WGM Group: Finalist in the Bureau of Reclamation’s Canal Safety Challenge
The original prototype of the Hydro Scoop device. The WGM team will build a larger-scale prototype for the second phase of the Canal Safety Challenge.
H
unter Morrical, a project engineer at the Bozeman, Montana–based planning and design firm WGM Group, took interest in the Bureau of Reclamation’s Canal Safety Challenge and entered the competition. WGM’s design, the Hydro Scoop, earned it a spot as one of the three finalists that have each been awarded $50,000 to build a prototype. In this interview, Mr. Morrical tells us about the design and his hopes for its development. Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
30 | IRRIGATION LEADER | October 2021
Hunter Morrical: Our firm has a broad scope. We cover a lot of disciplines, including environmental engineering, transportation engineering, civil engineering, land planning and landscape architecture, as well as water resources. Some environmental scientists work at WGM, and we also have a surveying department. We do stream restoration projects, environmental assessments, wastewater management, and straightforward civil infrastructure design for various development types. We mostly work within our state, but we also have had projects in neighboring states. We have about 100 employees, and we have 4 office locations throughout Montana. Irrigation Leader: How did the firm get involved with canal safety? Hunter Morrical: That was an interest I had developed over the last few years before I started working for WGM. I was working for another firm, and a couple of my projects involved streams and irrigation diversions. I also had a little experience with canals from growing up in Bozeman. As a kid, I would play in irrigation ditches, and I almost lost a dog to an underground culvert. I have always been conscious of the need for safety around irrigation structures and canals because I know how they are attractive to the public. irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WGM.
Hunter Morrical: I’m a project engineer for WGM Group in Bozeman, Montana. My responsibilities include construction management, civil and hydraulic design, drone surveying, pipe and pump analysis, and project management. My family was in the concrete construction industry when I was growing up, so I gravitated toward civil engineering when choosing a career to pursue. I received a degree in civil engineering from Montana State University. I have 6 years of professional experience in the civil engineering industry. Growing up in Bozeman, my life revolved around water in the form of fishing, boating, camping, and skiing, so naturally, I’ve been drawn toward engineering projects involving water and the environment. I’m a big whitewater rafter, so I like hydraulics, and I’ve been pursuing a career with an emphasis on hydraulics and water resources.
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about the engineering design activities your firm is involved in.
