Water quality award presented to Roland Westergard

Special to Carson Times, via RGJ.com
October 17, 2008

Longtime water resource advocate Roland Westergard was recognized today by the State of Nevada for his lifetime of dedication to the protection of the state's water resources.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection presented its 2008 Wendell McCurry Excellence in Water Quality Award to Westergard at a ceremony at the offices of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in Carson City this week, with members of his family and many friends and colleagues in attendance.

The award recognizes his nearly 50 years of work in water quality protection and water conservation education, especially relating to Lake Tahoe.

Westergard is past director of department and played a key role in the Truckee River Operating Agreement, which was signed last month after 20 years of negotiation. A major focus of the agreement is water quality.

As a member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's governing board from 1983 to 1998, including two years as chair, Westergard was instrumental in the development of several milestone water policies, including the bi-state compact with California and the development of water quality standards that establish beneficial uses of the lake and criteria to protect those uses. The compact was approved by Congress and signed into law in 1990.

Widely respected for his integrity and breadth of experience, Westergard is also credited with fighting for the environmental protection of Lake Tahoe and its watershed, especially during the 1980s and '90s, in the face of heavy political pressure from pro-development interests.

"No one is more committed, more passionate, or more persuasive than Roland when it comes to advocating for protection of Nevada's water resources," said Allen Biaggi, the department's director, in presenting the award. "His knowledge and experience in water resource management are virtually unmatched. When he talks about water, everyone listens."

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