[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 119 (Monday, August 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO THOMAS N. CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Thomas 
N. Clark, former General Manager of the Kern County Water Agency and 
respected water expert in our community, who passed away on July 23, 
2011, after battling cancer.
  While Tom rose to the height of California water politics as General 
Manager of the Kern County Water Agency, KCWA, he was proud of his 
Oildale beginnings and never let anyone forget that. After graduating 
from North High School in 1963, he served for two years in the United 
States Army and married his sweetheart, Karen. Tom and Karen moved back 
to Bakersfield in 1970, and he quickly earned degrees from Bakersfield 
College and California State University, Bakersfield. Tom then received 
a full scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, where he received a 
Master's Degree in water supply and pollution.
  Back in Bakersfield, Tom began his career with KCWA in 1974. During 
this time, he honed his understanding and knowledge of California water 
contract law, as well as the ins and outs of Kern County and California 
water policy. He left KCWA in 1978 and went to work for the late local 
farmer and entrepreneur George Nickel, where he learned a great deal 
about Kern River water rights. He later returned to KCWA and became 
General Manager in 1990, serving in this capacity for 14 years.
  As General Manager, Tom was at the center of California water 
politics, fighting tirelessly for Kern County residents and farmers to 
ensure our local communities received the water they needed and were 
entitled to. Recognized as a skilled and shrewd negotiator, Tom could 
wade through complex water problems to achieve collaborative, win-win 
solutions, all the while improving water supply reliability for Kern 
County.
  One of Tom's greatest achievements and lasting legacies was the 
Monterey Agreement, which he helped negotiate with the California 
Department of Water Resources and other State Water Project 
contractors. This averted an agricultural disaster in Kern County by 
preventing tens of thousands of acres of farmland from being fallowed 
because of lack of water. He also was at the table and worked on the 
historic 1994 Bay Delta Accord, which provided an agreement among water 
agencies and environmentalists, leading to the CalFed Record of 
Decision by the United States Department of the Interior.
  To provide more water reliability and supply stability, Tom was the 
driving force behind the Pioneer Project, a 2,253-acre groundwater 
recharge and water banking project located in Kern County, which KCWA 
operates to this day. This project was deservedly renamed the ``Thomas 
N. Clark Recharge and Banking Project'' in 2010. His leadership over 
the years helped KCWA navigate through ``wet'' and ``dry'' years, and 
the benefits of that leadership are still seen throughout the community 
and at all levels of government.
  Tom is survived by his wife, Karen, his children, Krista and Jeff, 
and his grandchild, Henry. I will miss Tom's great sense of humor and 
barbequing, but I know he will be fondly remembered as a strong leader 
who was a passionate advocate for Kern County water and respected by 
many.

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