[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1438-E1439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING DAVE SOLEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 2010

  Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share with you the deep 
appreciation that I and the people of the Klamath Basin hold for Dave 
Solem, the manager of the Klamath Irrigation District.
  Those who know Dave admire his considerable knowledge, skill, and 
leadership abilities. You can always rely on Dave to have the informed 
perspective and good judgment to find solutions that make a difference.
  It is with mixed emotions that I join my fellow Oregonians in bidding 
Dave farewell as he leaves the Klamath Basin for a new career. After 28 
years of managing the Klamath Irrigation District, Dave is leaving to 
become the general manager of the South Columbia Basin Irrigation 
District in Pasco, Washington. Dave's departure is a great loss for 
those of us who hold Klamath Basin agriculture close to our hearts.
  Madam Speaker, you may be familiar with the vast agricultural bounty 
of the Klamath Basin. Known worldwide for its superior food and forage 
crops, the success of the basin depends on the conservation and 
delivery of water. Dave's contributions to irrigated agriculture have 
been unmatched.
  As the general manager of the Klamath Irrigation District, Dave 
earned a stellar reputation as a leader, organizer, and team player, 
overseeing all aspects of operation and maintenance of a complex 
irrigation and drainage system. The Klamath Irrigation District is a 
major enterprise consisting of irrigation and drainage systems that 
span 400 miles in length.
  Dave, a professional in every sense of the word, managed major water 
projects during his tenure, including the $14 million A-Canal Fish 
Screen and Headworks Construction, the $900,000 A-Canal Tunnel Invert 
Replacement, the $700,000 Miller Hill Pumping Plant Replacement, and 
the $350,000 Adams Siphon Construction.
  Madam Speaker, Dave knows the value of water and has spent a career 
managing that precious resource for all uses. Klamath Irrigation 
District, under Dave's leadership, has been committed to ongoing 
efforts to conserve water, including several miles of canal piping, the 
automated telemetric control system of all of the head gates and major 
canals, and, most recently, the initiation of a GIS mapping and 
monitoring system for the district.
  Dave has served as director of the Klamath Water Users Association, 
including two terms as president. He was frequently the voice of 
irrigated agriculture in state and federal forums. He distinguished 
himself in his time at the Klamath Water Users Association by receiving 
their Leadership Award three times, and was praised for the strong 
roles he took in the Klamath River Fisheries Task Force and his 
participation in addressing issues related to water supply, water 
quality, herbicide application, tribal trust, the environment, and 
electric power.
  Dave is no stranger to Congress, as he has made frequent trips to 
Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress, Senators, and staff 
members as well as testify in hearings. He has met with high level 
agency and administration officials to help them understand that 
intricacies of water in the Klamath Basin.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Dave and his wife, 
Julie, Godspeed as they pursue new horizons. Dave will be sorely missed 
in the Klamath Basin, as he is a man of extraordinary character and 
honesty who has served the irrigators in the Klamath Reclamation 
Project exceptionally well.
  Dave may be leaving the area, but the results of his great work will 
remain, and he will always be our friend.

[[Page E1439]]



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