American Water Development, Inc. v. City of Alamosa, s. 92SA141
| Court | Supreme Court of Colorado |
| Citation | 874 P.2d 352 |
| Docket Number | Nos. 92SA141,92SA263,s. 92SA141 |
| Parties | AMERICAN WATER DEVELOPMENT, INC., a Colorado corporation, Applicant-Appellant, v. CITY OF ALAMOSA; County of Alamosa; Alexander Ranch; Darell Keith Alexander; Richard Angell; Baca Grande Water & Sanitation District; Fred Bauder; Harold L. Bennett; Richard Blumenhein; Bonanza Road Water Users, Owners and Objectors; Lena C. Chiles; Floyd D. Chiles; Terry R. Chiles; Cyril Clayton; Dave Collins; David P. Collins; Barbara J. Collins; Colorado Division of Wildlife; Colorado Water Conservation Board; Columbine Telephone Company; Conejos Water Conservancy District; Concerned Citizens of Crestone, Colorado and Vicinity; Richard E. Conour; Elizabeth A. Conour; Cotton Creek Ranch; Town of Crestone; Fred J. Davie; Douglas M. Davie; Michael R. Dennet; Tom Enos; Dennis L. Felmlee; Oliver Powell Roemer, III, Successor Trustee Under the Trusts Under the Will of Avis Neal Roemer; First Pegasus Corporation; Freel Ranch; Eugene W. Freel; Beverly Freel; Harold L. Freel; Terry Lee Freel; Fullenwider Ranch, Inc.; Ernest Lamar Goodwin; Haidakhandi Universal Ashram; Ernest T. Harer; Grace Harer; Richard W. Hanby; Pamyla Hill; D. Robin Hood; Town of Hooper; J. Richard Johnston; Mary A. Johnston; L.D. Ranch; Town of LaJara; Henry R. Lamm; Mable A. Lamm; John N. Lawrence; KSD, Ltd.; Lazy KV Estates Homeowners Association, Inc.; Timothy N. Lovato; Lori S. Lovato; Marold Ranches; R.G. Marold; Barbara Mertian; A & M Farms; Pamela Bertin; Phillip Briscoe; Debra Briscoe; Eddie Clayton; Wayne C. Davis; Maggi Dessain; Margarita Diaz; Melvin E. Getz; Julie Goodnight; Greg Gosar; Margaret N. Herzfield; Maggie Houston-Smith; Pamela L. Lunt; Phil Martinez; Messick Farms; Richard A. Messick; Douglas G. Messick; Richard L. Messick; Sandra J. Murray; Curtis W. Nelson; Anne Silver Philleo; Robert S. Philleo; Marlene L. Pruitt; Robert A. Ress; Toni G. Romero; Marianne Sandstrom; Robert W. Simpson; W.E. Sisemote; C. Kimberly Snider; Francis E. Snider; M. Catherine Snider; Shella Snider; Katherine Steichen; Ha |
| Decision Date | 09 May 1994 |
Gale A. Norton, Atty. Gen., Raymond T. Slaughter, Chief Deputy Atty. Gen., Timothy M. Tymkovich, Sol. Gen., Patricia S. Bangert, Deputy Atty. Gen., Jennifer L. Gimbel, First Asst. Atty. Gen., Christine A. Klein, Bradley W. Cameron, Thomas W. Gibb, Asst. Attys. Gen., Natural Resources Section, Denver, for State of CO, CO Div. of Wildlife, CO Water Conservation Bd., and State and Div. Engineers for Water Div. 3.
Bruce McMillen, Saguache, for Richard Blumenhein, Bonanza Road Water Users, Owners and Objectors, David P. Collins, Barbara J. Collins, Ernest Lamar Goodwin, Lazy KV Estates Homeowners Ass'n, Inc., Marold Ranches, R.G. Marold, Loren Santisteven, Julie Santisteven, and Villa Grove Area Water Users, Owners and Opposers.
Janet Reno, U.S. Atty. Gen., Robert L. Klarquist, Atty., Appellate Section, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Div., Washington, DC, Michael J. Norton, U.S. Atty., James J. Dubois, Atty., General Litigation Section, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Div., Denver, for U.S.
Fred Bauder, pro se.
Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C., David L. Harrison, Raphael J. Moses, Steven P. Jeffers, Boulder, for Conejos Water Conservancy Dist., Oliver Powell Roemer, III, Successor Trustee under the trusts under the will of Avis Neal Roemer, and Howard R. Platz, Oasis Land and Cattle Corp.
No appearance for objectors-appellees Alexander Ranch, Darell Keith Alexander, Richard Angell, Baca Grande Water & Sanitation Dist., Harold L. Bennett, Lena C. Chiles, Floyd D. Chiles, Terry R. Chiles, Cyril Clayton, Dave Collins, Columbine Telephone Co., Concerned Citizens of Crestone, CO and Vicinity, Richard E. Conour, Elizabeth A. Conour, Cotton Creek Ranch, Fred J. Davie, Douglas M. Davie, Michael R. Dennet, Tom Enos, Dennis L. Felmlee, First Pegasus Corp., Freel Ranch, Eugene W. Freel, Beverly Freel, Harold L. Freel, Terry Lee Freel, Fullenwider Ranch, Inc., Haidakhandi Universal Ashram, Ernest T. Harer, Grace Harer, Richard W. Hanby, Pamyla Hill, D. Robin Hood, Town of Hooper, J. Richard Johnston, Mary A. Johnston, L.D. Ranch, Henry R. Lamm, Mable A. Lamm, John N. Lawrence, KSD, Ltd., Timothy N. Lovato, Lori S. Lovato, Barbara Mertian, A & M Farms, Pamela Bertin, Phillip Briscoe, Debra Briscoe, Eddie Clayton, Wayne C. Davis, Maggi Dessain, Margarita Diaz, Melvin E. Getz, Julie Goodnight, Greg Gosar, Margaret N. Herzfield, Maggie Houston-Smith, Pamela L. Lunt, Phil Martinez, Messick Farms, Richard A. Messick, Douglas G. Messick, Richard L. Messick, Sandra J. Murray, Curtis W. Nelson, Gayle Nichols, Anne Silver Philleo, Robert S. Philleo, Marlene L. Pruitt, Robert A. Ress, Toni G. Romero, Marianne Sandstrom, Robert W. Simpson, W.E. Sisemote, C. Kimberly Snider, Francis E. Snider, M. Catherine Snider, Shella Snider, Katherine Steichen, Harvey V. Sullivan, Liz Washburn, John R. Wright, George Whitten, Jr., Donald E. Whitten, Karen Whitten, Betty L. Worley, Town of Moffat, Jimmy R. Moore, Mary Moore, Morfitt Bros. Farm, Inc., Darrel Neese, Harold Neese, Gayle A. Nichols, Edward R. Oliver, Otaka Intern., Robert A. Owens, Edwin Pace, Rio Grande County Farm Bureau, Rito Alto and San Luis Ranches, Inc., Rito Alto Ranch, Inc., Rito Alto Ranchers, Arthur L. Rivale, Ileen J. Rivale, Rocky Mountain Bison, Inc., Thomas C. Sanderson, Town of Saguache, Neil F. Seitz, Valley View Hot Springs, Martin T. Shellabarger, Patricia Shellabarger, Kenneth L. Skoglund, Mary F. Skoglund, Spiritual Life Institute of America, Inc., David G. Stagner, Travelers Ins. Co., Thomas F. Trim, Annabelle R. Trim, Wagner Ranch, Ltd., John H. Wagner, Weiss Ranches, Inc., A.L. Wood, John M. Woodard, Erwin Young, and Lynne Young.
No appearance for objector-respondent Gayle Nichols.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Procedural History and Issues Presented ................................... 357
II. Dismissal of the Land Grant Claims ........................................ 360
A. Factual Background 360
B. The Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Claim 362
C. The Claim Under the Act of June 21, 1860 365
III. Challenges to the Determination that Water Sought to be Withdrawn is 366
Tributary
A. Whether the Trial Court Properly Determined the Effect of AWDI's 367
Proposed Pumping on Surface Streams
B. Whether the Trial Court Properly Determined the Nature of the 368
Unconfined Aquifer and the Effect of AWDI's Proposed Pumping on that
Aquifer
1. Challenge to Natural Stream Legislation as Special Legislation 370
2. Inclusion of Unconfined Aquifer in Definition of Natural Stream
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