303-776-9900By Jeffrey J. Kahn and Michelle R. Soule On May 8,2024 the City of Thornton finally obtained the last permit necessary to build a pipeline to convey water from the Poudre River to Thornton. Thornton already has installed sections of the pipeline in Weld County but had been denied a permit by Larimer County after […]
News and Insights
With the ever-increasing development along the Northern Front Range, many of Lyons Gaddis’ irrigation company clients are asked to either permit a crossing of their ditch easement or to relocate their ditch to facilitate development. Both should result in an agreement. The difference between these two agreements is frequently not well understood but they are […]
As I was preparing recently to write this blog post a few weeks ago, several friends had just lost homes in the Marshall Fire that occurred in Boulder County on December 30th, and I was reminded that my LAST blog post, dated October 22, 2020, “Climate Change Impacts on Colorado Water Users,” specifically touched on […]
Water in Colorado belongs to the people of the State. The State manages the resource for the benefit of its citizens. Colorado’s system of prior appropriation for managing water rights has its foundations in mining law. This system gives users of surface water a priority based on the date their water right is placed to […]
Recent fires and high temperatures across the West may have water users wondering what rising temperatures and sustained drought conditions might mean for Colorado water users. While only time will tell, it’s relevant to note that the summer of 2020 was one of the hottest and driest on record. The month of August was one […]
Water rights in Colorado are prioritized and administered based on the year of their decree and date of appropriation. The oldest decreed water rights are most senior and are entitled to divert their decreed flow rate when water is in short supply. If there is not enough water in the stream at their diversion point, […]
Recently, the City of Aurora entered into a contract to purchase 119 shares in the Whitney Irrigation Company from BCI Waterco, LLC, an affiliate of the Broe Companies. Some are concerned that this purchase signals a renewal of water raids from the Denver metro area into northern Colorado water supplies. However, the Denver metro area […]
Lyons Gaddis COVID-19 Alert This Alert is one in a collection of articles created by Lyons Gaddis in our effort to get important information to our clients regarding the effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. This Alert focuses on the Colorado “Stay-at-Home” Order and whether Ditch Companies qualify as “Essential.” […]
The Colorado River serves over 40 million people across seven states and Mexico, and the basin has been experiencing historic drought conditions since 2000, according to the Department of the Interior. The Upper Colorado River Commission, formed in 1948 to help the “Upper Basin” states of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah administer the Colorado […]
The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District influences many water use issues in Northeastern Colorado, including Boulder, Larimer and Weld Counties. Northern Water is a public agency which is well-known for the construction and operation of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. The C-BT Project collects West Slope water and delivers it to portions of eight Northeastern Colorado counties, providing […]
Many landowners and small businesses use wells that provide a vital water supply for their property. Some wells are used for watering livestock, for drinking water inside homes, for irrigation of lawns and gardens, or for drinking and sanitary purposes inside a shop or other business. People often take for granted their right to use […]
When daffodils pop up, so do the “for sale” signs on the ranch and mountain properties. Whether you are buying your forever property or your just-for-now property, be sure to conduct water rights due diligence. Water rights are complicated, and you need to protect your investment with the following steps. Initially, ponder “What do I […]
