Source: https://cbaclelegalconnection.com/tag/water-law/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 08:20:40+00:00

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The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dill v. Yamasaki Ring, LLC on Monday, February 25, 2019.
Water Law—Adjudicated Water Rights—Indicia of Enforceability.
The supreme court considered whether a 1909 water decree adjudicates a water right in certain springs. Because the decree failed to set forth required indicia of enforceability—including an appropriation date, a priority number, and quantification information—with respect to the springs, the court answered the question in the negative. A decree must measure, limit, and define both the nature and extent of a water right. The priority, the location of diversion at the supply’s source, and the amount of water for application to a beneficial use are all essential elements of the appropriative water right. Of these, priority is the most important stick in the water rights bundle because priority is a function of appropriation and adjudication; indeed, the purpose of adjudication is to fix the priority of a water right.
As the water court concluded, the 1909 decree clearly and unambiguously sets forth an unenforceable entitlement to receive and conduct water from the springs. Without indicia of enforceability, and in particular a priority number, the 1909 decree cannot be deemed to adjudicate a water right in the springs that can be enforced and administered. Therefore, the court affirmed the water court’s judgment.
On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, Governor Polis signed seven bills into law. These bills were the first bills signed during this 2019 legislative session. The bills signed Wednesday are summarized here.
HB 19-1005: “Concerning an Income Tax Credit for Certain Early Childhood Educators,” by Reps. Janet Buckner & James Wilson and Sens. Nancy Todd & Kevin Priola. The bill provides an income tax credit to eligible early childhood educators who hold an early childhood professional credential and who, for at least 6 months of the taxable year, are either the head of a family child care home or are employed with an eligible early childhood education program or a family child care home.
HB 19-1015: “Concerning the Recreation of the Colorado Water Institute,” by Rep. Jeni James Arndt and Sen. Joann Ginal. The Colorado water institute was created in 1981 and automatically repealed in 2017. The bill recreates the institute.
SB 19-018: “Concerning the Age Requirement to Drive a Commercial Vehicle in Interstate Commerce,” by Sens. Ray Scott & Vicki Marble and Reps. Barbara McLachlan & Lori Saine. The bill authorizes the department of revenue to adopt rules authorizing a person who is at least 18 years of age but under 21 years of age to be licensed to drive a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce if the person holds a commercial driver’s license and operation of a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce by a person in that age range is permitted under federal law.
SB 19-021: “Concerning Eliminating the Requirement that the State Board of Health Approve the Retention of Counsel in Certain Circumstances,” by Sen. Dominick Moreno and Rep. Hugh McKean. The bill removes the requirement that the State Board of Health approve the retention of counsel when the executive director of the Department of Public Health and Environment seeks to bring an action to enjoin, prosecute, or enforce public health laws or standards and the local district attorney fails to act.
SB 19-028: “Concerning the Authority of Licensing Authorities to Continue to Issue Certain Fermented Malt Beverage Retail Licenses in Rural Areas,” by Sens. Chris Holbert & Jeff Bridges and Reps. Hugh McKean & Julie McCluskie. Recent legislation (Senate Bill 18-243) terminated the licensing of retailers to sell fermented malt beverages (formerly known as “3.2 beer” but now including all beer) for consumption on and off a licensed premises, requiring the holder of such a license to combine its renewal application with an application to convert the license into either a license to sell for consumption on the licensed premises or a license to sell for consumption off the licensed premises.The bill lifts the requirement to convert an existing license, and reinstates the availability of new licenses, in specified areas with low populations.
SB 19-045: “Concerning Clarifying that Members of the Radiation Advisory Committee are Reimbursed for Expenses Incurred for Authorized Business of the Committee,” by Sen. Dominick Moreno and Rep. Edie Hooten. The bill clarifies that members of the radiation advisory committee are reimbursed for necessary and actual expenses incurred in attendance at meetings or for authorized business of the committee.
SB 19-058: “Concerning the Enactment of the Colorado Revised Statutes 2018 as the Positive and Statutory Law of the State of Colorado,” by Sen. Pete Lee and Rep. Leslie Herod. This bill enacts the softbound volumes of the Colorado Revised Statutes 2018 and the Special Supplement 2018 as the positive and statutory law of the state of Colorado and establishes the effective date of said publications.
For more information about the signed bills, click here.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in Well Augmentation Subdistrict of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District and South Platte Well Users Association v. Centennial Water and Sanitation District on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.
Centennial Water and Sanitation District (Centennial) appealed from a water court order dismissing its objection to the Well Augmentation Subdistrict’s (WAS) proposal to use additional sources of replacement water for its previously decreed augmentation plan. Centennial had asserted that WAS failed to comply with the notice requirements of the decree itself and that this failure amounted to a per se injury, for which it was entitled to relief without any further showing of operational effect. The water court heard Centennial’s motion objecting to WAS’s proposed addition of new sources of replacement water and, without requiring WAS to present evidence, found that Centennial failed to establish prima facie facts of WAS’s inability to deliver augmentation water in quantity or time to prevent injury to other water users. Referencing C.R.C.P. 41 as the appropriate procedural vehicle, the water court dismissed Centennial’s objection.
The supreme court affirmed. Exercise of the water court’s retained jurisdiction was statutorily limited to preventing or curing injury to other water users, and the evidence presented by Centennial failed to establish that WAS would be unable, under the conditions imposed by the engineer for approval of the additional sources of replacement water, to deliver augmentation water sufficient to prevent injury to other water users. Accordingly, the water court’s dismissal of Centennial’s objection was proper.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in Allen v. State of Colorado on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
Water Court Jurisdiction—“Water Matters”—Water Ownership versus Water Use.
This case concerns whether a water court has jurisdiction to consider a claim for inverse condemnation alleging a judicial taking of shares in a mutual ditch company. The water court dismissed plaintiff-appellant’s inverse condemnation claim, concluding that his claim was “grounded in ownership and the conveyance of that ownership, not use,” and therefore the claim was not a water matter within the exclusive jurisdiction of the water court. The supreme court agreed and thus affirmed the water court’s dismissal order.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in People v. Sease on Tuesday, November 13, 2018.
Contempt—Acts or Conduct Constituting Contempt of Court.
In this direct appeal, the supreme court reviewed the water court’s contempt order, which imposed punitive and remedial sanctions on defendant. The water court determined that defendant was responsible for work performed on his property, the Sease Ranch, which caused out-of-priority depletions of water from Sheep Creek in violation of a court order. In its ruling, the water court inferred from defendant’s ownership of the Sease Ranch that he, not someone else, was responsible for the contemptuous work.
The court concluded that the water court had ample evidence to find that defendant is the owner of the Sease Ranch. Further, the court determined that the water court did not shift the burden of proof to defendant. The water court was entitled to draw reasonable and commonsense inferences from the circumstances before it. Thus, it was appropriate for the water court to consider the lack of evidence, and the corresponding improbability, that someone else entered the Sease Ranch and performed the contemptuous work without defendant’s authorization.
Accordingly, the water court’s judgment was affirmed.
The Colorado Supreme Court has issued three new rule changes that have recently been released by the Colorado State Judicial Branch.
Rule Change 2018(08) amends Rules 11, 12, and 13 of the Uniform Local Rules for All State Water Court Divisions. Rule 11 was amended by the addition of a comment to specify that January 1, 2018, changes to the rule require expert witness disclosures to be made earlier than were previously required. Rule 12, “Procedure Regarding Decennial Abandonment Lists,” is new and sets forth specifications for publication and protest of decennial abandonment lists. Rule 13 was unchanged except to be renumbered; formerly, it was Rule 12.
Rule Change 2018(09) amends Rule 2 of Chapter 38 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, “Public Access to Information and Records.” Rule 2, “Public Access to Administrative Records of the Judicial Branch,” had minor amendments in sections 1 and 2. Section 3 of the rule dealing with exceptions and limitations on access to records had several amendments. The changes to Section 4 were relatively minor, and Section 5 was unchanged.
Rule Change 2018(10) adds Rule 256, “The Colorado Lawyer Self-Assessment Program,” to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 256 establishes the Colorado Lawyer Self-Assessment Program and sets forth guidelines and definitions for compliance with the program. The rule specifies that lawyers who utilize the program will be subject to confidentiality and immunity.
For a complete list of the Colorado Supreme Court’s adopted and proposed rule changes, click here.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in Coors Brewing Co. v. City of Golden on Monday, June 25, 2018.
Amendment of Augmentation Plans—Return Flows.
This case concerns appellant’s application to amend its decreed augmentation plans to authorize the reuse and successive use of return flows from water that appellant diverts out of priority pursuant to those plans. On competing motions for determinations of questions of law, the water court ruled that (1) any amount of water not beneficially used by appellant for the uses specified in its decreed augmentation plans must be returned to the stream; (2) appellant’s decreed augmentation plans did not authorize the reuse or successive use of such water; and (3) appellant may not obtain the right to reuse or make successive use of such water by way of amendment to its augmentation plans but could only obtain such rights by adjudicating a new water right.
The supreme court affirmed the water court’s judgment. To obtain the right to reuse and make successive use of the return flows at issue, appellant must adjudicate a new water right and may not circumvent this requirement by amending its decreed augmentation plans. Further, the diversion of native, tributary water under an augmentation plan does not change its character. Accordingly, the general rule, which provides that return flows belong to the stream, applies. The water court also correctly construed appellant’s augmentation plans.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in Jim Hutton Educational Foundation v. Rein on Monday, May 21, 2018.
The Jim Hutton Educational Foundation, a surface-water user, claimed that a statute prohibiting any challenge to a designated groundwater basin that would alter the basin’s boundaries to exclude a permitted well is unconstitutional. The water court dismissed that claim for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, concluding that the surface-water user had to first satisfy the Colorado Groundwater Commission that the water at issue was not designated groundwater. The supreme court concluded that, because jurisdiction vests in the water court only if the Colorado Groundwater Commission first concludes that the water at issue is designated groundwater, the water court properly dismissed the constitutional claim for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
The court affirmed the water court’s ruling.
On Thursday, April 12, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed 23 bills into law. To date, he has signed 149 bills and sent one to the Secretary of State without a signature. Some of the bills signed Thursday include a bill allowing a water court process for mitigation measures, a bill requiring commercial drivers to receive training on prevention of human trafficking, a bill authorizing insurers’ agents to access the electronic motor vehicle title database, and more. The bills signed Thursday are summarized here.
SB 18-011 – “Concerning Treatment of Students who are Excused by their Parents from Participating in State Assessments,” by Sens. Chris Holbert & Andy Kerr and Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp & Paul Lundeen. The bill clarifies procedures for parents who excuse their children from taking state assessments and students whose parents excuse them from testing shall still be allowed to receive rewards designed for students who complete the assessments.
SB 18-087 – “Concerning In-state Tuition at Institutions of Higher Education for Certain Foreign Nationals Legally Settled in Colorado,” by Sen. Stephen Fenberg and Reps. Dafna Michaelson Jenet & Faith Winter. The bill contains a legislative declaration about the circumstances facing special immigrants and refugees and the benefit of access to education.
SB 18-106 – “Concerning Obsolete Statutory Provisions Related to a Local Government’s Pledging of Sales or Use Tax Revenues to Pay for Revenue Bonds Issued for the Purpose of Financing Capital Improvements,” by Sen. Jack Tate and Rep. Don Thurlow. Current law specifies that a county, city, or incorporated town may include the creation of a sales and use tax capital improvement fund (special fund) when the county, city, or incorporated town seeks voter approval to levy a sales or use tax. The creation of the special fund does not have a purpose for a county, city, or incorporated town post-TABOR because the question of using sales or use tax revenues for financing capital improvements is asked when the county, city, or incorporated town seeks voter approval for the bond issuance. Thus, the language regarding the creation of the fund is unnecessary.
SB 18-110 – “Concerning the Repeal of the Requirement that Each State Agency Annually Report the Amount of Federal Money it Received in the Prior Fiscal Year,” by Sen. Jack Tate and Rep. Jeni James Arndt. During the 2017 legislative session, the statutory revision committee put forth House Bill 17-1058, which, in part, repealed a requirement that the state controller submit to the general assembly a report of all federal money received by state agencies during the prior fiscal year. State agencies are still required to submit an annual report to the state controller of all federal moneys received by the state agency in the prior fiscal year for the state controller’s use in preparing the report for the general assembly.The bill repeals the state agency reporting requirement as the state controller is no longer required to prepare a report for the general assembly.
SB 18-127 – “Concerning the Repeal of the Department of Revenue’s Requirement to Publish an Historical Explanation of Income Tax Rate Modifications Enacted in the State on Every Income Tax Return Form,” by Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik and Rep. Dan Thurlow. The bill repeals the requirement that the Executive Director of the Department of Revenue publish an historical explanation of income tax rate modifications enacted in the state on every income tax return form.
SB 18-129 – “Concerning the Nonsubstantive Reorganization of the Law Exempting from State Sales Tax Certain Drugs and Medical and Therapeutic Devices,” by Sen. Dominick Moreno and Rep. Jeni James Arndt. The bill makes several modifications to the laws exempting certain drugs and medical devices from sales tax.
SB 18-136 – “Concerning Fees for Advising Clients About the Selection of an Individual Health Benefit Plan,” by Sen. Tim Neville and Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp & Lang Sias. The bill allows an insurance producer or broker advising a client on individual health benefit plans to charge the client a fee if the producer or broker does not receive a commission related to the individual health benefit plan selected by the client and if the producer or broker discloses in writing the fee to the client.
SB 18-161 – “Concerning Repeal of the Behavioral Health Transformation Council,” by Sen. Jim Smallwood and Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp & Lois Landgraf. The bill repeals the behavioral health transformation council.
SB 18-162 – “Concerning Substitute Child Care Providers,” by Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik and Reps. Janet Buckner & James Wilson. The bill creates a license within the Department of Human Services for a substitute placement agency that places or that facilitates or arranges placement of substitute child care providers in licensed child care facilities providing less than 24-hour care.
SB 18-170 – “Concerning a Water Court Process by Which an Owner of a Storage Water Right Allowing Water to be Stored in New Reservoir Capacity may Release Water into an Identified Stream Reach in a Manner that Protects the Water Releases while Complying with Mitigation Measures Identified in a Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan Approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board,” by Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and Reps. Chris Hansen & Hugh McKean. The bill establishes a water court process by which an owner of a water storage right allowing water to be stored in a newly constructed reservoir or an enlarged existing reservoir may comply with the mitigation measures identified in a mitigation plan by contracting with the board.
SB 18-172 – “Concerning Testing of Horse Racing Licensees for the Presence of Prohibited Substances,” by Sen. Bob Gardner and Rep. Pete Lee. The bill adds to the responsibilities of the Colorado racing commission the protection of all participants, human and animal, involved in horse racing.
SB 18-176 – “Concerning Changes to the Requirements for Meeting Dates for the Board of the Southwestern Water Conservation District,” by Sen. Don Coram and Reps. Barbara McLachlin & Marc Catlin. The bill requires the Board of the Southwestern Water Conservation District to meet once every three months and makes amendments to the terms of the board members and board president.
SB 18-182 – “Concerning the Authority to Allocate a Portion of the Source Market Fee to Statutorily Authorized Purse Funds,” by Sens. Don Coram & Lucia Guzman and Reps. Marc Catlin & Jeni James Arndt. Current law requires persons outside of Colorado who accept wagers from residents of Colorado on simulcast horse racing events to be licensed in Colorado and to pay a source market fee into the racing cash fund. The bill authorizes the Director of the Division of Racing Events to allocate a portion of the source market fee to be paid to any horse purse trust fund established pursuant to existing law, if necessary, to maintain a sustainable and competitive purse structure in Colorado.
SB 18-183 – “Concerning Authorizing Agents of Insurers to Access the Electronic System that Insurers Access for Owner and Lienholder Information of a Motor Vehicle,” by Sen. Jack Tate and Reps. Jeni James Arndt & Larry Liston. Current law authorizes the creation and maintenance of an electronic system that vehicle towers, insurers, and salvage pools may use to access motor vehicle title records if the vehicle is insured or possessed by those entities. The bill allows an agent of an insurer to use the system in the same circumstances.
SB 18-184 – “Concerning a New Permit for the Short-term Extraction of Construction Materials,” by Sen. Don Coram and Reps. Hugh McKean & Daneya Esgar. The bill creates a new class of limited impact construction materials permits for one-time activities that produce construction materials as a by-product and are not intended to be ongoing mining operations and authorizes an application fee of $400 for the permit and an annual fee of $200.
HB 18-1017 – “Concerning the Adoption of an Interstate Compact to Allow a Person Authorized to Practice Psychology in a Compact State in Which the Person is not Licensed, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Dafna Michelson Jenet and Sens. Bon Gardner & Stephen Fenberg. The bill enacts the ‘Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Act’ allowing psychologists licensed in any compact state to provide telepsychology services to clients in any other compact state, or temporary in-person client services in any compact state not exceeding 30 days in a calendar year.
HB 18-1018 – “Concerning a Requirement that Education to Prevent Human Trafficking be Included in the Training to Obtain a Commercial Driver’s License,” by Reps. Terri Carver & Dominique Jackson and Sens. Rachel Zenzinger & John Cooke. The bill requires that the training to obtain a commercial driver’s license to drive a combination vehicle contain education to prevent human trafficking if the training is conducted in a driving school. The department must also publish information about human trafficking for commercial driver’s license holders and trainees.
HB 18-1049 – “Concerning the Department of Human Services’ Authority to Continue to Lease Portions of the Grand Junction Regional Center Campus to Third-party Behavioral Health Providers,” by Rep. Dan Thurlow and Sen. Ray Scott. The Department of Human Services currently leases portions of the Grand Junction regional center campus to third-party behavioral health providers. The bill authorizes the Department to continue such leases until June 30, 2020, and each party to such lease may terminate the lease early provided that the terminating party provide the other party with 90 days notice before vacating the property or requiring the property to be vacated.
HB 18-1056 – “Concerning the Statewide Standard Health History Form that Members of the Fire and Police Pension Association Complete when Commencing Employment,” by Reps. Kevin Van Winkle & Dave Williams and Sen. John Cooke. Every member of the fire and police pension association (FPPA), at the commencement of employment, is required to complete a health history on a statewide standard health history form. The bill clarifies several aspects of the form.
HB 18-1078 – “Concerning Court Programs for Defendants who have Served in the Armed Forces,” by Reps. Lois Landgraf & Tony Exum and Sen. Bob Gardner. Under current law, the chief judge of a judicial district may establish an appropriate program for the treatment of veterans and members of the military. The bill states that, in establishing any such program, the chief judge, in collaboration with the probation department, the district attorney, and the state public defender, shall establish program guidelines and eligibility criteria. The bill requires a court, in determining whether to issue an order to seal criminal records of a petitioner who has successfully completed a veterans treatment program, to consider such factor favorably in making the determination.
HB 18-1154 – “Concerning Consumer Protections Relating to a Solicitation to Provide a Copy of a Public Record for a Fee,” by Reps. Edie Hooten & Kevin Van Winkle and Sen. Cheri Jahn. The bill requires a person who solicits a fee for providing a copy of a deed or deed of trust to give a copy of the document that will be used for the solicitation to each county clerk and recorder where the solicitation is to be distributed; not charge a fee of more than 4 times the amount charged by the county clerk and recorder; and include specified disclosures.
HB 18-1239 – “Concerning Continuation under the Sunset Law of the Environmental Management System Permit Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Implementing the Recommendations of the Sunset Report by the Department of Regulatory Agencies by Allowing the Program to Repeal,” by Rep. Lois Landgraf and Sen. Ray Scott. The bill implements the recommendations of the sunset review and report on the environmental management system permit program by allowing the program to repeal.

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