Somach Simmons & Dunn | Attorneys at Law
Lindsey Ratcliff is a water attorney based in Durango, Colorado. She provides legal advice regarding water rights litigation and transactions to municipalities, local governments, conservation districts, special districts, ditch companies, Tribes, and private ranches, landowners, and resorts. Lindsey’s interdisciplinary education provides a strong foundation for her legal practice, equipping her with the skills necessary to analyze and communicate complex legal issues effectively, while offering strategic, values-aligned counsel.
Lindsey has expertise in handling water rights issues in Colorado and has successfully represented clients in water courts across all seven of the state’s water divisions. She has represented private and public entities in water rights transactions and litigation, and is well-versed in Tribal law. Lindsey also assists municipal water suppliers in safeguarding and expanding their water rights portfolios for integrated water systems, helps public agencies navigate regulatory and public agency law matters, and guides private property owners in protecting their decreed water rights or securing new ones.
Lindsey began her legal career as an Assistant Attorney General Fellow in the Natural Resources & Environment Section of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, where she gained in-depth experience in litigation, regulatory, and administrative law. Lindsey also worked at two premier private law firms in Durango and Boulder, Colorado. During law school, she prioritized hands-on training and completed internships across private, governmental, and public interest sectors, including with the Grand Canyon Trust, Earthjustice, Colorado Water Trust, Colorado’s Division 5 Water Court, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, and Kaplan Kirsch LLP. Her legal training is further bolstered by a Master’s in Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, providing her with a well-rounded perspective in her legal practice.
Outside of work, Lindsey is an active volunteer in academic circles, serving as a mentor for the Colorado Water Fellows Program at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and an Advisory Board Member for the Denver Water Law Review. Lindsey enjoys exploring Southwest Colorado by foot, ski, paddleboard, and bike—often with a fly rod in hand. After graduating from law school, she “walked home” along the 486-mile-long Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango.
Prosecute water court applications in the water courts for all seven of Colorado’s water divisions for new water rights, changes of water rights, ongoing diligence applications for conditional water rights, and augmentation plans, as well as opposition to potentially injurious applications filed by other water users.
Represent parties to rulemaking proceedings before state environmental regulatory agencies.
Draft and review agreements involving water rights, service, and administration for municipalities and private property owners.
Draft easement agreements for access to water structures across neighboring lands.
Advise clients on water rights due diligence associated with land acquisitions.
Provide strategic legal advice to Boards of Directors for multiple political subdivisions in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and policymaking.
