As of September 13th, Oregon Water Resources Department Director Tom Byler has officially retired after 27 years working for the state of Oregon. A new OWRD director will be appointed by Oregon’s next governor. To serve for the remainder of her term, governor Kate Brown has appointed acting director Doug Woodcock, who previously worked as the Deputy Director of Water Management.
During his tenure as the director, Tom Byler dedicated his time to modernizing the department’s programs and services to meet the Oregon community’s ever changing water needs. Byler also worked to increase OWRD’s capabilities to collect and analyze data to manage Oregon’s surface and groundwater resources throughout the state.
In the official press release regarding his retirement, Byler said, “As I look to the future of water resources in Oregon, I anticipate that water issues will continue to become more and more complex and challenging.” Byler added, “I am excited about the Department’s increasing capabilities to help communities address those issues.” Though he may be retiring from his current position, Byler intends to carry on his work in water and natural resources issues into his retirement.
The Oregon Water Resources Department is the state agency responsible for ensuring adequate and sustainable water supply to meet present and future needs. To learn more about OWRD, visit their website here: https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/.
