Utah Water Law
Utah Water Rights Litigation
Water defines property value in Utah. When disputes arise over shares, diversions, or priority, you need counsel who understands both water law and property rights.
Representing water users, irrigation companies, and municipalities in state engineer proceedings and litigation.
Water Rights Disputes We Handle
Irrigation Company Shares
- • Share ownership disputes
- • Assessment controversies
- • Voting rights and control
- • Distribution conflicts
- • Company dissolution
Change Applications
- • Protests and hearings
- • Beneficial use documentation
- • Historic use analysis
- • Impairment claims
- • State Engineer appeals
Priority & Diversion Disputes
- • Senior vs. junior rights
- • Return flow obligations
- • Conveyance losses
- • Measuring device disputes
- • Unauthorized diversions
Water Rights in Property Transactions
- • Appurtenance determinations
- • Severance and transfer
- • Due diligence failures
- • Warranty deed exclusions
- • Undisclosed senior rights
Key Utah Water Law Principles
- • Prior Appropriation – "First in time, first in right"
- • Beneficial Use – "Use it or lose it" doctrine
- • Appurtenance – Water rights tied to land unless severed
- • Forfeiture – Five years non-use triggers forfeiture proceedings
Representative Experience
- • Represented irrigation companies and water districts
- • Partitioned irrigation shares among hostile co-owners
- • Litigated change application protests involving high-value municipal rights
- • Coordinated hydrologist and engineer testimony in priority disputes
Ready to Defend Your Water Rights
We assemble historic diversion records, hydrology opinions from seasoned professionals, and corporate governance documents to safeguard scarce water assets.
Water rights at risk? Call (801) 346-8120
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