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[Pages S1932-S1933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO PATRICK TYRRELL
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, today I recognize the distinguished
career of Pat Tyrrell. After more than 18 years of service, Pat is
retiring as Wyoming's longest serving State engineer.
A Wyoming native, Pat grew up in Cheyenne. He attended the University
of Wyoming in Laramie where he obtained a B.S. in mechanical
engineering and an M.S. in civil engineering. He began his time in
public service in 2001 when Governor Jim Geringer appointed Pat as
Wyoming's State Engineer. During his tenure, he served under four
Governors and became well known in the State, region, and Nation as an
expert on all matters related to water resources.
Established under Wyoming's Constitution, the State engineer serves
as the chief water official in Wyoming. With Wyoming situated astride
the Continental Divide, the State provides the headwaters for four
major river basins in the Western United States.
Charged with the regulation and administration of the water resources
in Wyoming, Pat's duties as State engineer ranged from overseeing the
permitting and adjudication of water rights, regulation of the use of
water under the doctrine of prior appropriation, and representing the
State on numerous boards, compacts, and commissions. These included
Wyoming's commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, the
North Platte Decree Committee, Western States Water Council, and the
Colorado River Salinity Control Forum. He often served in leadership
roles and worked in cooperation with the other 17 Western States to
manage and develop water resources.
Pat is known for his balanced approach to water resource management,
ensuring compliance with the law while also protecting the interests of
Wyoming water users. His expertise and influence were instrumental in
resolving decades-long problems, such as the Big Horn General
Adjudication.
As State engineer, he waded through thousands of water rights in the
Big Horn Basin to bring clarity and certainty to Federal, Tribal, and
State interests in the area and ultimately saw the end to a 37-year
lawsuit. Pat's reflection on this case was emblematic of his philosophy
to water management: ``If we can move water without any ill effect to
existing users, we can make changes. But we need everybody at the
table.''
Shortly after I joined the U.S. Senate, I experienced this philosophy
firsthand. It was during a critical point in passing the Craig Thomas
Snake Headwaters Legacy Act that Pat met in my office with key players
who were negotiating the final language of the bill. With his calm
demeanor and extraordinary understanding of Western water law, he was
able to provide clarity to the meaning of certain text in the bill and
assuage all in the room of the practicality of what the text said and
what was contemplated. Shortly thereafter, agreement was reached, and
the bill was signed into law. It became clear to me that one of Pat's
greatest skills is he builds trust through his knowledge of the law and
how it is applied and is able to accurately articulate how that
application will or will not impact people's lives.
Pat has used this philosophy in interstate water negotiations. Known
as the senior statesman on the river, Pat has been instrumental in many
of the key decisions related to management of the Colorado River. Time
after time, Pat has sought cooperation and coordination to balance the
various needs and demands on the river. From hydropower production and
ecosystem protection, to water storage and water delivery obligations,
Pat has been instrumental in crafting creative solutions to ensure all
needs are met.
In the face of nearly two decades of drought in the Colorado River
basin, his expertise has been invaluable. He was instrumental in
implementing the river's 2007 Guidelines and has been intimately
engaged in development of the current Colorado River Drought
Contingency Plan, which is currently being debated in Congress. As
Wyoming's representative on the river, Pat focused on ensuring the
needs met by the Colorado River today will be maintained for future
generations.
In the same way Pat has looked out for Wyoming's future water needs,
he has also sought to care for the development of Wyoming's future
leaders. Late last year, he and his wife Barbara established a
scholarship fund at the University of Wyoming to provide future
students an education in engineering. Expertise and education in water
management in States like Wyoming is invaluable, and we can only hope
for more leaders like Pat.
Pat's service has reached every corner of the State. The history
books will note his involvement in the 2001 Modified North Platte
Decree, the Yellowstone River compact, which involved an 11-year
Supreme Court lawsuit with the State of Montana, and many other
[[Page S1933]]
accomplishments, but those who worked with him will remember and
hopefully carry on his gentle nature, deliberate thinking, and
dedication to the law.
I invite all members of the Senate to join me in congratulating Pat
in his retirement, wishing him well and his family much success in the
future.
____________________