Surveying the Bosque
A Waterfowl protection project by Ducks Unlimited, Infinity Land Surveying, and New Mexico State Game and Fish Dept.
Ready, Set, Go….
The Bernardo and La Joya Waterfowl Management Areas are part of the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex and are managed by the New Mexico State Game and Fish Department. Ducks Unlimited was given the task to map 40,000 acres of ponds, wetlands, irrigation, and levees for 2 rehabilitation projects in Central NM.
Ducks Unlimited specializes in projects of this size and difficulty. The tools and technology used are up to date and utilize the latest technology and 3d processing. Their Surveyors and Engineers are involved in similar projects are all over the US preserving and building healthy habitats for Waterfowl. The areas of rehabilitation will provide safe refuge for waterfowl making their annual migrations to the South.
Infinity Land Surveying was selected to serve as the NM Registrant and Consultant of Ducks Unlimited to supply ground control, field mapping, and post processing of all static data. Infinity Land Surveying and Ducks Unlimited Surveyors worked side by side and developed a great working relationship during the 8 day project. We had a 5 person crew (2 from Houston TX, 2 from Jackson, Miss.) including myself. These guys were exceptional Surveyors and hilarious at the same time. We had a good laugh every night in the hotel parking lot. I even taught them how to make Fajitas, and Roast Green Chile…
Background
My name is William M. Wing PLS, and I am the owner operator of Infinity Land Surveying, LLC. I started Surveying in 2000 while going to NMSU pursuing a bachelor of Science Degree in Land Surveying Engineering. Upon graduation I moved to Phoenix, AZ and started working for a large land development company. My first party chief Keith Wesley was a great mentor, a great Surveyor, and always did the right thing. After the recession in 2008-2010 we got laid off and were forced to go our separate ways. He ended up in Texas working for Ducks Unlimited and I was in Central AZ working for the Electric\Power Company. We kept in contact over the years and always had a laugh while sending old photos from jobs we had done and re-telling the stories that went with them. ( We had some good ones 😊). Last year while chatting, I had mentioned that I would be sitting for my NM state specific license exam in January and his voice went up a couple notches while he explained to me that they could not find a suitable NM licensee to sign off on the type of work they were doing. He asked me if I would be interested in working with them, to which I said “Hell YES”. After a few conversations with upper management at DU, they informed me of two large (2000 acre) projects in Central NM that were almost ready to be Surveyed. We got the contracts and task orders drawn up and were set to start the Surveying in late August of 2019. The projects were the “Bernardo” and “La Joya” both properties were managed by NM State Game and Fish and were home to thousands of birds, waterfowl, big and small game.
“I’m gonna call it for the day my quad keeps getting hot and its boiling the water in the radiator”
“10-4 Will, we are already back at the truck, I bet my quad got hotter than yours.”
We lost a quad to fire on Day 5. The quad was brand new and the dealer had added accessories before delivery. The solenoid for the winch was not bolted down and allowed the wires to hang down and touch the exhaust. This eventually caused the wires to get hot enough to ignite. Unfortunately this was a total loss but all crews had fire extinguishers on hand and the fire was extinguished quickly. Another brand new quad broke a front axle on day 4 and was summoned to 2wd making it pretty much useless. This country is scattered with big holes, old burnt trees, and stumps that hide below the grass and you cant see them until its too late. The stumps will stop the quad in its tracks and send you over the handlebars. The holes will suck you in and buck you off your quad and the water will drown your equipment and probably your quad too. You always have to be on guard and watching for big holes or water. Good Times!
After 9 straight days of working 10-12 hours a day we completed both La Joya and Bernardo Projects. We collected over 65,000 coordinates and mapped 40,000 acres. This project will go to Engineering and then design. We will most likely be back out here in the Spring to start the construction staking and to re-set control. It was a tough job and we had many obstacles (Literally) to overcome, but we gotter done. I look forward to working with these guys again. I got to show them how NM does it, next time they are going to show me how to throw down a Crawfish Boil…Cheers!!
William M. Wing RLS
Infinity Land Surveying, LLC
Phoenix, AZ 85086