​ |  | 7,569 | ​ |  | (1,433) | ​ |  | 7,550 | ​ |  | (1,116)
Wild Pointe service rights | ​ |  | 1,632 | ​ |  | (775) | ​ |  | 1,632 | ​ |  | (708)
Sky Ranch pipeline | ​ |  | 5,727 | ​ |  | (793) | ​ |  | 5,727 | ​ |  | (602)
Lost Creek water supply | ​ |  | 3,374 | ​ |  | — | ​ |  | 3,372 | ​ |  | —
Construction in progress | ​ |  | 3,304 | ​ |  | — | ​ |  | 1,339 | ​ |  | —
Totals | ​ |  | 63,992 | ​ |  | (6,902) | ​ |  | 60,537 | ​ |  | (5,450)
Net investments in water and water systems | ​ | $ | 57,090 | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | $ | 55,087 | ​ | ​ | ​
​ Construction in progress primarily consists of the development of the Box Elder water project, the BTR houses and the Sky Ranch residential and commercial development. The Company anticipates the projects will be placed in service during fiscal 2022. Depletion and Depreciation During the years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded an immaterial amount of depletion charges, which relates entirely to the Rangeview Water Supply (as defined below). During the years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded $1.8 million and $1.7 million of depreciation expense. These figures include $0.3 million and $0.4 million of depreciation expense for other equipment not included in the table above in the fiscal years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020. The following table presents the estimated useful lives by asset class used for calculating depreciation and depletion charges: ​
​ | ​ | ​
Assets Classes |  | Estimated Useful Lives
Wild Pointe |  | Units of production depletion
Rangeview water supply |  | Units of production depletion
Lost Creek water supply |  | Units of production depletion
Rangeview, Sky Ranch and WISE water systems |  | 30 years
ECCV wells |  | 10 years
Furniture and fixtures |  | 5 years
Trucks and heavy equipment |  | 5 years
Water system general (pumps, valves, etc.) |  | 5 years
Computers |  | 3 years
Water equipment |  | 3 years
Software |  | 1 year
​ Rangeview Water Supply and Water System The “Rangeview Water Supply” consists of approximately 27,000 acre-feet and is a combination of tributary surface water and groundwater rights along with certain storage rights associated with the Lowry Range, a 26,000-acre property owned by the Land Board located 16 miles southeast of Denver, Colorado. As of August 31, 2021, the Company has invested $17.9 million in facilities to extend water service to customers located on and off the Lowry Range. The recorded costs of the Rangeview Water Supply include payments to the sellers of the Rangeview Water Supply, design and construction costs and certain direct costs related to improvements to the asset, including legal and engineering fees. The Company acquired the Rangeview Water Supply in 1996 pursuant to the following agreements:
| ● | 1996 Amended and Restated Lease Agreement between the Land Board and the Rangeview District, which was superseded by the 2014 Amended and Restated Lease Agreement, dated July 10, 2014 (the “Lease”), between the Company, the Land Board, and the Rangeview District;
| ● | The 1996 Service Agreement between the Company and the Rangeview District, which was superseded by the Amended and Restated Service Agreement, dated July 11, 2014, between the Company and the Rangeview District (the “Lowry Service Agreement”), which provides for the provision of water service to the Rangeview District’s customers located on the Lowry Range;
| ● | The Agreement for Sale of non-tributary and not non-tributary groundwater between the Company and the Rangeview District (the “Export Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company purchased a portion of the Rangeview Water Supply referred to as the “Export Water” because the Export Agreement allows the Company to export water from the Lowry Range to supply water to nearby communities; and
| ● | The 1997 Wastewater Service Agreement between the Company and Rangeview District (the “Lowry Wastewater Agreement”), which allows the Company to provide wastewater service to the Rangeview District’s customers on the Lowry Range.
The Lease, the Lowry Service Agreement, the Export Agreement, and the Lowry Wastewater Agreement are collectively referred to as the “Rangeview Water Agreements.” In August 2019, the Company purchased approximately 300 acre-feet of fully consumptive surface water in the Lost Creek Designated Ground Water Basin (“Lost Creek Water”). The Lost Creek Water is currently adjudicated for agricultural use, and the Company has filed an application with the Colorado water court to change the use of the water to augment its municipal/industrial water supplies at the Lowry Range. The Company has consolidated the Lost Creek Water with the Rangeview Water Supply to provide service to the Rangeview District’s customers both on and off the Lowry Range. Pursuant to the Rangeview Water Agreements, the Company owns 11,650 acre-feet of water consisting of 10,000 acre-feet of groundwater and 1,650 acre-feet of average yield surface water which can be exported off the Lowry Range to serve area users (referred to as “Export Water”). The 1,650 acre-feet of surface rights are subject to completion of documentation by the Land Board related to the Company’s exercise of its right to substitute an aggregate gross volume of 165,000 acre-feet of its groundwater for 1,650 acre-feet per year of adjudicated surface water and to use this surface water as Export Water. Additionally, assuming completion of the substitution of groundwater for surface water, the Company has the exclusive right to provide water and wastewater service, through 2081, to all water users on the Lowry Range and the right to develop an additional 13,685 acre-feet of groundwater and 1,650 acre-feet of adjudicated surface water to serve customers either on or off the Lowry Range. The Rangeview Water Agreements also provide for the Company to use surface reservoir storage capacity in providing water service to customers both on and off the Lowry Range. Services on the Lowry Range – Pursuant to the Rangeview Water Agreements, the Company designs, finances, constructs, operates and maintains the Rangeview District’s water and wastewater systems to provide service to the Rangeview District’s customers on the Lowry Range. The Company will operate both the water and the wastewater systems during the contract period, and the Rangeview District owns both systems. After 2081, ownership of the water system will revert to the Land Board, with the Rangeview District retaining ownership of the wastewater system. Rates and charges for all water and wastewater services on the Lowry Range, including tap fees and usage or monthly fees, are governed by the terms of the Rangeview Water Agreements. Rates and charges cannot exceed the average of similar rates and charges of three surrounding municipal water and wastewater service providers, which are reassessed annually. Pursuant to the Rangeview Water Agreements, the Land Board receives a royalty of 10% or 12% of gross revenues from the sale or disposition of the water, depending on the nature and location of the purchaser of the water, except that the royalty on tap fees shall be 2% (other than taps sold for Sky Ranch which are exempt). The Company also is required to pay the Land Board a minimum annual water production fee of $45,600 per year, which offsets earned royalties, and annual rent of $8,400 which amount is increased every five years based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Customers. The Rangeview District retains 2% of the remaining revenues, and the Company receives 98% of the remaining revenues after the Land Board royalty. The Land Board does not receive a royalty on wastewater fees. The Company receives 100% of the Rangeview District’s wastewater tap fees and 90% of the Rangeview District’s wastewater treatment fees (the Rangeview District retains the other 10%). Export Water – The Company owns the Export Water and intends to use it to provide wholesale water and wastewater services to customers off the Lowry Range, including customers of the Rangeview District and other governmental entities and industrial and commercial customers. The Company will own all wholesale facilities required to extend water and wastewater services using its Export Water. The Company anticipates contracting with third parties for the construction of these facilities. If the Company sells Export Water, the Company is required to pay royalties to the Land Board ranging from 10% to 12% of gross revenues, except that the royalty on tap fees shall be 2% (other than taps sold for Sky Ranch which are exempt). WISE The WISE Partnership Agreement provides for the purchase of certain infrastructure (i.e., pipelines, water storage facilities, water treatment facilities, and other appurtenant facilities) to deliver water to and among the ten members of the SMWA, Denver Water and Aurora Water. Certain infrastructure has been constructed and other infrastructure will be constructed over the next several years. During the years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company made less than $0.1 million and $2.9 million in capital investments in WISE. Capitalized terms used under this caption are defined in Note 7 – Long-Term Obligations and Operating Lease. The Arapahoe County Fairgrounds Water and Water System The Company owns 321 acre-feet of groundwater purchased pursuant to its agreement with Arapahoe County. The Company plans to use this water in conjunction with its Rangeview Water Supply in providing water to areas outside the Lowry Range. The $2.9 million of capitalized costs noted in the table Investment in Water and Water Systems above includes the costs to construct various wholesale and special facilities, including a new deep water well, a 500,000-gallon water tank and pipelines to transport water to the Arapahoe County fairgrounds. The Lost Creek Water Supply In August 2019, the Company purchased 150 acre-feet of ditch water rights, 800 acre-feet of renewable groundwater rights, 70 acre-feet of deep groundwater rights and 260 acres of land in Weld County. Total consideration for the land, water and related costs was $3.5 million. The Company allocated the acquisition cost to the land and water rights based on estimates of each asset’s respective fair value at the acquisition date. The purchase of the Lost Creek land and water was accounted for as an asset acquisition. Service to Customers Not on the Lowry Range Sky Ranch – In 2010, the Company purchased approximately 930 acres of undeveloped land known as Sky Ranch. The property includes the rights to approximately 830 acre-feet of water, which the Company is using in conjunction with its Rangeview Water Supply to provide water service to the Rangeview District’s customers at Sky Ranch. The $23.4 million of capitalized costs includes the costs to acquire the water rights and to construct various facilities. Total consideration for the land, water, and acquisition related costs and fees was $7.6 million. The Company allocated the total acquisition cost to the land and water rights based on estimates of each asset’s respective fair value at the acquisition date. The purchase of the Sky Ranch land and water was accounted for as an asset acquisition. In June 2017, the Company completed and placed into service its Sky Ranch pipeline, which cost $5.7 million to construct, connecting its Sky Ranch water system to the Rangeview District’s water system. Wild Pointe – On December 15, 2016, the Rangeview District, acting by and through its water activity enterprise, and Elbert & Highway 86 Commercial Metropolitan District, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado, acting by and through its water enterprise (the “Elbert 86 District”), entered into a Water Service Agreement (the “Wild Pointe Service Agreement”). Subject to the conditions set forth in the Wild Pointe Service Agreement and the terms of the Company’s engagement by the Rangeview District as the Rangeview District’s exclusive service provider, the Company acquired, among other things, the exclusive right to provide water services to residential and commercial customers in the Wild Pointe development, located in unincorporated Elbert County, Colorado, for $1.6 million in cash. Pursuant to the terms of the Wild Pointe Service Agreement, the Company, in its capacity as the Rangeview District’s service provider, is responsible for providing water services to all users of water services within the boundaries and service area of the Elbert 86 District and for operating and maintaining the Elbert 86 District’s water system. In exchange, the Company receives 100% of the tap fees from new customers and 98% of all other fees and charges, including monthly water service revenues, remitted to the Rangeview District by the Elbert 86 District pursuant to the Wild Pointe Service Agreement. The Elbert 86 District’s water system currently provides water service to approximately 200 SFE water connections in Wild Pointe. O&G Leases In 2011, the Company entered the Sky Ranch O&G Lease. Pursuant to the Sky Ranch O&G Lease, the Company received an up-front payment for the purpose of exploring for, developing, producing, and marketing oil and gas on 634 acres of mineral estate owned by the Company at its Sky Ranch property. The Sky Ranch O&G Lease is now held by production, entitling the Company to royalties based on production. In September 2017, the Company entered a three-year O&G Lease for the purpose of exploring for, developing, producing, and marketing oil and gas on 40 acres of mineral estate owned by the Company adjacent to the Lowry Range. This O&G lease expired during the year end August 31, 2021. Land and Mineral Rights As part of the Sky Ranch acquisition, the Company acquired approximately 930 acres of land, of which approximately 215 acres have been sold to home builders for the purpose of building residential homes. Additionally, the Company holds approximately 13,900 acres of mineral interests in Southeast Colorado in Otero, Bent and Prowers Counties. These mineral rights were initially valued at $1.4 million, but as further described in Note 2 – Summary of significant Accounting Policies, in fiscal 2020 the Company assessed the recoverability of the Arkansas Valley mineral right and determined that the fair value of these assets was below their carrying value by $1.4 million. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1.4 million in Non-cash mineral rights impairment charge in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for fiscal 2020. As of August 31, the costs allocated to the Company’s land is as follows: ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | August 31, 2021 |  | August 31, 2020
​ | ​ | (In thousands)
Sky Ranch Land | ​ | $ | 2,601 | ​ | $ | 3,569
Sky Ranch development costs | ​ | ​ | 3,105 | ​ | ​ | 1,128
Lost Creek land | ​ |  | 218 | ​ |  | 218
Net land and mineral interest | ​ | $ | 5,924 | ​ | $ | 4,915
​ ​

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