Mike Sullivan

Leaving Valley

is downside



By RUTH HEIDE

ALAMOSA — Rio Grande Basin Division Engineer Michael Sullivan this month moves into the second-in-command position with the Colorado Division of Water Resources.

His appointment as deputy state engineer is bittersweet for Sullivan, 50, who has worked for the water division in the San Luis Valley for the past decade.

“It’s challenging,” the new state appointee said on Thursday. “There’s a lot of water issues that will be very interested to work on, and I will still get to work in the Rio Grande a bit. I just don’t get to live here. I really liked living down here, liked the people. That’s going to be the toughest thing.”

Sullivan welcomes the challenge of his new position in the state water office but regrets having to move from the Valley where he and his wife Sandra, a teacher, have raised their five children.

Three of their children are now in colleges in the northern part of the state, however, and the Sullivans have many other family members in the Denver area where they were raised. Sullivan said the proximity to family was one of the big considerations for his decision to apply for the deputy state engineer’s position vacated by Ken Knox, also a former Valley resident. Knox has taken a position with a private engineering firm.

Sullivan’s appointment came right before the governor imposed a salary freeze so until the freeze is lifted or an exemption granted, Sullivan will continue serving as the division engineer for Colorado Division of Water Resources Division III (the Valley) as well as taking on his new duties at the state level. He is currently splitting his weeks between Denver and Alamosa.

Sullivan plans to remain in the Valley through the upcoming water management sub-district trial scheduled to begin October 27.

Sullivan began working in the Colorado Division of Water Resources Division III office in the Valley in 1998 and stepped into the division engineer’s position two years ago after serving as acting division engineer after Steven Vandiver’s retirement and transition to the Rio Grande Water Conservation District directorship.

Sullivan has a geological engineering degree from the School of Mines and has worked in water-related positions for years.

During his tenure as division engineer the state instituted water metering regulations in the Valley and moved forward on water management sub-districts. In addition to his varied water administration duties in the Valley, Sullivan has served as the engineer advisor to the Rio Grande Compact.

“Mike’s experience with interstate compacts will be invaluable as he heads up overview of all interstate compacts for the State of Colorado,” State Engineer Dick Wolfe said.

“I love the work down here,” Sullivan said. “The fact I am still with DWR [Division of Water Resources] makes a big difference. I still will get to come here and work on issues down here.”

In his new position as deputy state engineer, reporting directly to Wolfe, Sullivan will serve as chief operating officer for the division overseeing all daily operations as well as dealing with water issues throughout the state and overseeing staff.

“There’s a good bunch of people in DWR,” Sullivan said. “It’s an organization people seem to retire from. That tells you a lot about how that organization works.”

He added, “It’s a good organization to work for. I enjoy it.”

Sullivan said the division office in the Valley has great staff as well. “That also made it a little easier leaving, knowing there’s people who can do the job and will do it right. I am leaving behind people who are capable and willing to do what they need to do. I have a lot of confidence in them.”