By Counts H.R. No. 533
74R9197 PFG-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, On October 31, 1995, Owen H. Ivie will retire from
1-2 his post as the general manager of the Colorado River Municipal
1-3 Water District, drawing to a close more than four decades of
1-4 outstanding public service to the citizens of West Texas; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Since assuming his current duties as general manager
1-6 of the water district in 1965, Mr. Ivie has wisely overseen this
1-7 arid region's most precious natural resource--water--through a
1-8 series of innovative conservation and reclamation techniques that
1-9 have made for ultra-efficient usage of water reserves, ensuring a
1-10 plentiful and low-cost supply for local consumers and averting the
1-11 potential for a water crisis in the area's future; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Recognizing the threat posed by pollution to the
1-13 region's water, this accomplished engineer also successfully
1-14 championed efforts to ban the reckless disposal of saltwater and
1-15 was instrumental in the formulation of stringent rules regarding
1-16 the plugging of abandoned oil wells; and
1-17 WHEREAS, His most visible achievement is the series of
1-18 sparkling reservoirs that he has helped to create along the upper
1-19 Colorado River during his distinguished tenure; these surface
1-20 reservoirs serve as a lifeline for the region's citizens and
1-21 include Lake J. B. Thomas, Lake E. V. Spence, and the massive Stacy
1-22 impoundment, which upon completion in 1990 was named Lake O. H.
1-23 Ivie in honor of Mr. Ivie's vast contributions to water
1-24 conservation in the region; and
2-1 WHEREAS, A native of Corsicana, Mr. Ivie majored in math and
2-2 physics at Southwestern University and served his country with
2-3 distinction as a member of the United States Navy during World War
2-4 II; and
2-5 WHEREAS, In 1946 he embarked on his resource management
2-6 career as a surveyor for the Texas Highway Department and, in that
2-7 capacity, he polished his skills and assumed greater responsibility
2-8 within the department before leaving to join an engineering
2-9 consulting firm in Fort Worth; and
2-10 WHEREAS, While employed by the firm, he was assigned to a
2-11 Colorado River Municipal Water District project in 1952, and the
2-12 following year was hired by the district as its operations
2-13 superintendent; within a short period of time he was made a
2-14 production superintendent and went on to serve the district as
2-15 assistant manager from 1959 until 1965 when he was named general
2-16 manager of the district; and
2-17 WHEREAS, This outstanding professional has been honored
2-18 repeatedly by his peers throughout his career for his numerous
2-19 achievements, and in recent years has been named Conservationist of
2-20 the Year by the Texas Water Conservation Association, Man of the
2-21 Year by the Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce, and Outstanding
2-22 West Texan by the Texas Chamber of Commerce; and
2-23 WHEREAS, Mr. Ivie has been tapped to share his bountiful
2-24 resource management expertise with state and national leaders as a
2-25 member of the Governor's Water Task Force, as the state's
2-26 representative on the National Rivers and Harbors Conference, and
2-27 as the head of the West Texas Chamber of Commerce Water Committee;
3-1 widely respected in both professional and civic circles, he is a
3-2 leading member of a number of state and national professional
3-3 societies, a popular lecturer and author, and is active in his
3-4 church and local civic affairs; and
3-5 WHEREAS, On the domestic front, he has enjoyed an especially
3-6 happy and rewarding marriage to his high school sweetheart, Yvonne
3-7 Bohannon; the Ivie family includes three daughters, Susan, Sandra,
3-8 and Nancy, all of whom are a source of great joy to their parents
3-9 with their many endeavors and achievements; and
3-10 WHEREAS, During an extraordinary career that has spanned four
3-11 decades, Owen H. Ivie has presided over the water reserves of West
3-12 Texas with great vision, diligence, and dedication, and his
3-13 critical contributions in this regard have greatly helped to
3-14 preserve this vital natural resource for the use and enjoyment of
3-15 future generations of West Texans to the lasting benefit of all of
3-16 our state's citizens; now, therefore, be it
3-17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
3-18 Legislature hereby commend Owen H. Ivie for his exemplary service
3-19 to the citizens of West Texas in managing their water resources;
3-20 and, be it further
3-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-22 prepared for Mr. Ivie as an expression of highest regard by the
3-23 Texas House of Representatives.