Retiring state engineer He played a key role in a Nevada Supreme Court case last year that upheld the state's right to manage interconnected water sources as a single source to protect water rights and wildlife. (Photo: Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)
State officials have given no explanation as to why Nevada State Engineer Adam Sullivan, who was named the state's top water regulator in 2021, is abruptly leaving his position at the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
Sullivan, who also served as Administrator of the Department's Water Resources Division, was responsible for managing Nevada's limited water resources as State Engineer, including resolving disputes over water claims and issuing housing permits.
Former Deputy Administrator Chris Thorson will become the new acting administrator of the Division of Water Resources, according to a DCNR spokesman.
Spokeswoman Jenny Jackson did not provide additional details about the reason for Sullivan's departure or specify when exactly Sullivan left his position.
“The department is now focused on strengthening water management in Nevada and ensuring a smooth leadership transition,” Jackson said.
Gov. Joe Lombardo's office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Sullivan was appointed acting state engineer in November 2020 under former Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak when the previous state engineer, Tim Wilson, retired after 25 years of government service.
Sullivan has worked on water policy in Nevada for more than 20 years and has held various positions in the Division of Water Resources since 2009.
Last year, he played a key role in a Nevada Supreme Court case that upheld the state's right to manage interconnected water sources as a single source to protect water rights and wildlife.
A subsequent Nevada Supreme Court case, Sullivan v. Lincoln County, found that the state engineer had the legal authority to combine multiple water basins into one superbasin, a decision that will likely have a profound impact on how groundwater is managed in the state in the future.
Sullivan said it would be a matter of wide ramifications for Nevada, but full implementation of the decision may take some time.
Lawmakers have expressed concern about the case's impact on the state's economy. Last year, state legislators introduced Assembly Bill 387a bill that would clarify the state's authority to deny water permits based on potential conflicts between surface and groundwater rights.
But large water users, including developers and mining companies, opposed the bill, arguing the state was trying to overstep its authority and limit water rights.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruling essentially does the same thing as the bill, Sullivan told lawmakers several months after the ruling.
The new state engineer will have to contend with a host of water rights issues beyond the Supreme Court's ruling, including increasing demands on limited water resources as Nevada's population grows rapidly and a long-term drought is exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
