Water Law
At SMITH ∙ ROSE ∙ FINLEY, we find solutions to water rights problems. We can explain the water law and water use issues associated with any property.
We deal with all aspects of water law, including:
- Riparian Rights
- Mitigation Plans
- Extensions
- Endangered Species Act Compliance
- Clean Water Act Compliance
- Department of Water Resources Proceedings
- Administrative Proceedings before State Agencies
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Regulations
Texas landowners' legal right to take and use groundwater beneath their property is currently under fire. A number of high-profile cases have focused on water law, and additional seminal cases in this area are likely in the future. For example, in the Ozarka case in East Texas, the groundwater-marketing efforts by Mesa Water, Inc. in the Texas Panhandle; and recent efforts by the City of El Paso to pump water from a nearby ranch so that it can be used for urban purposes, have all combined to create a stir in the Texas Legislature. There is a chance that landowners' traditional right to capture groundwater will be curtailed severely. We believe that water law will be a critical issue for landowners going forward.
Our attorneys have undergone special training so that we can advise landowners with respect to all water law issues.