Meghan Winokur

Partner

Meghan's clients rely on her diverse experience in water rights, real estate development and land use planning to find creative solutions to their problems and achieve their goals.

She works with water service providers, municipalities, ski areas, agricultural producers, ranchers, real estate developers and private landowners on all aspects of water supply planning, water court litigation, real estate transactions, development activities and land use planning. Meghan’s water and land use practices bring her in regular contact with the City of Aspen’s and Pitkin County’s review bodies and community development offices.

Meghan is a part of the water team and frequently works with Mark Hamilton, Bill Caile, Kylie Crandall, and Hayley Siltanen. She also works closely with Tom Todd on real estate and land use matters. Meghan has served as the administrative partner of the Aspen office since 2022.

Client Results

Water Supply Development

Diligently guiding a municipal water service provider through complex issues related to improving the reliability and quality of its water supply system, including addressing water treatment plant capacity limitations, physical and legal water supply challenges, water rate increases, and funding for infrastructure improvements.
Protecting and enhancing future water supplies for ski areas in the Roaring Fork Valley by protecting water rights through court action, successfully securing a long-term agreement with a municipality for the delivery of snowmaking water and assisting with federal permitting matters.
Working to improve a water supply to support an art-based glamping community in San Miguel County.
Coordinating the implementation of a collaborative plan to monitor stream conditions in Castle Creek and Maroon Creek through a negotiated agreement with Pitkin County.
Helped a client with the transfer of shares in the Bessemer Irrigating Ditch Company to municipal uses.
Prevailed in protecting the water rights of a municipality in the Colorado River Basin in two appeals to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Water Rights Due Diligence

Assisted multiple clients to investigate and evaluate water rights associated with significant land purchases in the Colorado, Yampa and San Juan River Basins.

Real Estate and Land Use

Worked with a team of lawyers to obtain county approval of an amended and restated ski area master plan, following a lengthy administrative process and multiple public hearings.
Assisting with an application to re-zone lands in Pitkin County to support ski area operations.
Successfully negotiated complex water rights issues on significant transactions involved residential real estate transfers in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Published Cases

Anderson v. Pursell, 244. P.3d 1188 (Colo. 2010)
Town of Minturn V. Tucker, 293 p. 3d 581 (Colo. 2013)
Tucker v. Town of Minturn, 359 P.3d 29 (Colo. 2015)

Recreational In-Channel Diversion

Assisted a municipality to obtain a conditional recreational in-channel diversion water right on the Arkansas River, coordinated documentation of the use of the associated whitewater park, and obtained a water court decree making a portion of the water right absolute.

Experience

Assists municipal and private clients with long-term water supply planning and development
Represents clients in water court litigation, including adjudication of water rights, changes of water rights and plans for augmentation
Handles water-related administrative proceedings, including substitute water supply plans and well permitting matters
Negotiates issues associated with the evaluation, assessment, and conveyance of water rights
Advises clients in residential and resort real estate transactions, including land and water rights title issues
Guides clients through the land use planning process, including providing advice on local government master plans, strategizing on re-zoning and interfacing with local governing review bodies.

News

01/01/2022
Holland & Hart Announces 2022 Partner Elections
12/16/2021
Holland & Hart Announces New Firm Leadership in 2022

Speaking Engagements and Events

02/09/2022
Colorado Water Rights and Regulation: Agricultural Water Use
Half Moon Education, Inc.
10/14/2021
Water in Colorado: Understanding Risks, Building Resilience, and Planning for the Future
Twin Peaks Rotary Club
September 2020
Water Law in Real Estate Transactions
Colorado Bar Association 38th Annual Real Estate Symposium
July 28, 2020
Water Law Class – Staff Presentation
Department of Regulatory Affairs
March 5, 2020
Water Law for Real Estate Lawyers
Colorado Bar Association Real Estate Section
November 21, 2019
Water Rates: Legal and Technical Considerations in Colorado
Co-Presenter, Colorado Government Finance Officers Association Annual Conference, Pueblo, CO

Professional and Civic Affiliations

Colorado Bar Association, Water Law Section, Member, 2006-present
American Bar Association, Member, 2004-present
Pitkin County Bar Association, Member, 2013-present
Alpine Legal Services, Hotline Volunteer, 2020-present
Children’s Rocky Mountain School, Board of Directors, President, 2014-2017

Water Resources Environmental Resorts and Hospitality Environmental Transactions

Energy and Resources Outdoor Recreation Cannabis

University of Colorado Law School
J.D., 2004

University of Colorado Law Review

Fort Lewis College
B.S., 1999

Environmental Biology
summa cum laude

Colorado

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Practice Areas

Industries

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