The Hon. Russell McElyea is the chief judge for the Montana Water Court. He was appointed to the bench as an associate water judge in 2012 and elevated to chief judge in 2013, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. C. Bruce Loble.
The Water Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudication of water rights claims, including within the state and Indian and Federal reserved water rights claims. The Court is divided into four water divisions formed by the natural boundaries between drainages and the state’s borders. They include the Yellowstone River Basin, the Upper Missouri River Basin, the Lower Missouri River Basin, and the Clark Fork River Basin.
Prior to his appointment, McElyea was the Chief Operating Officer for Moonlight Basin Resort and handled water and real estate matters in private practice in Bozeman.
He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northern Arizona University. McElyea then completed a J.D. at the University of Colorado Law School.