DENVER (July 9, 2007) - Anne Castle, a partner in Holland & Hart LLP's Denver office, was named by Gov. Bill Ritter as a member of the newly created South Platte River Basin Task Force.
Castle will be one of two non-voting legal advisors on this high profile task force, which is charged with examining water issues and recommending possible solutions to challenges facing ground water users in the northeast Colorado river basin. In her practice, Castle focuses on water law and has more than 25 years of experience at Holland & Hart. She served on the Colorado Ground Water Commission from 1994 to 2002 and acts as special water counsel to the Colorado River Water Conservation District and the City of Pueblo, Colo.
"I'm not expecting any magic bullets," said Castle. "I'm hoping with all of these stakeholders in one place at one time, we may be able to hear some discussions of compromises that could work for everyone."
Gov. Ritter created the 26-member task force last month in response to the water crisis along the South Platte River. Members of the task force include elected officials and water users from many affected areas, the former State Engineer, and a former Colorado Supreme Court Justice. The co-chairs of the task force are the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources. The members held their first meeting last week and will hold five more before presenting a final report on the issue to Gov. Ritter and other legislative leaders at the end of September.