Reviewers are the bane of my job. They serve a checks and balances purpose, but sometimes it feels like they just HAVE to make a comment whenever we submit to them.
We are designing a stream restoration project to relocate a stream out of contaminated areas (YAY), but because of slopes we have to incorporate a "riffle pool" design. They questioned everything about the design we submitted. (BOO)
Our response is now "showing our work" and it's pointing to all the resources we used.
My wife wonders why I'm mentally fried when I get home. The image below is the response I get to write relating to the upthread #worktoot i made. The coworker I'm doing this project with has a PhD in environmental engineering. He says defending his dissertation was easier than dealing with reviewers sometimes. 🙄
I tend not to worktoot a bunch, so this is a peak in the life of me. Work is work and coso is where I post foodpron and memetrains 😂
@Kurtroedeger
Meanwhile, the stream is going through the contaminated area, right?
And it's underground for about 300' which means fish don't swim up it. We will daylight it so happy fishes.
@Kurtroedeger It's too bad you can't force them to review it after lunch. People are more aggregable then.
I don't know when they reviewed it, took a week after I submitted just a portion for feedback. 🤷♂️
My PhD coworker keeps laughing at their use of 'water column'. We are talking about a stream you can stand and straddle across. With depths of 2-3" at most. Water column needs depth where you can have different stratification of the water. Someone got a little knowledge on the review team and keeps using it like they have all the knowledge.
@Kurtroedeger so basically. our little stream from our downspout during a light rain... That's funny.
@phase2 bit more than that, but yeah. It's so minor it's a laugh.
It gets a small spring upslope somewhere that usually keeps water flowing year round, but most of the flow is from a couple culverts upslope at the road feeding it.
@Kurtroedeger This looks near identical to the little ditch behind our fence. I'm sorry you have to put up with the bullshit.
@phase2 🤷♂️ it's one of the most frustrating parts of the job
@Kurtroedeger 🙄🤨 my sympathies. 🫂
@Kurtroedeger fwiw a riffle sounds cool.
@peeppeepcircus it's on my list of favorite words. Riffle ... pool.... riffle... pool
@Kurtroedeger Ouch. I feel your pain.
@Kurtroedeger This is the main reason my Hubby came to grately dislike working the job of Landscape Architect. He loved the design and nature and fulfilling a vision…. But most of corporate Landscape Design firms is figuring out how many parking spaces you have to have per building and dealing with county & state reviews and boards. It’s really the Principal’s that get to do the design, that’s why he eventually opened a one man shop. Not much money but happier. 🙃
@Knitpurrl I don't mind the zoning laws and land development ordinances. the legal side fascinates me too (I know an architect who also got his attorney license to handle that too). But the reviewer side of things. they just HAVE to find something to comment on. And mostly it never makes for a better project, just enough to say they did their job reviewing it.
@Kurtroedeger That’s it… just doing their job 🙃
I’m glad that you don’t mind the legal side. Hoping you enjoy your profession for many years and the review board comes to recognize and appreciate your expertise 🥰
They are trying to justify their existence. Hang in there.
We didn't invent the design. We used resources from other states because PA didn't have any themselves. So Minnesota and Maryland do. We just cribbed their requirements, combined them to fill in gaps both had on their designs and make our design more thorough.
It's just frustrating that the reviewers approach it this way.
I'm just turning around and sending them links to the other state's design requirements.
2/2
#worktoot