Staff Spotlight: Brownie Wilson
This Staff Spotlight features Applications and Services Manager, Geohydrology, Brownie Wilson and his work as part of the KGS team.
By Ally Pruente
Brownie Wilson knows a thing or two about water, the turbocharger that makes the agriculture economic engine run.
On the daily, he collects, processes, analyzes, and distributes data regarding Kansas’s water resources.
“Million-dollar decisions are being made based on the information we gather and the data we are able to provide,” Wilson said. “It’s not a trivial thing. That’s a really cool aspect of our work, because these are real issues impacting real people, so we take our job very seriously.”
Wilson dedicates many of his hours to collecting and processing well water data. As part of a project started in 1996, the Kansas Geological Survey and the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources measure about 1,400 water wells across the High Plains of western Kansas each January.
“We pull in water-level data across the state, and then we track if those water levels are going up or down and how much water we think is there,” Wilson said.
While collecting this data, Wilson meets a variety of people across the state.
“I get to see the whole state for what it is, not just my neighborhood,” said Wilson, who has worked with people at water organizations, state agencies, the state’s five groundwater management districts, and Kansans who rely on water for their lives and livelihoods. “Farmers are some of the most resilient folks I have ever met. They are some of the most successful business people you will ever meet because they have to be farmers, economists, ranchers, bankers, and do all these things to make agriculture work.”
Wilson recognizes how far a handshake can go in making connections. He believes that the trick to a fruitful career is being yourself.
“I always tell people that when you go out and meet somebody, don’t try to be something you’re not because that’s easy to see through,” Wilson said. “As long as you’re genuine and realize that sometimes you don’t do things well and sometimes you make mistakes, and are as transparent as you can be, people really appreciate that.”
Wilson in the field with a Kansas farmer.
After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Kansas State University, Wilson spent time at the Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Water Office. There, he made connections with the KGS. When a position opened at the KGS in 2001, he jumped at the opportunity.
“My favorite part of my job is getting to work on lots of different things,” Wilson said. “I’ve got a lot of different projects across the state, and that’s what I really like.”
Wilson also spends a lot of time outdoors. His love for nature and the resources it provides brings him joy both in and outside of work.
“I’m a big archery guy,” Wilson said. “You can ponder life and get a lot of things figured out by sitting up in a tree. I highly recommend it.”
Wilson shows results of a numerical groundwater model developed for Western Kansas Groundwater Management District 1 in Scott City. Photo Credit: Rod Haxton with the Scott County Record
At the end of the day, Wilson loves his work and the connections he makes through it. Wilson and his team conduct research that impacts people’s everyday lives, and that’s what keeps him motivated.
“You can go out and probably make a lot more money in the private sector and things like that, but then you’re driven by who’s paying the budget,” Wilson says. “But at the Survey, the coolness factor is pretty high. The things we do here are real. They impact real people and real issues in the state, and having that in the background makes this job even cooler.”