Irrigation Water Requirements to Support Winter Wildlife Habitat: Mesa Land Trust
Collbran, Colorado
Western Water & Land was retained by a regional land trust organization to provide litigation support for a dispute between the land trust and the former owner of a ranch at which a conservation easement had been created several years prior. The conservation easement was established to ensure winter habitat and forage for wildlife in the area. The dispute arose when the former ranch owner sold the property but withheld a portion of the irrigation water rights historically associated with the property claiming the remaining rights were sufficient for the ranch. Western Water & Land performed an evaluation of the irrigation rights associated with the property, assessed historic usage based on direct flow diversion records and reservoir releases, estimated irrigation water requirements with use of the Colorado Division of Water Resources consumptive use computer program (StateCU) and local climate records, and evaluated sub-irrigation contributions at the ranch. Based on the analysis, Western Water & Land demonstrated that the water rights in question were required in combination with the remaining ranch rights to sustain health crop production at the ranch and ensure the critical elk winter range at the ranch is preserved and maintained. An expert report was prepared and one of Western Water & Land’s Principals provided expert testimony at the trial. The expert report and testimony contributed to the ruling entered in the case that severing the subject water rights from the property would cause irreparable harm to the land as a natural habitat and to the Land Trust’s conservation easement.
Collbran, Colorado
Western Water & Land was retained by a regional land trust organization to provide litigation support for a dispute between the land trust and the former owner of a ranch at which a conservation easement had been created several years prior. The conservation easement was established to ensure winter habitat and forage for wildlife in the area. The dispute arose when the former ranch owner sold the property but withheld a portion of the irrigation water rights historically associated with the property claiming the remaining rights were sufficient for the ranch. Western Water & Land performed an evaluation of the irrigation rights associated with the property, assessed historic usage based on direct flow diversion records and reservoir releases, estimated irrigation water requirements with use of the Colorado Division of Water Resources consumptive use computer program (StateCU) and local climate records, and evaluated sub-irrigation contributions at the ranch. Based on the analysis, Western Water & Land demonstrated that the water rights in question were required in combination with the remaining ranch rights to sustain health crop production at the ranch and ensure the critical elk winter range at the ranch is preserved and maintained. An expert report was prepared and one of Western Water & Land’s Principals provided expert testimony at the trial. The expert report and testimony contributed to the ruling entered in the case that severing the subject water rights from the property would cause irreparable harm to the land as a natural habitat and to the Land Trust’s conservation easement.