Is it a reservoir, impoundment, or impounded flowing water?

It is hard to believe that it’s already mid-July and we are all wrapping up our time in the EC program! I feel like this summer has flown by. A lot has happened since my last blog post! We’ve had two rounds of focus group meetings, I presented to the Water Quality Policy Management Team, visited the WDNR Green Bay and Oshkosh offices, helped create a flow chart on how fish passage policy will be communicated for dams, and went to a Madison Mallards game with fellow DNR staff.

Process improvement takes time

The past few weeks at my placement with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have felt like water rushing over the spillway of a dam…. Fast moving and sometimes unpredictable. My workdays seem to vary day to day and I often don’t know exactly what the next week will bring. (Although I do have a rough schedule I follow). This may sound stressful but I’m enjoying it! I like that I’m continually learning and not always about the same focus area. I’m getting a broad overview of all things hydro while learning about staff roles and other projects happening within the DNR. (And as a bonus – my supervisors are so great!)

There’s More to Dams Than Moving Water

Growing up along the Mississippi River in Minnesota, dams were a familiar sight. I remember as a kid getting ice cream with my family and then going on a walk to the dam to see how much water was flowing. I also remember that it was a one mile run from the high school to the dam… one of our cross country “warm-ups.” The local dam is a significant structure in my hometown, surrounded by a park that is utilized by fishermen, people picnicking, etc. However, I never really thought about how the dam operates and how it’s regulated…