State Engineer Mike Hamman announced Wednesday that he will be retiring from the position effective June 30.

Hamman took the reins at the Office of the State Engineer in 2022 after former State Engineer John D’Antonio stepped down. He previously oversaw the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.

Hamman has more than four decades of experience in public service, most of which was focused on water in New Mexico.

As state engineer, Hamman worked to secure water rights settlements with Native American tribes and Pueblos. He successfully settled a long-standing dispute over water rights with the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. As part of that effort, Hamman created a bureau dedicated to resolving Native American water rights disputes and implementing the resulting settlements.

He was also involved in the water planning efforts, including the 50-year water plan that the governor announced in January.

During his tenure, the state faced issues such as aridification and catastrophic wildfires that his office had to navigate. When the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire swept through northern New Mexico in 2022, Hamman facilitated an agreement between water users in the Gallinas watershed that enabled the City of Las Vegas to have an emergency source of water.

Additionally, Hamman stepped into the role in the midst of the Texas v. New Mexico case regarding Rio Grande water. He was involved in the negotiations that led to an eventual settlement agreement between three states. While the three states that rely on the Rio Grande have agreed to the terms of the consent decree, the federal government objects and the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet issued a decision.

Hamman has also worked to secure federal funding for large water projects, including pipelines in New Mexico.

He lobbied for the passage of the 2023 Water Security Planning Act at the state level. That legislation not only revitalized regional water planning, but also created a roadmap for implementation that, according to a press release, prioritizes the unique needs of local communities.

In the press release, Hamman said serving as the state engineer has “been my great honor and privilege.”

“I consider serving as State Engineer of our great state the pinnacle of my career and will continue to support efforts to improve New Mexico’s water security while giving more attention to our small family farm in the Middle Rio Grande Valley,” he said.