Our New Director: Josh Baldi

January 23, 2017 – It’s a new year. It’s a new day. And Josh Baldi is in his new role as Director of the Water and Land Resources Division.

Josh Baldi? You may recognize his name as the former director of the Washington State Department of Ecology Northwest Region or perhaps from his work with the Washington Environmental Council before that.

One thing that is easily recognizable is that his three decades of experience reflects a commitment to protecting our natural resources.

While working for Ecology, Josh led a management team of nine environmental programs and worked with two different governors and the state legislature. Josh gained critical advocacy experience with the Washington Environmental Council where he worked on community organizing, communications, project management and policy development.

Along with Deputy Director John Taylor, Josh oversees our diverse lines of business and varied regional partnerships to reduce flood risks, monitor and protect water quality, restore habitat, sustain forestry and agriculture, and prevent the harmful impacts of stormwater, noxious weeds and hazardous waste.

As Josh takes the helm at WLR, he not only brings his decades of leadership and management skills, he brings humor, levity and perspective every day in our mission to manage and protect the water and land resources of King County for today, tomorrow and for everyone.

Welcome, Josh!

 

Semhar’s story (or, how to turn water in to work)

 

Abraha Semhar

Growing up in Eritrea, Semhar Abraha and her family relied on monthly tankers to fill her community’s water reservoirs.

“Everyone in our community would light up when they heard the tankers blow their horns,” said Ms. Abraha.

There was no tap water in her home and water was limited. Her family used the water from washing dishes to flush the toilets. None of it went to waste.

“I watched my mother manage our drinking water and the water for our small vegetable garden,” said Ms. Abraha. “My father is an economist and always has a way of making things more efficient.”

Ms. Abraha attributes her desire to have a career in water management to her parents.

Ms. Abraha chose to pursue an education in engineering in Eritrea where she worked on government water projects such as designing water harvesting and irrigation structures, diversion structures and water canals.

In her research she learned that Eritrea, bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast of the Horn of Africa, is not actually a water scarce country. But the lack of technology available made water scarce to those who live there.

“Eighty percent of the population are farmers but they aren’t using water efficiently,” said Ms. Abraha.

In Eritrea, Ms. Abraha was working as a junior engineer to help build one of the country’s biggest dams when she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering and came to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.

After completing her degree, Ms. Abraha became the first trainee in the new Stormwater Services Engineering Internship Program. This pilot program is part of the King County Water and Land Resources Division’s equity and social justice work that is designed to train future engineers from under-represented populations in the field of engineering.

“People here are so collaborative. Everyone is willing to help you and teach you things,” said Ms. Abraha.

During her internships Ms. Abraha trained on survey, CAD and asset management projects and has accepted a 3-year position as an Engineer I in the Wastewater Treatment Division.

Ms. Abraha believes that there may come a time when she returns to Eritrea, perhaps to help build a wastewater treatment plant there, but right now she is busy here realizing her dream.

SoundGuardian powers through its first marine buoy inspection

Crossposted from Clean Water Stories

The SoundGuardian, King County’s new research vessel, made its first official marine run on August 1, 2016, and it is already providing benefits. Crews have been able to go farther faster and work in windy conditions that would have turned its predecessor around.

On a chilly December 1st afternoon, crews from the King County Environmental Lab carried out the first marine buoy inspection.King County’s marine buoys, or moorings, work around the clock collecting data that tells us what is  going on with our waters. Tracking water quality helps spot trends and guides management decisions.

Inspections make sure that the shackles and lines that help anchor marine buoys are in good condition.  They can corrode in marine environments and get damaged.  Problems with these lines can have unintended consequences, like the time in 2014 when a buoy ended up on a West Seattle beach.

The previous research vessel, the Liberty, was a workhorse that provided great service for 40 years.  But the Liberty just didn’t have the power to manage the big marine buoys  designed to weather rough waters that whip up on Puget Sound.  To re-deploy that runaway buoy beached in West Seattle, King County had to hire a contractor.

Beached buoy, 2014

The previous research vessel, the Liberty, was a workhorse that provided great service for 40 years.  But the Liberty just didn’t have the power to manage the big marine buoys  designed to weather rough waters that whip up on Puget Sound.  To re-deploy that runaway buoy beached in West Seattle, King County had to hire a contractor.

Marine contractor re-deploying the errant buoy

The SoundGuardian provides a lot more lifting power than the Liberty.  Today, crews can lift the buoy completely into the boat and conduct inspections on the deck. Crews don’t have to stand on the swim platform and inspect the suspended buoy. King County can deploy and retrieve buoys without hiring a contractor.

The SoundGuardian is already helping Environmental Labs get to work locations more quickly, and to fit more work in the day. With the boat’s greater lifting power, Environmental Lab crews can safely perform “health checks” and maintenance on this critical equipment that monitors the health of our waterways.

Read more Clean Water Stories.