David W. Robbins
2012 Aspinall Award Recipient
The 2012 recipient of the Wayne N. Aspinall Award, David Robbins has a long and distinguished career in water and natural resources law having served as First Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Natural Resources Section for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and as Deputy Attorney General. He represented the State of Colorado in a multitude of interstate water matters, and served as counsel to the state engineer in adjudication proceedings and in trials regarding basin-wide rules and regulations. David represented the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and successfully defended the constitutionality of the state’s first in-stream flow protection law.
A former President of the Colorado Water Congress, David W. Robbins received his BA from Stanford and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is admitted to practice law in California, Colorado, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th and 10th Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently President of, and a shareholder in, the law firm of Hill & Robbins, P.C., he specializes in the fields of water, natural resources and environmental law.
David has represented the Rio Grande Water Conservation District as general counsel since 1981, defeating speculative proposals to mine the ground water of the San Luis Valley (AWDI v. City of Alamosa). He drafted the bill to create the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which is depicted in the painting presented to David as the 2012 Aspinall Award. CWC thanks Patrick Myers, Photographer and Park Ranger for his excellent photo of Medano Creek in full spate used as the basis of this painting.
He was counsel of record for the State of Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kansas v. Colorado, No. 105 Original (October Term, 1985) which deals with the Arkansas River Compact. David also serves as general counsel to the Republican River Water Conservation District and as special counsel to the Southwestern Water Conservation District. He serves as outside counsel to Colorado Springs Utilities and has been instrumental in negotiating the successful local, state, and federal permitting of the Southern Delivery System, a regional project to bring water from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, and Pueblo West.
In addition to his private practice, Mr. Robbins has served as a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board for three terms (Chairman in 1985 and 1986). From 1975 to 2003 and from 2007 to the present, he has represented the State on the Colorado River Salinity Control Forum and the Colorado River Salinity Control Advisory Council (Chairman of both organizations for four terms). Early in his career, he worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for two years. David is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the American Bar Foundation.
A former President of the Colorado Water Congress, David W. Robbins received his BA from Stanford and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is admitted to practice law in California, Colorado, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th and 10th Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently President of, and a shareholder in, the law firm of Hill & Robbins, P.C., he specializes in the fields of water, natural resources and environmental law.
David has represented the Rio Grande Water Conservation District as general counsel since 1981, defeating speculative proposals to mine the ground water of the San Luis Valley (AWDI v. City of Alamosa). He drafted the bill to create the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which is depicted in the painting presented to David as the 2012 Aspinall Award. CWC thanks Patrick Myers, Photographer and Park Ranger for his excellent photo of Medano Creek in full spate used as the basis of this painting.
He was counsel of record for the State of Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kansas v. Colorado, No. 105 Original (October Term, 1985) which deals with the Arkansas River Compact. David also serves as general counsel to the Republican River Water Conservation District and as special counsel to the Southwestern Water Conservation District. He serves as outside counsel to Colorado Springs Utilities and has been instrumental in negotiating the successful local, state, and federal permitting of the Southern Delivery System, a regional project to bring water from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, and Pueblo West.
In addition to his private practice, Mr. Robbins has served as a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board for three terms (Chairman in 1985 and 1986). From 1975 to 2003 and from 2007 to the present, he has represented the State on the Colorado River Salinity Control Forum and the Colorado River Salinity Control Advisory Council (Chairman of both organizations for four terms). Early in his career, he worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for two years. David is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the American Bar Foundation.