AWWA JAW22500

Water transfer proposals in the state of Colorado involve lengthy hearings in water court to determine the adverse effects on traditional users, usually irrigators of farmland, weighed against the benefits of a "higher" use, usually municipal water supplies. Available water for the growing cities along the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains is frequently located far form the cities themselves, and the potential for damage affects not only farmers but also small towns that are dependent on an agricultural economy. Minority shareholders in water entities seek to prevent immediate damage to crops as a result of a transfer and, at the same time, to retain or increase the value of their shares in the water rights for potential profitable transfer at a later date. This article details the legal basis used in a recent decision to protect the conflicting interests of a transferor and the objectors to the transfer. Many issues were resolved by compromise; others were deferred for future rulings. Includes 21 references, figures.