by Justin Blum, Hydrologist, MDH
I retired from state service, February 2, 2021. This has been a long road, over 40 years in the geotechnical ‘business’ – primarily doing groundwater. I have been very lucky, blessed in many ways. It is great to have work that directly benefits people. I am also thankful for a good group of coworkers and to have many tools to do the job well. Even while pushing the bureaucratic boulder up the hill, there have been some unexpected successes – illuminating the oddities of our little corner of physics.
On reflection, my personal transitions clearly coincide with global crises. My first job after college was in Iran at the onset of the gas crisis, February 1974. To complete the cycle of crises, I am retiring during a global pandemic with a side of steaming social turmoil. Fortunately, correlation is not causation – I claim no responsibility for either problem.
After working overseas, I returned to school for a master’s degree. The timing worked out well as I found groundwater work at a series of geotechnical consulting firms in the early 80’s. I started at the MPCA in 1986, at first in Solid Waste and then Site Response (superfund). In 1990, I leapt out of the frying pan into the fire – working for a short time at MDNR, Division of Waters. Meanwhile at the MDH, Human Resources would not let them hire a ‘computer person’ to build-out the GIS for wellhead protection. Lucky for me. A creative crafting of the position description (oxymoron alert) allowed them hire me to set up the GIS; and then, the first publicly accessible GPS base station for the state. That first couple of years was the most fun I have ever had going to work.
Fast forward thirty-years, of the things that we started at MDH in the early 90’s I am particularly happy to have been involved with the development of the aquifer properties database. It is a foundational dataset for groundwater science and something to pass to generations to come.
Post-retirement and pandemic (and in no particular order), my wife, Jessica and I plan to: spend time with grandkids, travel and make things of beauty. I am still waiting for the first grandchild to self-identify as a ‘rock hound.’ I have started setting up my lapidary workshop and the Tucson gem show is on the bucket list, probably for next year. The travel trailer is ready to go and the mountains are calling.
Justin
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