Order of the Coif. Book Review Editor, Hastings Law Journal, 1973. Co-Author, "General Water-Rights Adjudication in Arizona: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," 27 Arizona Law Review 709 (1985). Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 1993—.
John Weldon is a founding member of Salmon, Lewis & Weldon. His practice focuses on water law, natural resources litigation, environmental law, Indian law, and electric power and utilities.
Mr. Weldon's practice concentrates on the representation of the largest water users' association in Arizona, an agricultural improvement and power district, an Arizona municipality, and the co-owners of one of the largest coal-fired electric generation stations in the U.S. in water rights, environmental and natural resource related matters.
Representative Professional Experience
Counsel for the Salt River Project in the Gila River and Little Colorado River general stream adjudications since 1977.
Lead negotiator for the Salt River Project in successfully resolving the water rights claims of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Zuni Indian Tribe, and the Gila River Indian Community, and in securing congressional and court approval of each of these settlements.
Currently actively participating in seeking congressional approval of the White Mountain Apache Tribe water rights settlement and in the completion of negotiations to resolve the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe to the Lower Colorado River and the Little Colorado River in Arizona.
Counsel for objectors in litigation and administrative proceedings relating to the Assured Water Supply designation for an Arizona municipality and associated impacts on river base flows, obtaining a mutually agreeable settlement of disputes among the parties.
Counsel for Salt River Project in successfully negotiating coal royalty rate reopeners in 1997 and 2009 with the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and Peabody Western Coal Company for coal supplied to an electric generating station in Arizona.
Represented a group of large public and private utilities in five separate actions relating to disputes involving long-term coal supply agreements for two electric generating stations in Arizona and Nevada.
Counsel for the Salt River Project in successfully negotiating the transfer of title to a 15,000 acre-foot capacity reservoir, an 11.5 mile pipeline and related facilities from a Fortune 500 company, and the approval of the severance and transfer of the associated surface water rights by the State of Arizona.
Represented clients on matters relating to the usage of Colorado River water in both the Upper and Lower Basins of the Colorado River, including the negotiation of municipal water delivery agreements for an Arizona municipality.
Represented utilities and water users' organizations in cases before the United States Supreme Court and the Arizona Supreme Court, including all nine Arizona Supreme Court decisions relating to the Gila River General Stream Adjudication.