Western Water Right Consulting Services Offered by
Jehn Water Consultants, Inc.
Surface Water Analyses
Jehn Water Consultants has evaluated and analyzed numerous surface water rights for various municipalities as well as private entities. Jehn Water Consultants is often called upon for the valuation of stream and ditch rights. Jehn Water Consultants provides services to assist clients in obtaining the rights to utilize surface water as a supply to meet demands, including the change of water rights, augmentation plans, storage analyses and firm yield analyses.
Jehn Water Consultants designs and maintains numerous continuously recording measuring devices for surface water flows throughout Colorado. Data collected from these devices are periodically downloaded and kept in an ongoing database. Numerous surface water models have been completed to aid in the quantification of water availability in ungaged drainage basins. These include spatial as well as regression models. A planning model was also designed by Jehn Water Consultants to assist in the surface water demand planning for developments that require storage to aid in the overall supply.
Ground Water Analyses
Jehn Water Consultants has had extensive experience in assisting in the development of water supplies from ground water and surface water sources throughout Colorado and neighboring states, including supplies from deep bedrock and shallow alluvial aquifer wells. Jehn Water Consultants has also been involved with the inception, planning and completion of more than 400 water supply planning and development projects throughout Colorado, including the Denver Metropolitan area, the Fraser Valley, the Eagle River Valley, South Platte River Basin, Colorado River Basin, Arkansas River Basin, Gunnison River Basin, Yampa River Basin and other areas. Jehn Water Consultants has been involved in obtaining the decreed right to use water from streams and various aquifers through Water Court proceedings for Municipalities, Cities, Special Districts, Developers, Industry, ranchers and homeowners.
The projects Jehn Water Consultants staff have been involved with include surface and ground water supply development projects, water rights studies, augmentation plans, transfer of water rights, computer modeling studies, including the simulation of response to pumping in bedrock and unconsolidated (alluvial) aquifers, stream depletion analyses, well interference effects, mine dewatering analyses, numerous ground water dewatering analyses, and waste isolation studies. Experience and capabilities range from large municipal water supply wells and systems to small domestic wells for individual homeowners, with corresponding cost and performance criteria. Jehn Water Consultants personnel have provided expert testimony in Water Court for all of the above situations.
Plans for Augmentation
Numerous plans for augmentation have been developed by Jehn Water Consultants which often involve innovative solutions for locating sources of water for augmentation needs. These plans define the water requirements, consumptive uses, water supply, and available water rights, and identify those senior water rights that must be protected from injury. Jehn Water Consultants has been involved from the initial concept of developing such plans through the planning process to Water Court procedures, and through the implementation of plans as projects progress.
Surface Water and Ground Water Computer Modeling
Jehn Water Consultants personnel are familiar with many second-party computer programs and techniques, and have developed and adapted numerous computer programs for specific model-related applications including the analysis of: stream depletion due to well usage, evaluations of previous irrigation use of surface waters; including historic consumptive use studies; statistical methods for analyses of drought and flood periods; economic well pumping analyses, including escalated present worth; reservoir yield and routing with varying inflows and demands; storm precipitation and runoff, data control and preprocessors for finite difference models, actual well drawdown programs interfaced with finite difference models; graphic model output control programs and various ground water related programs for aquifer and well analyses.
Substitute Water Supply Plans
The purpose of a SWSP is to allow water users used their water rights as they are completing a Water Court application. Approval from the SEO may allow some users to operate a temporary plan for augmentation as their adjudication of the permanent plan for augmentation progresses through the Water Court process. SWSPs also allow for short term augmentation plans to operate without a Water Court approved plan as long as the plan does not exceed five years. Jehn Water Consultants works with clients to develop SWSPs for either short term users or to assist a project under certain circumstances when their pending Water Court applications are causing timing issues.
Water Rights Valuations
Jehn Water Consultants has completed numerous valuations of both surface and ground water rights in Colorado and Wyoming. Valuations have been completed for Special Districts, cities, ranchers, developers and individuals. Typically, the comparable Sales Approach is used, following generally acceptable guidelines and procedures.
Changes of Water Rights
Jehn Water Consultants has been involved in numerous changes of water rights typically changing water rights historically used for agriculture to municipal or augmentation uses. These studies entail the identification of historically irrigated crop types, the consumptive use analysis, and the preparation of expert reports of a water rights change case, and supporting expert testimony.
