Practice Areas

Water Rights Adjudication

In Colorado, water rights are administered according to a priority system based on the date the water right was appropriated. Obtaining and maintaining a water right in that system requires that the water be put to beneficial use and that other users suffer no injury as a result of the new appropriation. Water Courts ultimately determine the quantity, priority, place of use, and type of beneficial use of the water right. The State Engineer oversees the administration, ensuring that water rights are used according to the terms of their respective Water Court decrees. Together, the Water Courts and the State Engineer provide a framework which allows fair and consistent administration of water rights.

Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C. represents clients in all Water Court divisions and assists with applications for new water rights, changes of water rights, ongoing diligence applications for conditional water rights and augmentation plans, as well as opposition to potentially injurious applications filed by other water users. During the firm's more than 35 years of practice, Moses Wittemyer has developed strong working relationships with engineers, experts and other professionals to assist clients in Water Court adjudications.

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