Managing water resources requires being an engineer

The New Mexican published a piece (“State’s top water official shouldn’t have to be an engineer,” My View, Nov. 21) by Denise Fort and Sally Rodgers. They presented a case for allowing the position of state engineer to be open to people with qualification other than those of licensed professional engineers.

They provided a good outline of the many aspects of the problems facing New Mexico’s waters as climate change proceeds, the many stakeholders and the legal issues.

The solutions to these problems do involve government and legislation, but a good understanding of engineering is fundamental to implementing the solutions.

By statute, the Engineering and Surveying Practice Act states in Section 61-23-26: Engineering-Public Work, that, “It is unlawful for the state or any of its political subdivisions or any person to engage in the construction of any public work involving engineering unless the engineering is under the responsible charge of a licensed professional engineer.”

It states in Section 61-23-27: Engineering-Public Officer-Licensure Required, “No person except a licensed professional engineer shall be eligible to hold any responsible office or position for the state or any political subdivision of the state that includes the performance or responsible charge of engineering work.”

Such statutes ensure engineers who meet standards of competence direct engineering work performed at all levels of the governments of New Mexico. The two writers suggest opening the state engineer’s position to “all other professions, such as scientists, hydrologists, water planners and attorneys.”

Their suggestion would open the position to political appointees with no guaranteed competence to oversee engineering projects. I am a licensed professional engineer in New Mexico, Georgia and Oklahoma and believe that this is a very bad idea.

Frank Chambers, Ph.D., P.E. Santa Fe