USGS Intern Spotlight — Colton Medler

From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

USGS Intern Spotlight — Colton Medler

About his experience at USGS, Colton says, "As an intern with the USGS South Dakota Water Science Center, I have been traveling across the state of South Dakota doing stream and bridge measurements. The measurements include finding the gage height (water surface elevation) and discharge (velocity) of a creek or river. My field work also involves surveying USGS field sites to make sure our data is accurate.

The first project I worked on is the Glacial Aquifer Study. The goal of the study is to analyze the long-term groundwater levels in glacial wells across the country. My first task was to verify if the wells are actually in glacial material by checking well logs for nearly 1,000 sites in South Dakota and North Dakota. Then I put together a land cover map to determine if the long-term water level trends are a result of human activity rather than natural changes.

Recently I have been working on a seismic study done near Aberdeen, South Dakota. The goal of the study is to map the confining bedrock formations in the Aberdeen area so an updated groundwater model can be made.

Currently, I am pursuing a Geology degree from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSM&T) and plan on attending graduate school. The USGS has provided me with a great opportunity to learn from the various projects I have worked on."

Are you interested in an internship with USGS?

Open Internships: http://on.doi.gov/USGSInterships
Recent Graduate Jobs: http://on.doi.gov/USGSGradJobs

In this photo, we see Colton doing a stream measurement after hiking in to find a good spot. Bad River near Midland, South Dakota.

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