May 22, 1985 was a historic day and in the desert west of Phoenix, a crowd gathered to witness it — the first delivery of Colorado River water via the Central Arizona Project system. Many dignitaries attended the landmark event, including three Arizona Governors: Bruce Babbitt, Sam Goddard and Jack Williams.

Not everyone in the crowd was a VIP. In fact, one of those blending into the background was a young staff engineer, David Gunn. He was a mere two years into his career at CAP on this warm Arizona day, but knew it was an event he shouldn’t miss … even if he was assigned other work that day.

“The state had been working toward this moment for decades and I knew the first Colorado River water coming to Arizona through the CAP system was a significant event,” said Gunn. “When Bruce Babbitt showed up, I realized just how significant it was.”

Since that day 40 years ago, CAP has delivered approximately 46 million acre-feet of water and become the lifeline for the state. The impact has been undeniable. It was also a milestone for Gunn.