Friday, September 12, 2008

If you’re interested in Hydrology to strike it rich, you’d be in the wrong profession.  If you’re interested in what the mission below says, then this may be a good fit:

“The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to providing the Nation with accurate and timely scientific information that helps enhance and protect the overall quality of life and that facilitates effective management of water, biological, energy, and mineral resources.  Information on the quality of the Nation’s water resources is critical to assuring long-term availability of water that is safe for drinking and recreation and suitable for industry, irrigation, and habitat for fish and wildlife.  Population growth and increasing demands for multiple water uses make water availability, now measured in terms of quantity and quality, even more essential to the long-term sustainability of out communities and ecosystems.”

--U.S. Geological Survey

This week has been one of the greatest learning experiences.  There’s a significant difference from learning science in the field as opposed to learning in the classroom.  If you’re interested in Hydrology or any other related science, apply for an internship. 

I am leaving Colorado today.  I get no breaks, as my next job starts tomorrow.  I have never been to a Rodeo before, but now I’ll be working at one.

Denver is a great city and has a lot to offer, especially if you want to stay active.  The city parks here are so big that dog parks don’t need fences.  I’ve also noticed that people exercise in large groups (200+) after work.  No wonder so many Olympians train here.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

I don’t know if any of you have ever hiked with a group of 20 or more, but it seems impossible for an adult group to stay together.  My group came down to just 2.  I was envious of how well the elementary kids that we passed on the trail were able to stick together with a group of 40.  The Hydrologist that I ended up with was supposedly the group leader.  He wasn’t sure where to end our hike, which caused me great concern.  Before we left for our hike, I had left my video camera in the van because I didn’t want it to get rained on.  After 45 minutes of figuring out where to meet, we found the rest of the group.  I felt relieved that we found the group, but the van driver wasn’t there like he was supposed to be.  Nobody had his contact, so we just waited and waited.  We called the Lodge to ask where the van was.  They said it was on its way.  20 minutes later it appeared.  It appeared to be the wrong van.  “Ahhh, my camera!!!,” I sighed.  The whole group started to worry about my camera.  We had heard that the other van went back down to Denver Airport.  I had to call the Lodge again and ask about my camera.  “We have a camera bag,” they told me.  “No, it’s just the camera in a plastic bag.”  “Oh, we had put that camera in the bag,” he replied.  We went back to the Lodge and the Hydrologist that owns the camera bag told me that there

was no camera in his bag.  I thought he was playing a trick on me, but then I spotted it on another table that could’ve easily been taken. 

Lesson learned:  If you ever see me, you’ll know my camera is part of my body from now on, no matter what kind of weather.

Going to explore downtown Denver after work….

Did you know that once rain water hits surface water, the chemistry of the water changes instantly?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

It took me three days to discover what a Hydrologist does all day; they hike with bottles of water to keep hydrated and by the time they’ve reached the peak of the mountain, their water bottles are empty and ready to be filled up with surface water and tested in the laboratory.  OK, I’m just joking, but they do hike a lot. 

It was another early morning out in the field with a group of 20 Hydrologists.  I attended a “Research in the Watersheds” Conference and got a chance to meet all types of Hydrologists.  I was hiking with Hydrologist that manages the water for the State of Texas.  “If you want a career involving water, you don’t have to have a science background.  You can study Planning and Policy, which are in charge of allocating water resources to cities.”  A Hydrologist typically has an undergraduate degree in science and then earns a Master’s Degree or Ph.D in order to write reports. 

More time to write tomorrow…

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Hiking and wading in rivers can be a career?  Today, that’s exactly what I was doing with two other Hydrologists.  I drove up to one of the highest roads in America at Rocky Mountain National Park.  We had to start at 5AM because there was a lot of ground (water) to cover.  Our first site was at a reservoir that was for governmental use only.  The sampling process for running water, like reservoirs, canals, and rivers is all manual.  We had to go into the water with life-vests to fetch samples to test the content of the water; test the oxygen content, turbidity, and pH.  It’s a long process to fill up the bottles of water because we have to beware of contaminating of our samples.  The next site was at a canal, which eventually reaches the dam in Loveland, Co where we submitted the samples to the treatment center for drinking water.  The process is always the same, no matter which body of water.  First, line a rope across the body of water for a precise measurement.  Next, fill up bottles of water for testing incrementally throughout the body of water.  Lastly, prepare the samples in our Camper Van to submit to laboratories.  The last site was inside the Big Thompson River.  Along with the usual routine, we also had a chance to measure the discharge (the volume of water) inside the river. 

Back up to the Mountains tomorrow…

Monday, September 8, 2008

I left my jacket in Utah and I didn’t realize it until it got really cold in Denver.  If it wasn’t my first day working with USGS, I wouldn’t have had enough adrenaline to keep myself warm.  Jason, one of the Hydrologists took me about 3 hours near the Kansas border to take water samples from a well on a private farm.  The testing utensil dips 150ft below the ground into the aquifer to check the quality and quantity (recharge rate) of the water.  Aquifers are underground water resources just like oil.  If we deplete our aquifers, it is very difficult to be restored.  States like Texas have more difficulty recharging their aquifers because of their lack of rain.  50% of our drinking water comes from rivers and the other 50% comes from aquifers.  We would much rather rely on precipitation than drilling from our aquifers.  I will go more in depth when I get a chance.  Tomorrow, I will be heading up the Rocky Mountains and taking samples from the Colorado River. 

Just to recap; over the weekend, I had the chance to play football with some new friends in this massive city park.  I couldn’t believe how many people were outside doing physical activities.  No wonder it’s one of the healthiest states in the country.  I was a little embarrassed being out of shape that I blamed the high altitude for my lack of endurance.  Maybe I should start biking to work like everyone else.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

It’s really strange to go from a city that doesn’t serve alcohol in its largest dance club, to a city that claims one of the largest concentrations of microbreweries in America. The drive to Denver was longer than I had expected, especially driving around the Rocky Mountains through Wyoming. I was trying to find music on the radio that I have an ear for, but it was difficult in the middle of Wyoming. I incidentally tuned into a University of Wyoming football game. I was 90 miles from Laramie, Wyoming so I decided to catch the game. Cowboys were everywhere at the game. I am not sure if they normally dressed with boots and

hats or if they were trying to dress the part of their school mascot. 

After the game, I finally made it to Colorado. I incidentally tuned into another football game that was broadcasting Colorado State’s game. “Should I attend another game?” I asked myself. “Naw, I’m not on a college tour.” If you haven’t driven through Northern Colorado, you may mistake it with the countryside of

England; rolling hills with vast green fields and a little overcast.

I made it to Denver and just getting ready for my work week as a Hydrologist.