The head of the state Water Commission is retiring.
State engineer Todd Sando says he plans to step down by the end of June.
Sando first started working with the Water Commission in 1985.
"It's been 31 years of exciting times," Sando told members of the Water Commission. "Water is very important to the state of North Dakota. And one of my passions has always been water."
Sando became State Engineer in 2010. And he says the last six years have been very demanding.
"With the oil boom in the Bakken, we were trying to make sure the oil play moves forward with adequate water supplies," Sando said. "And in this wet cycle, all the flooding that has taken place, like the 2011 flood. And I had to head into Legislative sessions right away -- a special session right off the bat. There's been a lot of work packed into the last six years."
Gov. Jack Dalrymple chairs the Water Commission. He commended Sando for his work.
"I told Todd that water is still going to be his life," Dalrymple said. "It's just that he's going to be sitting in a boat on top of the water."
Dalrymple says the search for Sando's replacement begins immediately. He says he hopes to offer someone the job later this spring.
