News Release Archive

David van Rijn selected as planning officer for Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, 07/14/2017 13:58

For Release: July 14, 2017

David van Rijn, planning officerSACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region has welcomed David van Rijn (pronounced ‘Rhine’) as the Region’s new planning officer. In this position which began July 10, van Rijn manages the Region’s storage projects, basin studies and the Title 16 program, which includes the planning, design, and construction of water recycling and reuse projects in partnership with local government entities.

“With more than 23 years of federal service and 16 years working in the Central Valley, David is no stranger to California’s complex water issues,” said Federico Barajas, deputy regional director. “We are excited to bring him into this new regional role.”

David van Rijn began his federal career in 1994 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle, where he worked on a variety of water resource and environmental planning projects. In 2001, he took a position with the Corps’ Sacramento office, transitioning into project management and supervision where he led and managed 13 civil works project managers.

In 2010, van Rijn was selected to lead the science division for Reclamation's Bay Delta Office. Here, he and his staff provided scientific support for Central Valley Project operations and implementation of the 2008 and 2009 biological opinions for the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley and State Water projects. Most recently, van Rijn filled various management positions during a six-month detail within the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, a comprehensive long-term effort to restore Chinook salmon populations while avoiding adverse water supply impacts.

Van Rijn grew up on the East Coast in Alexandria, Virginia, and holds a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental management from George Mason University in Fairfax.

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