Mark McLean provides technical expertise and project management for water rights and water resources projects for Schnabel. His expertise and experience are in water rights, hydrology, hydraulics, design of hydraulic structures, water supply analysis and planning, and water resource computer modeling. He specializes in water supply projects within the context of Colorado water rights laws and has been qualified as an Expert Witness by the Colorado water courts for the South Platte River, Arkansas River and Colorado River basins, and by a U.S. Supreme Court Special Master. He has provided expert witness testimony in water rights cases and in civil litigations related to water matters.
Mark has performed as Project Engineer and Project Manager on many water rights/water resources projects for private and governmental entities. His background includes project management, design and analysis of all phases of municipal and agricultural water supply systems and facilities, water rights planning and analysis, changes of water rights, technical assistance in objections to water rights claims, preparation of water rights applications, expert witness testimony, analysis of municipal and agricultural supplies and demands, design of raw water storage reservoirs, spillways, diversion and measurement structures, pipelines, and open channels. His broad general civil engineering experience provides a useful context at the intersection of water rights and the physical world of ditches, reservoirs, and pipelines.
Mark especially appreciates opportunities that arise for educating laypersons on the often difficult to understand system of water laws in Colorado, and the issues that continue to arise as that system is further impacted by decisions entered in the water courts.