Ival V. Goslin
Ival V. Goslin (1911-1991) worked in water resources for over fifty years. Goslin served as the first executive director for the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority and later as a consultant for the company. The Authority (est. 1981) conducted water project feasibility studies and created and implemented financing programs for water and wastewater infrastructures.
Personal life
Ival V. Goslin served a key role in the development of water resources in Colorado, specifically, and the Upper Colorado River basin, more broadly. He was born in Pullman, Washington, on May 7, 1911, and died in Grand Junction, Colorado, on June 15, 1991. He began his education at the University of Oregon from 1929-1930 and earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Utah University in 1931 and 1935, respectively. Goslin attended the University of Idaho for postgraduate studies from 1940 to 1942, and, subsequently, received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1944 from Utah State University.
In 1939, Goslin began his career in water resources as a hydrographer for the U.S. Geological Survey, working until 1943 in Idaho and Wyoming on the Snake River and its diversion canals and tributaries. Promoted by the U.S.G.S. to Assistant Project Engineer from 1943 until 1945, Goslin conducted hydrological studies of the Bear River in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.
From 1946 to 1952, Goslin served as General Manager of Aberdeen-Springfield Canal Company, one of Idaho's largest irrigation companies. During this time (1948-1950), he was a member of the Snake River Compact Commission (Wyoming and Idaho) and an original member of the Columbia River Compact Commission (1950-1952). He served as Chairman of the Upper Snake River Valley Water Users Protective Association and Vice Chairman of the Snake River Committee of Nine, an advisory committee.
From 1953 through 1979, Goslin worked for the Upper Colorado River Commission in Grand Junction and Salt Lake City, serving as Assistant Chief Engineer from 1953-1955, Acting Secretary (1955), and Executive Secretary (1955-1979). He was responsible for administering the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact for the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
In 1963, Ival Goslin married Marcelyn Bridal. From 1979 to 1982, Goslin served as a water resources consultant for Western Engineers, Inc. He consulted on conservancy and recreational access issues for Jerry Creek Reservoirs.
For over 30 years, Goslin worked closely with Congressman Wayne N. Aspinall, who was Chairman of the House Interior Committee, as well as with other members of Congress, their staffs, and committees of Congress, in matters related to water development, land resources, and protection of the environment.
Goslin was one of The Primary developers of the repayment formula and plan for the Colorado River Storage Project, using basin fund revenues in the Participating Projects Act. As a result of this work, Goslin developed extensive knowledge in complex water project funding. He was also involved in obtaining Congressional authorization and appropriations, as well as planning and development, of water projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin, including Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, Curecanti, Fryingpan, Arkansas, the Utah Project, and the Central Arizona Project.
From 1982 to 1985, Goslin served as the first Executive Director of the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. From 1985 until his death in 1991, he continued as a special consultant to the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. In this capacity he led the negotiations with members of Congress, Indian Tribes and various representatives of Colorado's water community that resulted in The INDIAN Water Rights Settlement and Cost Sharing Agreements for the Animas-La Plata Project.
In 1981, the Colorado Water Congress honored Ival V. Goslin with the Wayne N. Aspinall Water Leader of the Year Award. Goslin served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Water Resource Congress in 1981, and was a long-time member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Water Works Association. He was a member of the Colorado Water Congress, the National Rifle Association, and the American Public Works Association. He was affiliated with the Masons and the Shriners.