AMERICAN WATER DEV. v. CITY OF ALAMOSA

Nos. 92SA141, 92SA263.

874 P.2d 352 (1994)

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; Sheila 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; Town of Monte Vista; Jimmy R. Moore; Mary Moore; Morfitt Brothers Farm, Inc.; Darrel Neese; Harold Neese; Gayle A. Nichols; Edward R. Oliver; Otaka International; Robert A. Owens; Edwin Pace; Howard R. Platz; Rio Grande County Commissioners; Rio Grande County Farm Bureau; Rio Grande Water Conservation District; Rio Grande Water Users Association; 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; County of Saguache; Town of Saguache; San Luis Valley Irrigation Well Owners, Inc.; San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District; Loren R. Santisteven; Julie A. Santisteven; 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; Jeris A. Danielson, State Engineer; Steven E. Vandiver, Division Engineer; Travelers Insurance Company; Thomas F. Trim; Annabelle R. Trim; United States of America; Villa Grove Area Water Users, Owners and Opposers; Wagner Ranch, Ltd.; John H. Wagner; Weiss Ranches, Inc.; A.L. Wood; John M. Woodard; Erwin Young; Lynne Young, Objectors-Appellees. AMERICAN WATER DEVELOPMENT, INC., a Colorado corporation, Applicant-Petitioner, v. RIO GRANDE WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT; San Luis Valley Irrigation Well Owners, Inc.; The City of Alamosa; The Town of Monte Vista; The Town of LaJara; The Town of Crestone; Saguache County; Alamosa County; Rio Grande County; Rio Grande Water Users Association; San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District; United States of America; State of Colorado; Colorado Division of Wildlife; Colorado Water Conservation Board; Jeris A. Danielson, State Engineer; Steven E. Vandiver, Division Engineer; Conejos Water Conservancy District; Oasis Land & Cattle Corp.; Oliver Powell Roemer, III, Successor Trustee Under the Trusts Under the Will of Avis Neal Roemer; Howard Platz; and Gayle Nichols, Objectors-Respondents.

Supreme Court of Colorado, En Banc.

Rehearing Denied June 6, 1994.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Faegre & Benson, Joseph M. Montano, Diane B. Davies, Harlan S. Abrahams, Grimshaw & Harring, P.C., Wayne B. Schroeder, Denver, for American Water Development, Inc.

Carlson, Hammond & Paddock, John U. Carlson, William A. Paddock, Melanie Kopperud Backes, Denver, for Rio Grande Water Users Ass'n and San Luis Valley Water Conservancy Dist.

Hill & Robbins, P.C., David W. Robbins, Robert F. Hill, Karen A. Tomb, Anne K. LaPorta, Denver, for Rio Grande Water Conservation Dist., San Luis Valley Water Conservancy Dist., San Luis Valley Irr. Well Owners, Inc., City of Alamosa, Town of Monte Vista, Town of LaJara, Town of Crestone, County of Saguache, Alamosa County, Rio Grande County, and Rio Grande County Com'rs.

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, Sheila 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.


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...

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