Water Rights
Ground Water Rights
Parker Water And Sanitation District:
When LWS personnel initially became the water resource engineering consultant to the Parker Water and Sanitation District there were only approximately 400 taps within the District, while there are currently almost 20,000 taps. LWS personnel has assisted the District with the development of its Denver Basin aquifer water rights, as well as alluvial aquifer water rights along Cherry Creek. The district currently has 37 Denver Basin aquifer wells ranging in depth through approximately 400 feet to over 2800 feet, and Cherry Creek alluvial aquifer wells generally ranging in depth between 50 and 75 feet. These water rights have been the principal water supply for the District since the 1970s. There have been a number of Denver Basin aquifer water right adjudications, expanding the District’s well fields from time to time and LWS has also assisted with the adjudication of the alluvial aquifer water rights and associated augmentation plan.
Sustainable Water Resources:
LWS has been assisting with the proposed development of a trans-basin water supply plan from the San Luis Valley to the Front Range of Colorado. Approximately 20 deep wells have been completed to assess the aquifer production capability and the Rio Grande Decision Support System model has been used to evaluate potential injury to other water rights as it relates to developing an augmentation plan for Division 3 Water Court. LWS has been in charge of all of the engineering associated with developing a viable augmentation plan that will replace out-of-priority depletions according to the Confined Aquifer Rules in place in Division 3.
Willows Water District:
LWS helped the District develop its entire water supply system, which was wholly dependent upon Denver Basin aquifer water rights. The district owned all of the Denver Basin aquifer water rights beneath the district, as well as supplemental Denver Basin water rights beneath a portion of Highlands Ranch. LWS personnel assisted Willows with various litigation issues in Division 1 Water Court related to sharing the use of Denver Basin aquifer water on Highlands Ranch with the Centennial Water and Sanitation District.