Bobert, Garg is right: check your local laws and ESPECIALLY any restrictions and stuff that might apply to water rights. Out here water rights can purt near lead to a shootin' feud (and has in the past, and not too long ago either). Your state laws are probably a good place to start, but it gets damned complicated damned fast. USUALLY the rule is "First in time is first in Right" except of course where it isn't.

You could lose everything if you skip a comma or a period. I don't think NC has the same water problems we have out here in high desert country (most water rights are held by the Indians) but there are likely some laws about it. Like, don't build yer outhouse over the crick and stuff like that.