Opinion ID: 2566838
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Partial Forfeiture

Text: ¶ 56 As an alternative to total forfeiture, PPOC alleged partial forfeiture of BCWDC's water rights. While PPOC provided no evidence that BCWDC failed to irrigate any specific amount of acreage or that BCWDC failed to divert any specific portion of the water to which it was entitled, PPOC offered considerable evidence as to the amounts of water consumed by specific types of trees. PPOC's experts testified that a full farm of blue spruce trees, such as Walsh had intended to cultivate, could consume only 3.3 acre-feet of water per year. PPOC then argued that BCWDC's water rights should be restricted to that amount inasmuch as any additional water could not have been put to beneficial use. Because we have affirmed the trial court's finding that BCWDC put its water to a beneficial type of use outside of any efforts to cultivate a tree farm, we need not address this argument. [7] ¶ 57 PPOC also seeks partial forfeiture on the basis that BCWDC used more water than was reasonably needed to irrigate the natural vegetation on the property. PPOC did not, however, support this argument by presenting specific evidence as to what portion of the water would be sufficient to irrigate the vegetation, nor did PPOC offer authority for the diminution of water rights based on the specific types of plants a water user has cultivated. [8] PPOC's testimony at trial regarding the measure of water needed to irrigate the vegetation indicated only that it would likely be some small amount. In the face of this lack of evidence as to the portion of the water necessary to irrigate the natural vegetation, the trial court properly rejected PPOC's partial forfeiture claim.