Water Rights

WSMT has deep experience in water rights and in all matters that involve water, including the generation of hydropower. Our water law attorneys represent industrial clients, municipalities, mining and oil and gas companies, utilities, ranchers and farmers, water conservancies and ditch companies, individuals, and land developers on all issues regarding ground water and surface water rights throughout Colorado – in all seven of the state’s water divisions – as well as in Arizona. New Mexico, and Wyoming. We work with Interior agencies and the U.S. Forest Service to handle our clients’ issues with water rights and water facilities on federal lands.

Colorado Legislature Protects Existing Recreational Water Rights

On May 25, 2017, the Colorado legislature passed House Bill 17-1990 addressing the 2015 Colorado Supreme Court decision of St.…

7 years ago

Update to February 11, 2016 Blog Post/Weed and Water – Can Water Be Used for Marijuana Cultivation in Colorado

Last Year, WSMT blogged about whether water could be lawfully appropriated for Marijuana cultivation.  2/11/16 blog post.  We provided three…

7 years ago

Supreme Court Grants Operational Flexibility to Owners of Multiple Conditional Water Rights

The Colorado Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Upper Eagle Reg'l Water Authority v. Wolfe, 2016 CO 42 creates opportunities for…

8 years ago

Weed and Water – Can water be used for marijuana cultivation in Colorado?

The question has become important to marijuana growers after the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in Coats v. Dish Network, LLC,…

8 years ago

Colorado Supreme Court Issues Important Water Rights Opinion in Wolfe v. Sedalia Water & Sanitation District.

The Colorado Supreme Court has now determined the standard for quantifying water rights that have already changed from one use…

9 years ago

Top Ten Tips for Acquiring a Water Supply

Plan Ahead – In Colorado, a complex set of laws and regulations govern when and where water can be taken…

9 years ago