[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DENNIS UNDERWOOD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2005

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a man 
who will long be remembered for his extraordinary leadership and the 
significant contributions he made to the western states of our Nation. 
Dennis Underwood served his country in many capacities and dedicated 
the better part of the past 35 years as an influential leader of water 
policy in the West. On November 2, 2005, Dennis passed away following a 
long battle with cancer. Our region collectively mourns his passing, 
while remembering his lifelong contributions.
  Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1989 until 1993, 
Dennis most recently served as the chief executive officer and general 
manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 
which serves 18 million people. Dennis also served as the Executive 
Director of the Colorado River Board of California. He worked 
tirelessly with the seven Basin States, the International Boundary and 
Water Commission, and various Federal agencies to develop and manage 
Colorado River water resources.
  The greatest challenge facing the West today and for the foreseeable 
future is meeting water supply needs in an atmosphere of growing 
population, conflicting state and international claims, and demands of 
environmental protection. Although Dennis most recently represented 
water consumers in Southern California, his leadership, ingenuity, 
fairness, and perseverance yielded important dividends for water users 
throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and other states that draw 
water from the over-allocated Colorado River.
  Mark Twain famously stated that ``whiskey is for drinking and water 
is for fighting.'' While the West has undoubtedly seen its share of 
water wars, I can't think of a person who had a better ability to get 
people to stop fighting and sit down at the bargaining table than 
Dennis. His wisdom, warm good nature, positive approach and--above 
all--sterling honesty kept all players in the Western water drama 
focused on finding solutions instead of persisting in conflict.
  Personally, I had the pleasure and honor of working with Dennis on a 
number of important water issues, including the sometimes tumultuous 
negotiations of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, which brought 
California's water use in compliance with its legal apportionment for 
Colorado River supplies. In each instance, Dennis displayed a 
tremendous ability to find balanced solutions that satisfied all 
parties.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has lost a great servant, the West has 
lost a brilliant leader, and I have lost a dear friend. On behalf of 
our region, I want to convey our appreciation for all of Dennis's 
efforts and express our heartfelt condolences to the Underwood family, 
including his wife, Carmen; daughter and son-in-law, Michelle and Ryan 
Dejournett; brothers, Russell, Lawrence, Rory, Kevin, and Jeffrey; and 
two grandsons.

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