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Dennis Underwood Colorado River Collection
Background
The Dennis Underwood Colorado River Collection was established in 2006 by the Water Resources Collections and Archives (WRCA) to collect and showcase materials that document the dynamic decisions in western water history. The collection honors Dennis Underwood, former Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and WRCA Advisory Board member, for his contributions to the water community and his life’s work on the Colorado River. (See the original Press Release, December 2006.)
The Collection
The Dennis Underwood Colorado River Collection will consist of technical reports, correspondence, and other significant resources pertaining to management of the Colorado River. In particular, the collection will strive for comprehensive coverage of materials created since 1996 that pertain to the Quantification Settlement Agreement, and will accumulate selected documents that demonstrate Dennis’ work on the Colorado. The collection also will include materials about drought management in the Colorado River basin and western states. WRCA will identify, collect, preserve, and provide public access to these resources.
About Dennis Underwood
Dennis Underwood (1945-2005) was a well-respected and innovative leader in the water community, particularly in his dealings with Colorado River issues, at both the federal and state levels. He served as Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1989-1993 and was the Vice-President of Colorado River resources at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) from 1993-2005. He died in November 2005, just months after being named Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of MWD. Dennis was a dedicated member of WRCA’s Advisory Board from 2000-2005. As a board member his priority was to ensure the collection, preservation, and public access of materials documenting Colorado River decisions and western water matters.
Financial Supporters
WRCA is grateful to the following agencies and organizations for their generous financial support of the Dennis Underwood Colorado River Collection.
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation:
- Lower Colorado Region
- Mid-Pacific Region
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- California Department of Water Resource
- Water for the West Foundation
Donations
For more information about the Dennis Underwood Colorado River Collection, or to find out how to become a financial partner or materials donor, please contact WRCA Director Linda Vida at lvida@ucr.edu or 951-827-2934. Financial support may be given as a one-time donation or multi-year donation.
Financial Donations
Please contact Linda Vida, WRCA Director at 951-827-2934 or lvida@ucr.edu
Friends of the WRCA
Contact Linda Vida.
Memorial Funds
Current Memorial Funds
Memorial Funds are established to commemorate an individual who was active in water issues during his or her lifetime. These funds may be designated for a specific purpose, for acquisition of a specialized collection, or for general support of the Archives.
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