Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff, LLP
355 Eastman Park Drive, Suite 200
Windsor, Colorado 80550
Phone: (970) 674-9888
Fax: (970) 674-9535
E-mail: kim@llolaw.com

Colorado Water Law

Water rights are a significant issue in many parts of Colorado. There are consequences for acting when you do not have the right to do so. Acting on the might makes right principle is a good way to get into legal trouble. You may have a good legal position to claim rights in a certain property. But if you are uninformed or get bad advice there is also a danger of falsely asserting nonexistent rights, or other illegal actions that could cause you, your family, or your business trouble, or even shut you down eventually. A water law attorney can be very helpful in explaining your legal rights under Colorado law. The professional legal team at Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff, LLP can help you learn and enforce your legal rights.

The Colorado Constitution says that the right to appropriate the unappropriated water of the state "shall never be denied." The Colorado Division of Water Resources is the state agency charged with the administration of the state's rivers and reservoirs and the enforcement of Colorado's water laws and statutes. These statutes and laws exist to define the relationship between individual water users, private ditch companies, and state administrators. We specialize in providing counsel to ditch and reservoir companies and water districts.

Individuals, companies, and water districts should be aware of their rights and responsibilities in order to avoid costly and distressing conflicts. Between neighbors, businesses, landowners, and the government, the fair sharing of a scarce supply of water can cause extreme conflicts.

Colorado water rights issues arise in virtually every real estate transaction and affect almost every business in Colorado at one time or another. The water law attorneys at Lind, Lawrence, and Ottenhoff, LLP have extensive experience with water law issues concerning:

• Sale and purchase of water rights
• Examination of title to water rights
• Examination of conveyances to water rights
• Conversion of water rights from agricultural use to municipal use
• Buying, selling and leasing property
• Condemnation law and eminent domain
• Construction law
• Due diligence investigations
• Environmental compliance
• Hazardous waste
• Permits, variances, and special exceptions
• Land use and development
• Regulatory takings
• Wetlands
• Zoning disputes
• Drainage and flood control projects
• Electric transmission lines
• Energy and utility plants
• Highways, roads, and streets
• Parks
• Pipelines
• Schools
• Telecommunication and fiber-optic lines
• Augmentation
• Groundwater issues
• Wells and related issues

The best thing to do is to consult an attorney familiar with real estate and water law in Colorado. The attorneys at Lind, Lawrence, and Ottenhoff, LLP specialize in water law. That's where you should start. Contact them today for a FREE initial consultation.