The County of Ventura filled a 10-month vacancy at the top of the Public Works Agency as officials announced Tuesday that Jeff Pratt, director of the county Watershed Protection District, will be promoted to run the agency.

Pratt, 51, has led the Watershed Protection District since 2000. It is responsible for both flood control projects and preserving natural rivers and other waterways in the county.

The district is one of seven divisions of the Public Works Agency, which also oversees county public works projects, water and sanitation systems and road maintenance. The agency has about 400 employees and a budget of more than $100 million a year.

The position of agency director has been officially vacant since March, when the last director, Ron Coons, retired. However, the job has actually been empty since December, when Coons began using his accrued vacation time before retiring.

The job of director pays $130,000 to $183,000 a year.

Under Pratt's leadership, the district changed its name from the Ventura County Flood Control District to better reflect its mission to protect the environment. During his tenure, the district brought in more than $90 million in federal and state funding for projects such as the planned removal of the Matilija Dam near Ojai. He also led an overhaul of the district's operating procedures, which led to more efficient methods of planning and construction, according to a written statement issued by County Executive Officer Marty Robinson, who announced Pratt's selection.

One of Pratt's first tasks will be to choose his successor to head the Watershed Protection District, said Matt Carroll, Robinson's chief deputy executive officer.

Pratt will also help the Public Works Agency restructure some of its responsibilities, Carroll said. First, the Flood Plain Management office will be brought under the authority of the Watershed Protection District, which was the arrangement until Coons shifted it several years ago.

The agency will also work with the county's Resource Management Agency to build a single department that handles all inspections and enforcement. The task is currently split among departments that enforce building standards, environmental health regulations and watershed protection rules.

During the 10 months since Coons left the position, Pratt and the other directors of the departments that make up the Public Works Agency took turns running the agency.

That led to some impatience on the part of contractors who pave roads, build storm drains and do other work for the county. In July, they wrote a letter urging the county to hire a new agency director so they would have a consistent set of building standards and bidding policies.