Colorado Lawyers Protecting and Adapting Agricultural Water Rights
At Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff LLP, our services are strongly oriented to representation of farmers, ranchers, agricultural and commercial businesses including dairies and feedlots. Our knowledge of agricultural businesses helps us give legal advice that really works for you, especially when it comes to protecting your water rights, making your water rights and adapting your water rights to work the best for you during changing times especially if you are relocating or changing your dairy, feedlot or business. We maintain excellent working relationships with the Water Court and the State and Division Engineers which will work to your benefit.
Since 1981, we have been representing agriculture clients in transactional matters and in water court and you won’t find any other firm with a better track record of success. We thank our clients and other water professionals for the high praise they have for our diligence, our knowledge, our work and our success. We are ready to give you the best legal advice available and want to share with you the benefit of our experience.
Our experience is increasingly important as more and more land development occurs in Colorado, forcing farmers and ranchers, dairies and feedlots to compete with cities, towns and development for limited water resources. In these times, protecting your water rights becomes most critical. As development moves forward we can help agricultural users, ditch owners and well owners develop a strategy that allows them to keep producing and/or adapt their water rights into a cash crop. Adapting your business and valuable water rights to maximize your use and return is essential to financial success and we can help you.
Lawyers at Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff LLP can handle a wide range of water law issues, including well augmentation plans, permits for groundwater wells, changes of water rights and sales or purchases of water rights. Many agricultural business owners do not initially understand the difference between ground and surface water, but the distinction is important:
- Ground water: Ground water is water pumped from wells. In most places, this water comes indirectly from the water table and the rivers. So, increased use of ground water can impact rivers — creating conflicts over water rights and the need for court-approved augmentation plans.
- Surface water: Surface water is water that flows in the rivers. Colorado has unique water laws. Under the Colorado Doctrine, water rights are determined by a system of prior appropriation.
For more information on water law, please see our Colorado water news Web site.
Contact Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff LLP
Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff LLP protects and can help adapt the water rights of farmers and ranchers, feedlots and dairies. To speak with an attorney at our Colorado or Wyoming law offices, please contact us at 970.674.7088 or 866.930.4138 and schedule a consultation.
