About Johnson Environmental

Johnson Environmental Consulting (JEC) is Brad Johnson, PhD, PWS teamed with the highest caliber environmental professionals in the Rocky Mountains.  Streams and wetlands have been my passion and my profession for the past 25+ years.  I’ve been fortunate to have led many incredible projects and initiatives in wetland research, assessment, restoration and large-scale planning over the years.  I didn’t set out to be a leader in aquatic habitat assessment and restoration, I just wanted to figure out how to do things better than what I was seeing, or figure out how to do something that had never been done before.    

The pages of this site serve to illustrate how I have, and do, approach what could be called wetland “artisanship”.  I use that term because, when pressed, I find it difficult to pin a narrower label on it.  I think you’ll see what I mean if you peruse the site.  All of the projects I mention on this site were undertaken by me personally, although often with colleagues, and together, they describe my personal concept of wetland artisanship. 

So when you hire Johnson Environmental Consulting, you don’t hire a firm, you hire me, Brad.

Complete Bio - Brad Johnson, PhD, PWS

I came out to Colorado in 1990 after finishing my BS in Botany at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and I’ve been studying and working in Colorado wetlands and streams ever since.  I’ve worked in about every situation in the state, but I specialize in headwater systems.  I completed my MS at Colorado State University investigating the ecology of a subalpine fen on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.  From there I completed a PhD and Post-doctoral Fellowship at CSU studying the functioning of headwaters wetlands – particularly fens – and how to restore them.  I also used these studies to develop methods by which wetland function and condition could be assessed quickly and consistently.

Continuing my academic career at CSU as a Research Scientist, I developed assessment and planning tools for use in the administration of the Clean Water Act in Colorado with my colleagues from EcoMetrics.  Seeing, evaluating and interpreting causes of impairment in thousands of wetlands and streams while developing, applying and teaching the use of these tools is how I honed my eye to seek out and spot restoration opportunities and identify how to remedy the causes of habitat impairment. 

I was not content to stand back and imagine how a restoration might be completed or how an assessment tool might actually perform in a Clean Water Act action.  I needed to experience these challenges for myself and learn my craft on the ground .  That’s where Johnson Environmental Consulting (JEC) came in to play.

All during my academic research program, I forged my applied ecological skills through my work as JEC.  This pairing of academic and professional roles provided unparalleled opportunity to deepen and broaden my portfolio of experience and expertise.  I have been fortunate enough to have carried out or been involved with numerous truly important and groundbreaking projects.  You can look here to learn about some of the projects I have been most proud to be involved with.