Like all other businesses, Smith Hartvigsen has adapted to current conditions in order to continue to serve our clients with as little disruption as possible. Our attorneys and staff are primarily working from home, but we have technology and systems in place to allow us to continue to work at full capacity to meet the legal needs of our clients.
At this time, in order to comply with state and local mandates, we are limiting in-person meetings and visits to our office location. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us by phone or email for any reason.
Mt. Ogden Peak
Photo credit: Logan Sorensen
Three attorneys at Smith Hartvigsen have been recognized in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Recognition in Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review, and is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor. The selected attorneys and their practice areas are:
• J Craig Smith – Natural Resources Law
• David B. Hartvigsen – Water Law
• Jeff Gittins – Water Law
Additional information about the Best Lawyers selection methodology can be found at: BestLawyers.com
Wanted: photographs for a Utah calendar.
Each year at Christmas time, our law firm sends thousands of Utah calendars to our clients, business associates, and friends. For many years, we purchased calendars from the Utah Office of Tourism, but they stopped producing calendars a few years ago. So now we make our own calendars that showcase the beauty of the various landscapes and seasons across our state. To make our calendar, we need photographs and therefore invite submissions of photographs of Utah to include in our calendar. For each photograph selected to be in our calendar, we provide $50 and 5 copies of the calendar to the photographer (and, of course, give proper credit to the photographer in the calendar).
If you have one or more photographs you would like to submit for our 2021 calendar, please email them to scobabe@SHutah.law by September 20, 2020. Photographs must be of Utah should be high resolution and landscape orientation. We look forward to seeing all of the amazing photographs of our beautiful state!
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Photo credit: Adam Long
The Utah Supreme Court has released an amended decision in the case of Rocky Ford Irrigation Company v. Kents Lake Reservoir Company. The amended decision answers important questions about the distinction between a claim of impairment of a water right and the claim of interference of a water right, and whether a water right maintains its original priority date following a change application.
Read more about the amended decision on our water blog:
https://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/2020/07/rocky-ford-irr-co-v-kents-lake.html
UTAHWATERRIGHTS.BLOGSPOT.COM
Rocky Ford Irr. Co. v Kents Lake Reservoir Co. (amended)
Congratulations to David Hartvigsen, who was honored as the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the Energy, Natural Resources, and Environmental Law ("ENREL") Section of the Utah Bar. The award is given to an attorney who has dedicated their career to advancing their practice area, providing service to the ENREL Section, mentoring young attorneys, and providing excellent legal service to clients across the state. Craig Smith, who has practiced law with David for more than three decades, presented the award.
Bear Lake
Photo credit: Lauriann Wakefield
The Utah Supreme Court has issued its decision in the case of Arave v. Pineview West Water Company. The case centers on a dispute between a public water supplier whose large, new well caused significant impact and injury to two smaller culinary wells. In its decision, the Court lays out the five elements necessary to establish a prima facie case of interference of a water right.
To read more about the case, visit our water blog:
http://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/2020/10/arave-v-pineview-west-water-company.html
UTAHWATERRIGHTS.BLOGSPOT.COM
Arave v. Pineview West Water Company
U.S. News & World Report has once again ranked Smith Hartvigsen as a Tier 1 law firm for water law in Utah in its annual list of Best Law Firms. We are one of only five law firms in the state to receive this distinction.
Photo credit: Jami Bollschweiler
On April 7, 2021, several Smith Hartvigsen attorneys will be presenting at the "Utah Water Laws and Regulations" seminar sponsored by HalfMoon Education. The seminar will be online, and is eligible for continuing education credit for Utah attorneys and engineers.
Please visit the link below for more information and to register for the seminar.
https://halfmoonseminars.org/product/webinars/utah-water-laws-and-regulations/
The Utah Division of Water Rights is starting a new general adjudication of water rights in the Daniels Creek area of Wasatch County. All water right owners in this area should be aware of the general adjudication and be sure to file a Water User's Claim in the general adjudication to ensure their water rights are not disallowed. Information about a public meeting to discuss the general adjudication can be found on our water blog:
http://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/2021/01/public-meeting-concerning-general.html
Photo credit: Eric Marble
Today was the opening day of the 2021 session of the Utah Legislature. A number of water-related bills have already been filed, including bills about school water testing, tiered water pricing, water efficiency, and the possible merger of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality. Read about the bills on our Utah water blog.
http://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/2021/01/2021-legislative-preview.html
UTAHWATERRIGHTS.BLOGSPOT.COM
2021 Legislative Preview
The Utah Division of Water Rights has issued a Groundwater Management Plan for the Cedar City area. The Plan will affect water rights and water uses in the area for several decades to come. All groundwater users in the area should be well acquainted with the Plan and what it means for their individual water rights in the future. Read more about the Plan on our Utah water blog:
http://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/2021/01/cedar-city-valley-groundwater.html
UTAHWATERRIGHTS.BLOGSPOT.COM
Cedar City Valley Groundwater Management Plan
