Steven O. Sims
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP
Steven O. Sims's representative clients include: The City of Aurora in its $700 million Prairie Waters Project. This work involves complex water rights transactions, water court representation as well as state and local permitting. Nestle Waters North America on water and land use matters involving their Chaffee County bottling plant. Arkansas River Farms on a 40 farm agricultural efficiency project on the Fort Lyon Canal in southeastern Colorado. Numerous ranch owners in Weld County involved in developing fracking water for the oil and gas industry. In California, from 2011-2017, Steve represents the Westlands Water District on Endangered Species Act litigation and appeals involving the Bay-Delta in California, a case widely considered one of the most complex ESA litigations in the country. In New Mexico in 2013, Steve represented the Interstate Stream Commission in the transfer of water rights on the Pecos River for river augmentation and compact compliance purposes. The case involves 33 rights and is one of the largest transfers in state history. Steve also represents the Interstate Stream Commission, in trial and appeal of Norm Gaume v. the Interstate Stream Commission concerning an Open Meetings Act litigation involving the Gila project. In addition to the above matters, Steve has extensive experience in general water litigation. He has represented clients in over 500 water litigations and over 20 Supreme Court Appeals in his 40 year career. Steve is the former senior water counsel and first assistant attorney general for the Water Unit of the Colorado Attorney General's Office, where he acted as the primary water law advisor for the State and Division Engineers, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Division of Wildlife, the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, and other state agencies with water rights issues.
(10/19)
