The acting Nevada state administrator of water resources and policy now has the position permanently.
Adam Sullivan was named Tuesday as state engineer in the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Sullivan has worked on water policy in Nevada for more than 20 years and has been with the department since 2009, a statement said. He became acting state engineer when Tim Wilson retired last November after 25 years of state service.
Gov. Steve Sisolak noted the state engineer plays a pivotal role in an arid and fast-growing state with limited resources. He said Sullivan will "thoughtfully" manage water rights, disputes over claims and approval of housing developments.
Conservation and Natural Resources chief Bradley Crowell pointed to Sullivan's water resource management experience and said he was confident he'll "continue to advance progress on the many critical water issues and policies that affect Nevada."
The division also handles issues of drought, floods, dam safety, wetlands and freshwater ecosystems.
Wilson's predecessor, Jason King, retired in January 2019 after 28 years as a state employee, including legal fights as state engineer involved in issues including an abandoned proposal to pump water from a vast rural area near the Nevada-Utah state line and pipe it to Las Vegas.
