David Johnson is Of Counsel to Rose Law Group and advises the firm on water resources and environmental matters.
Previously, David worked for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District which is the elected board that operates the Central Arizona Project. The Central Arizona Project is Arizona’s largest renewable water supply and one of the largest water providers in the United States. In that role, David advised CAWCD on all matters involving the Colorado River including water deliveries and allocations, environmental and natural resources laws such as the ESA, NEPA, and CERCLA, and on tribal water settlements.
David also worked for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the state agency tasked with managing Arizona various water supplies. During that time, David advised the State on certain matters related to the Gila River water rights adjudication, on dam safety, groundwater permitting, AMA planning, and on the water rights claims of Indian communities. David was also responsible for managing the Department’s various regulatory initiatives during his time with ADWR.
Prior to government employment, David worked in private practice where he generally practiced environmental and natural resources law with a diverse range of clients including mining companies, tribal entities, and water and wastewater treatment facilities.
David received his Master of Laws in Environmental Law from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in 2006 and his Juris Doctor from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2004 where he served as Articles Editor for the SMU Law Review. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in 2001.
David has worked extensively with the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources and has served as a member its Executive Council and chair of multiple committees. David also recently concluded his term as chair of the Arizona State Bar’s Environmental, Energy and Resources Chair. David spends much of his free time with his wife and in raising his four children.
In The News
Arizona measure that would speed conversion of thirsty farms to subdivisions is a ‘win-win’ all around, says Rose Law Group Water Law Department Chair David Johnson, who represents private developers and farmers on water issues
By Tony Davis | Arizona Daily Star Arizona officials often boast that total water use statewide hasn’t grown since the late 1950s, partly because many farms have been gobbled up by developers to build less thirsty subdivisions. Now, a hotly debated bill moving through the Legislature would accelerate the transfer of a farm’s water rights to new subdivisions. The bill
David Johnson, chair of Rose Law Group’s water department, comments on: Arizona’s proposed framework for converting wastewater into purified drinking water
By Kate Duffy | Cronkite News, Phoenix Business Journal Recently, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality released a proposed roadmap outlining plans to convert treated wastewater into purified drinking water. “Advanced water purification has the potential to provide a reliable source of purified water that can alleviate water scarcity issues faced in much of Arizona,” said Randall Matas, deputy director of the
Could depleted groundwater in Arizona be refilled by borrowing a trick from solar power? Rose Law Group Water Department Chair David Johnson weighs in
By Erica Gies | Scientific American Pajaro Valley on the coast of central California has little surface water, so its farmers depend on extracting groundwater to grow leafy greens and berries for the global market. But as in many places around the world, these farmers have been pumping the water out faster than nature can replenish it. In different places, groundwater decline can
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