Shareholder

Overview

Matt Machado is an expert on surface water and groundwater rights, ditches and the associated interests in land. His 17 years of experience includes assisting farmers, ranchers, landowners, developers, mutual ditch companies, private ditch and lateral owners, well user groups, hunting clubs, special districts, and municipalities in acquiring, selling, developing and protecting interests in land and water rights throughout Colorado. Matt is an accomplished author and speaker on water rights issues.

• Education & Past Positions

  Matt graduated from Tulane University with a B.S. and M.S. in Biology in 1991 and 1994, respectively. He is member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He earned his J.D. in 1999 from the University of Colorado Law School, and while in Law School, clerked for the U.S. Department of Justice, the Nature Conservancy and the American Whitewater Association.

• Representative Matters

  Achieving desirable outcomes for clients consistent with their needs, goals, and budget is always Matt’s goal. He has guided clients through complex, multi-million dollar transactions involving water and land. He serves as general counsel for ditch companies, and has assisted numerous landowners in successfully resolving disputes over ditch, reservoir, and seepage easements. Matt regularly works with clients to obtain decrees, permits and other administrative approvals involving water rights. This includes helping clients obtain Water Court decrees for plans for augmentation for wells, changes of water rights, new water rights for ditches, reservoirs, wells, recharge projects, and water-related habitat projects, as well as a wide range of well permitting issues. He regularly represents clients before Colorado’s District Courts, and Water Courts, Colorado Supreme Court, Colorado Ground Water Commission, State Engineer, Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, and various other local government entities.

• Organizations & Community Involvement

  Matt is a member of the Water Law and Environmental Law Sections of the Colorado Bar Association, the Boulder Bar Association, and the Colorado Ground Water Association.

  For the past six years, Matt has served as a member of the Louisville Licensing Authority, including past chair, and formerly served on the board of the Louisville Public Library Foundation.

• Speaking Engagements

  Presentation at Colorado Water Congress Annual Convention January 24, 2018 RE Catlin Bylaws: Protecting a Mutual Ditch Company and Shareholders from Changes of Water Rights.

  Presentation for Boulder Bar Association on February 22, 2018 RE Legal Framework for Aquifer Storage and Recovery

  Presentation for Colorado Bar Association on April 12, 2018 RE Legal Framework for Aquifer Storage and Recovery

  Presentation for Colorado Groundwater Association on April 18, 2018 RE: A Case Study in the Water Court’s New Approach to Changes of “Pre-213” Nontributary Wells