The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has selected Joe Cacioppo as Nevada’s next state engineer, officials announced Thursday. Cacioppo, a licensed civil engineer, served as the Deputy Administrator at the Nevada Division of Water Resources for a month before being promoted as Nevada’s top water regulator following the abrupt departure of his predecessor in December. … The appointment of Cacioppo has attracted criticism from several conservation groups who question his ties to a firm involved in numerous water rights applications across the state.

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