When gold became hard to find in the 1860s, some Park County gold-seekers turned to ranching. They quickly learned that irrigation was essential, and that water could turn Park County fields into rich meadows of native hay. By 1861, the rights to use water were being claimed and purchased for less than $100. Today these rights are worth millions. Ranchers often conducted side businesses to stay in business, operating saw mills, stores, stage stops and other services. Basic homestead claims were not enough to support a successful cattle operation in South Park. Ranches began to consolidate small holdings into the 1900s, until some exceeded over 100,000 acres in size. In the mid-1800s, rich, irrigated hay fields flourished throughout South Park. Today, most water rights belong to Front Range cities and little hay can be grown with the remaining water resources.