- Performed due diligence on water rights acquired in connection with the purchase of land, which included stand up title examination and an evaluation of historical use
- Served as lead water counsel for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife on the $186 million Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project
- Represented the State and Division Engineers in the prosecution of one of its most complex enforcement actions against an illegal water user
Beth Van Vurst
Beth Van Vurst has specialized in water rights law for the last ten years. As part of her practice, Beth also advises clients on associated water quality, environmental, real estate, and tax law matters.
Beth began her career in the Federal and Interstate Water Unit and the Intrastate Water Unit of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. During her tenure with that office, Beth represented the State and Division Engineers, Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the Board of Water Well Examiners. Beth was named the Water Unit Attorney of the Year in 2006 and, towards the end of her tenure, served as lead water rights counsel for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. Prior to joining the firm, Beth worked in private practice on the western slope.
Beth has worked on interstate water issues raised by the Colorado River Compact, Arkansas River Compact and Republican River Compact. Beth has also worked on routine intrastate water matters in each of Colorado’s seven Water Court Divisions, including the adjudication of absolute and conditional water rights, changes of water rights, corrections to previously decreed points of diversion, exchanges and augmentation plans. Beth has also worked on more atypical water matters, including recreational in-channel diversion (RICD) water rights, transbasin water rights, protests to the Division Engineer’s abandonment list, quiet title actions, declaratory judgment actions, and enforcement actions against individuals diverting water without decreed water rights or without adequate measuring devices.
Beth's transactional experience includes strategic water supply planning, performing due diligence on water rights including title research, evaluating and drafting proposed conservation easements, evaluating water right appraisals, drafting water storage contracts, preparing water right leases and assisting in the preparation of multi-user coordinated reservoir operation plans for projects valued at over $10 million.
Representative Experience
Professional Affiliations
- Colorado Bar Association
- Water Law Section
- Agricultural & Rural Law Section
- Continental Divide Bar Association
- Water Law Section
Recognition
- Colorado Attorney General’s Office Water Unit Attorney of the Year, 2006
- National Institute for Trial Advocacy, graduate, 2006
- University of Colorado Law School and the City of Boulder, Mediation Certification, 2004
- University of Wyoming, Geological Field Camp, 2001
