GOV. RITTER NAMES THREE TO WATER BOARD

 

Gov. Bill Ritter today named two new members to the Colorado Water Conservation Board – Reed K. Dils of Buena Vista and Bruce T. Whitehead of Hesperus – and re-appointed Travis L. Smith of Del Norte.

 

Dils, 60, has lived in Chaffee County since 1976 and is retired from the outfitting and rafting business. He is past president of the Colorado River Outfitters Association and currently serves on the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board representing Chaffee County and the Arkansas River Basin Roundtable. Dils helped create the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, was named Colorado Trout Unlimited's 2006 "Outstanding Volunteer" and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his work on the Arkansas River.

 

Smith, 54, is superintendent of the San Luis Valley Irrigation District and currently serves as chairman of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. He is a member of the Colorado Water Congress and its State Affairs Committee, as well as the Rio Grande River Basin Roundtable. He is a rancher with 30 years of experience in water administration.

 

Whitehead, 49, is executive director of the Southwestern Water Conservation District and Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District. He has more than 25 years of experience as a division engineer, assistant division engineer and senior hydrographic engineer for the Colorado Division of Water Resources within the Office of the State Engineer.

 

"I am pleased to appoint these individuals to the Colorado Water Conservation Board," Gov. Ritter said. "These appointments reflect an expertise in water issues from diverse backgrounds, interests and experience. They will further enrich the various and important discussions and decisions of the board as it considers water policy development."

 

The board appointments come as Colorado reshapes its water leadership team. In November, Dick Wolfe was named state engineer and Jennifer Gimbel was named director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The 15-member board was created in 1937 to aid in the protection and development of the waters of the state. Terms are for three years and require Senate confirmation.