News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation names Michael Ryan Acting Director for the Mid-Pacific Region

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis@usbr.gov

For Release: November 19, 2018

Michael Ryan, acting director for Reclamation's Mid-Pacific RegionWASHINGTON – Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman Monday selected Michael Ryan as acting director for the agency’s Mid-Pacific Region. Ryan currently serves as a senior advisor to the Commissioner and has previously served as Reclamation’s Great Plains regional director for 12 years.

“Mike brings a wealth of experience in water and power operations and resource management,” said Commissioner Burman. “As acting regional director, Mike will help provide continuity in Reclamation’s role in implementing the President’s Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West.”

The Presidential Memorandum, which was signed on October 19, directs the departments of the Interior and Commerce to ensure western water users have the most abundant water and power supplies possible. This includes identifying regulations and procedures that potentially burden the Klamath Irrigation and Central Valley Projects and developing a proposed plan to suspend, revise or rescind any regulation or procedure that unduly burdens them.

Ryan joined Reclamation in 1982, in Billings, Montana. During his 36-year career, Ryan has worked in facility operation and maintenance, dam safety and river restoration programs across the West. Ryan also served as the Klamath Area Office Area Manager before becoming the Great Plains regional director and entering the Senior Executive Service in 2005.

Prior to serving as the Great Plains Regional Director, Ryan was the Northern California Area Manager at Redding, California. In this capacity, Ryan managed nine dams that stored and delivered water for irrigation and municipal use, and six associated power plants. He also served as chairman of the Trinity Management Council, tasked with developing and implementing the Trinity River Restoration Program and advising the Secretary of the Interior on Trinity River anadromous fishery restoration issues.

A native of Deer Lodge, Montana, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Montana State University Bozeman. Ryan is a registered professional engineer.

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