Sean Wiedel, 31/ EMPLOYER: Lake County Stormwater Management Commission / SALARY RANGE: $25,000 to $75,000
What does a watershed planner do?
A watershed is a piece of land that funnels any snow or rain that lands on it into a body of water. It’s the natural drainage area of a river, lake, stream or marsh. A watershed planner is much like a city planner. Only with us, the boundaries are natural rather than artificial.
With the watershed work I’m doing along the north branch of the Chicago River, I’m working on a long-term plan to improve the water quality, reduce flooding problems and protect and enhance natural resources.
Some of the data we use we collect ourselves. I’ve walked all three forks of the north branch taking a stream inventory. We study the water quality and the area around the river. We also use existing data from sources such as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Why did you choose this field?
I worked for a couple of years as a commercial lending officer after getting my undergraduate degree, but I realized that making money wasn’t the most important thing to me. I always wanted to make a difference, and I’ve always been interested in working for the environment. At the same time, I’ve always enjoyed spending time at rivers and lakes. I decided to go back to school after working in the financial field so that I could make a difference.
What is your educational background?
I earned my master’s degree in water resources management from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. That’s a two-year program. My undergraduate degree is a bachelor’s of finance. I do use that degree today. Part of what I do is project management. Once a project is up and running, I have to make sure it runs smoothly. One of the components to that is budgeting.
What is an average day like?
There’s really no such thing as an average day. I do a variety of different things, from negotiating contracts to working in the field collecting data to working on digital mapping of rivers in Lake County. Recently, I’d been working with the non-profit organization Friends of the Chicago River on a grant that we applied for jointly. One of the things we’ll use the money for is to study and prioritize the banks along the streams of the north branch that are suffering from the most erosion.
Other times I talk with property owners about the impact their actions may have on other people living down the stream. The north branch of the Chicago River watershed is very large: It’s about 100 square miles and stretches from about Grand Avenue in Lake County to roughly Touhy Avenue in Cook County.
We always have to come up with a watershed management plan that balances all the conflicting interests of municipalities, forest preserve districts, park districts, individual land owners, corporate land owners and many others.
I’m also currently serving as a facilitator for some of the residents living along Indian Creek, one small part of the DesPlaines River watershed. We’re working on a number of issues the residents have, including the possible expansion of Route 53, although it isn’t certain that this expansion is going to happen. Really, every day is something new. .
What is the best thing about the job?
I get to work with a variety of people to solve a problem. Each of these people often has a stake in the outcome. They’re what we like to call stakeholders. It’s important to understand all of their concerns.
What’s the worst thing?
It’s difficult at times trying to work with people with conflicting interests. It can make for difficult negotiations. It’s always a challenge to convince people that someone else is always downstream from them. It’s hard to convince them that there’s always someone who will be impacted by what an individual does. You can flood someone’s property by making a change on yours..
What three attributes are essential to doing your job well?
You must have strong project management skills, first of all. You’re often working on several projects at once. You must be able to balance each one. You should also be able to pay attention to details and have good communication skills.
Where do you want to go from here?
That’s a tough one. I’m happy where I’m at. I hope to continue to learn and do different types of projects.
What advice would you give to people interested in this area?
Stick it out. Jobs are hard to come by, but they’re worth it once you get them. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference.
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