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December 18, 2021
Jim Berg
Research Scientist/Hydrogeologist, Ecological and Water Resources Division, Central Office, St Paul
Jim Berg is retiring!
After 27 years with the State of Minnesota, Jim Berg is retiring. Jim is currently the technical lead of mapping for the County Groundwater Atlas Program.
Brief background on his career
Jim grew up in Northfield, MN. He majored in geology at Carleton College and earned an MS in Geology at the University of Kansas. One of his very first jobs was at the Northern Maine Regional Planning Commission (NMRPC) doing soil erosion surveys of potato fields in 1977 for $3.50/hour. See photo below.
Working on the County Groundwater Atlas Program, Jim has been the author for 15 atlases over the past 20 years. He has led efforts to invent new GIS mapping methods that have been used since 2005 by the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) and DNR. Completed counties included Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Cass, Clay, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Pope, Redwood, Sherburne, and Washington.
Most atlases are produced in two parts: Part A, Geology -- produced by the Minnesota Geological Survey, and Part B, Hydrogeology – produced by the DNR. The Part B atlas includes maps and reports identifying the direction of groundwater flow, aquifer properties, groundwater chemistry, and pollution sensitivity of aquifers. By the end of 2021, over 30 Part B atlases will have been produced.
The geologic maps, groundwater flow analysis, and interpretations of subsurface movement of drinking water contaminants were created from custom databases of well record and water quality data compiled using ArcView, Spatial Analyst, and ArcGIS. These evaluations were designed to help local government units protect groundwater resources and to help plan for water resource management. Key features of the investigations have been presented by DNR staff to county-level staff, commissioners, and other interested parties in oral presentations and training sessions.
From 2008 to 2013, Jim was the lead worker-contract supervisor for three separately funded projects that resulted in the installation of 35 new Mt. Simon observation wells or observation well nests in south-central Minnesota and the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The wells were drilled to depths ranging from approximately 100 to 1,000 feet. The total budget for the three projects was $3.38M
Plans for the future
Jim plans to some traveling and volunteering in retirement.
Look no further...
Please send Jim your congratulations on his retirement and outstanding career.
Send well wishes by email to:
riceberg1@msn.com
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