I have a former employer and client here in San Antonio that was forced to sell his ranch on part of the Gaudalupe River (a ranch that had been in their family for nearly 150 years) so that the Water District could have it. I'm not sure why...because they aren't going to have a lake over it...but it now is the property of some governmental organization. They were offered and accepted "market price" because if they hadn't, they would have the "eminent domain" thing pulled on them and they would then have had NO RANCH and NO MONEY.
I thought it was a crappy thing to do to a heritage thing like that. But when you're faced with no other option, I guess you have to bend to Big Brother's will.
Crappy, crappy, crappy! And oh so scary!