Opinion ID: 1433938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Water Court Jurisdiction

Text: Relying on its reserved water theory, the Well Company characterizes the homeowners' opposition to its application as an ownership or title dispute as to which the water court lacks jurisdiction. A water right is a right of use. See Town of Sterling v. Pawnee Ditch Extension Co., 42 Colo. 421, 426, 94 P. 339, 340 (1908). An action to determine the ownership of, or title to, a water right between disputing parties, including through a quiet title action, is within the general jurisdiction of the district courts. Crystal Lakes Water and Sewer Ass'n v. Backlund, 908 P.2d 534, 540 (Colo.1996). In contrast, adjudication of the right to use water is a water matter within the exclusive jurisdiction of the water judge. See id. Here, the Development Company did not obtain a vested water right because it did not complete a well into the Arapahoe aquifer or obtain a decree. The quitclaim deed therefore conveyed no vested right to the Well Company. In the absence of a vested right to use the water, there can be no title or ownership dispute over who owns such a right. The Well Company mistakenly relies on language in Dallas Creek Water Co. v. Huey, 933 P.2d 27, 42 (Colo.1997), which stated that [t]he special jurisdiction of the water court does not extend to title and ownership disputes regarding water rights; this jurisdiction is vested in the District Court. (Emphasis added.) Although in Southwestern, 671 P.2d at 1315, we held that rights to nontributary water could not be adjudicated by water judges, the General Assembly immediately responded with Senate Bill 439, see ch. 516, sec. 1, § 37-92-203(1), 1983 Colo. Sess. Laws 2079, 2079. Section 37-92-203(1), 10 C.R.S. (1997), now plainly confers upon the water judge jurisdiction to determine nontributary water use rights: There is established in each water division the position of water judge of the district courts of all counties situated entirely or partly within the division. Said district courts collectively acting through the water judge have exclusive jurisdiction of water matters within the division.... Water matters include determinations of rights to nontributary ground water outside of designated ground water basins. (Emphasis added.) Indisputably, the Well Company filed an application claiming a right to use nontributary ground water; the water court acted within its jurisdiction in adjudicating this claim.