[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       A TRIBUTE TO BRICE BLEDSOE

                                 ______


                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise and salute 
the achievements of a remarkable public servant: Brice Bledsoe, 
Executive Director of the Solano Irrigation District. Mr. Bledsoe's 
upcoming retirement is being observed in Solano County where his many 
friends are recognizing him for the contributions he has made.
  Mr. Bledsoe has served his community with distinction for over 30 
years. In the farm country and urban centers of Solano County, Brice 
Bledsoe is known as a superbly informed, tenacious professional who 
always acts with the best interests of Solano County at heart. And 
while Mr. Bledsoe deftly manages his day to day responsibilities, he 
deserves special recognition for the vision he has shown in guiding 
Solano County's water future.
  I want to call attention to several of Brice's notable 
accomplishments with which I am personally familiar.
  In the early 1970's Mr. Bledsoe led SID and the city of Fairfield to 
enact a visionary program which preserved the agricultural character of 
the Suisun Valley. There is no question that this rural treasure, with 
its superb soils and productive orchards, would have been urbanized 
long ago. It was not, however, due to SID and the city of Fairfield's 
joint decision to withhold construction of urban infrastructure until 
the next century.
  In the mid-1970's, Mr. Bledsoe proposed that SID develop a 
hydroelectric powerplant at Monticello Dam, the central feature of the 
Bureau of Reclamation's Solano Project. After years of effort and many 
efforts, Solano brought the 13 megawatt project on line in early 1984. 
The facility was the first locally sponsored powerplant at a Federal 
dam in the region.
  In the early 1990's, SID, again under Mr. Bledsoe's leadership, came 
to the assistance of the city of Benicia as it faced a dire water 
emergency at the height of the drought. Benicia, a city of over 30,000, 
had lost its entire water supply when the State Water Project was 
forced to curtail deliveries. SID, in conjunction with the Solano 
County Water Agency, established an intracounty water bank and arranged 
for several farmers to forgo planting and receive payment for sending 
15,000 acre feet of their irrigation supply to Benicia. This exchange 
was the first of it type, predating the State's own banking program.
  On a personal note, I add that I have always enjoyed working with 
Brice Bledsoe. I have been impressed with his knowledge and commitment 
to serve his community.
  In conclusion, it is a pleasure to salute Brice Bledsoe. I wish him 
well in his retirement and I expect that the Solano Irrigation District 
and Solano County will continue to benefit from his experience even 
after he steps down as SID's Executive Director.

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