Meet A Dragonfly Stormwater Corrective Crew
Kyle and Mike are part of Dragonfly’s corrective division, completing some of our stormwater construction projects. In our latest feature, they provide insight into their roles and discuss a few projects that illustrate their comprehensive capabilities in constructing and repairing stormwater systems and all of their components.
Mike (left) and Kyle (right) dredge excess material during a large-scale stormwater conversion.
Meet Kyle
What originally brought you to Dragonfly?
I’ve been with Dragonfly for 3 years now. I used to drive by the shop every day and I knew someone familiar with Dragonfly’s work. I became intrigued with what all Dragonfly could do after hearing about projects and seeing the kayaks and canoes. I didn’t have any previous stormwater experience or experience on heavy machinery. Since starting, I have gained a lot of experience working in both Inspection Repairs and Non-Recurring Construction. Starting out, I worked with some of our most experienced team members. I watched and took note of everything they did, how they operated and moved the machinery along with different types of material. Everyone was very generous in teaching and giving guidance. All of my crew leaders were great leaders. Dragonfly has taught me everything that I know with running heavy equipment and in the stormwater industry. In February of this past year, I was promoted to crew leader of a stormwater construction crew.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy getting to work outside and I feel really good about the work that we do. At the end of the day, it feels great to be able to help clean and improve mother nature. I’m then able to go out and enjoy the outdoors myself knowing that we’ve made a difference.
In your experience, what is the most important aspect of successfully working as part of a crew on big projects?
I think great communication is key. Mike and I try to communicate well so that we’re on the same page. It really helps to know what your teammate is thinking and how they want to approach the job and vice versa. I try to get along well with everyone, I think that is important in being able to work successfully together.
Do you have any advice for future employees?
You can’t be afraid to get dirty and work hard. Sometimes the work we need to complete is just get down in the mud and get it done. Sometimes what we do can be tough, but at the end of the day you can feel proud of the job you’ve done and how you’ve impacted the environment.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Everyone I’ve worked with across all of our branches, anybody associated with Dragonfly, it’s just a bunch of good people. Everyone is very friendly and everyone works as a team. After a long day, you might have a lot to unload at the shop and there’s always someone willing to help. We have a great group of employees.
A project I would like to highlight is a level spreader construction job in Chapel Hill. A level spreader lessens the impact of stormwater runoff by acting like a speed bump to help slow and distribute runoff before it moves downstream. For this project, we built a massive level spreader from scratch and a set of plans. The finished level spreader was 60 feet long and 13 feet wide. This is much larger than the typical level spreader we build or repair.
Here are some photos from the project. Photo 1 shows us installing the pipe after excavating and installing a catch basin. In photo 2, we are excavating the area to install the actual level spreader. Photo 3 shows us installing the underdrains. In photo 4, we are installing the bio media.
One of the reasons I found this project so interesting was because we got to build it from scratch. I was crew leader on this project and gained a lot of experience learning to read blueprints.
Meet Mike
Please tell us a bit about your professional background?
I’ve been with Dragonfly for about 6 months. Before coming to Dragonfly, I worked for a contracting company in Virginia. I primarily worked on road maintenance; repairs on asphalt, concrete, and culvert piping. I learned a majority of my machinery and heavy equipment knowledge through that work. My family moved to North Carolina and I came across Dragonfly while looking for a local job. I previously completed some stormwater type projects on culvert pipes and was really interested in Dragonfly’s work that I saw on the website. Working with Dragonfly has been night and day to what I’ve done in the past. The people are considerate and easy to work with. This has been a whole different viewpoint on construction from my previous experiences.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really appreciate the environmental change. Working with Dragonfly, and being in the stormwater industry, is completely different than what I’m used to doing. This has also allowed me to see a different side to some of the construction projects I previously completed. Culvert piping was one piece of stormwater and now I have experience with the larger system.
Is there anything about the Triangle that you think makes projects particularly important?
The stormwater systems are more intricate here since it is a large developing area with a growing population. Stormwater regulations and enforcement is very important because of this growth.
What is it like working with Kyle on some of Dragonfly’s biggest projects?
Kyle is very informative and a good person to work with. As crew leader, he’s great at explaining things and explaining from different viewpoints. I’ve been in construction for 10-12 years and a lot of the leaders I’ve had in other jobs weren’t good at explaining in a way that was always easy to understand. It’s nice to see a different perspective in teaching.
A project I would like to highlight is also a level spreader job. For this project we had to remove the old one and replace it with a new system. We got to rebuild the level spreader our way instead of how it was originally constructed. We had more control and creativity with the end result due to the original design not functioning properly and very little detail on the original plans. This was also my first-time laying sod, which can be very tiring.
Here are a few pictures from the project. In photo 1, we framed and poured a new concrete level lip after removing the old system. Photo 2 shows the level spreader verge prepped with non-woven fabric where the riprap will be installed. In photo 3, we’re finalizing grading for the installation of sod on the vegetative strip. Photo 4, shows us laying the sod.
Here is the completed level spreader. I learned a lot from the project crew leader, Mike S. on this rebuild. Seeing it all together in the end was very rewarding.
Kyle: Mike and I would also like to highlight a large conversion we recently completed together. We converted a sediment basin into a stormwater retention pond for a new community. It was a larger job and my second job requiring me to closely follow blueprints. This type of project requires you to be meticulous about making sure everything is exact in regards to elevation.
This first photo shows the sediment basin before any work began.
We started out by dredging out excess material from the main pool and forebay area. We then graded the basin footprint to the correct elevation, which included the plant shelf and forebay berm. We installed the weir in the forebay, raised the dam, and built the spillway to the correct height.
We also raised the riser to the proper height, installed the orifice, and reinstalled the trash rack. We then completed the dissipator pad and installed riprap in all necessary areas. Lastly, sod was installed over all disturbed areas in the system.
Here is the finalized conversion. The plants and goose fencing seen here were installed at a later date due to the lower water level from completing our work.
Mike: This was my first conversion project and dealing with plans on this large of a scale. There was much more earth moving and grading involved. It was a little stressful at times, but it was a good project with a great end result.
Kyle and Mike prioritize working well together in order to successfully complete challenging, large-scale projects. They combine their experience and capabilities to maximize the end result for clients and the environment. Dragonfly is fortunate to have such talented, passionate team members. Thank you to Kyle and Mike for sharing your insight!
Learn More About Dragonfly Careers
Learn more about our Team and Dragonfly Pond Works Careers.
Dragonfly Pond Works provides pond, lake, and stormwater management throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, from Maryland to Florida. Since 2006, we have performed both routine maintenance and repairs on ponds, wetlands, sand filters, stormwater basins, bioretentions, underground detention facilities, and many other types of stormwater systems.
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