Pryce Hadley

A man in law enforcement uniform stands on the beach of a reservoir.

Pryce Hadley – Senior Watershed Ranger for the City of Longmont

I am responsible for managing natural resources and ranger operations in Button Rock Preserve, supporting water utility operations, and operating Button Rock Dam. This position, along with the rest of the ranger team, helps safeguard the primary drinking water source for 110,000 people in Longmont and Lyons. I have a black belt in karate and spent many years teaching martial arts to students of all ages. I also enjoy watercolor painting outdoors.

Getting Interested in Water

Growing up on the shoreline of Lake Superior in Michigan, I always had an interest in the environment and saw the connection between what happened on land and how that impacted the lake. In college, I interned and worked seasonal jobs with Superior Watershed Partnership, a watershed restoration and public education nonprofit. I spent a lot of time on the water doing stream assessments, shoreline restoration, and water quality testing.

Starting in Local Government

After graduating from Albion College, I moved to Boulder and worked for the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks department, leading youth corps and learning about all the job opportunities local government had in environmental management. I saw firsthand the impacts of the 2013 flood and the role emergency services and rangers played in the aftermath. This was the catalyst for wanting to become a park ranger, and I took an opportunity to move to mountains and work as a park ranger for Pitkin County.

Becoming a Park Ranger

My first job as a park ranger had me doing conservation work along the river, providing emergency services, and supervising the ranger program. The county also helped pay for my continued education – while working I went to graduate school to earn my Master of Environmental Management (MEM), focused on public land management, at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. This program was a great experience, and I was able to learn from experienced instructors who knew what public land management looked like on the ground. My family and I wanted to get back to the Front Range, and in 2020 I joined the City of Longmont as their Senior Watershed Ranger.

Water Utility Operations

I am one of two operators of Button Rock Dam, a 210-foot tall 70-year-old dam that releases most of the drinking water for Longmont and Lyons. To do this job safely, I need to understand the dam’s quirks and work with civil and mechanical engineers to ensure it is maintained properly. I also provide daily support to Longmont’s Water Resources Division through raw water releases and dam safety and security.

Natural Resources Land Management

I serve as the primary natural resource manager for the 3,000-acre Button Rock Preserve. Dams are an important feat of human engineering, but they do have environmental impact as the reservoir they create interacts with and changes the surrounding ecosystem and geology. Part of my job is to manage the preserve’s undeveloped land and care for the forest, as well as reduce risk of severe wildfire to the reservoir, habitat, and infrastructure. I coordinate with adjacent land agencies on projects and educate the public about the preserve and how to minimize their impact on the land.

Public Safety

I also supervise a team focused on public safety, natural resource protection, emergency response, and parks law enforcement. Together we ensure the safety of people using the preserve to recreate. In 2020 we saw a 50% increase in visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and were overwhelmed with new visitors, vehicles, and dogs. It was chaotic but fun – I’m never bored at work. I enjoy the part of my job where I get to help people and get the residents of my community connected to this natural area.

Man in law enforcement uniform stands in front of a reservoir.

My Why

I believe the natural world has intrinsic value and it is our duty to be good stewards of the environment. Whether you believe it has intrinsic value or not, if the environment suffers so do we. If we don’t take care of our watershed, we could lose our water supply, spend billions to build or enlarge transmountain diversions and dams, and more – our fate is tied to the environment.

I believe in serving the public and the people of my community. When you work in local government, you work for and ultimately report to every member of your community, not just elected officials. It’s a very rewarding opportunity to do that work.

My Advice

Do what you can do expose yourself to a wide range of career paths and ask people what they like or don’t like about their job. It’s equally important to identify the jobs you don’t want to do, as it is to explore career paths that excite you. There are many local opportunities to volunteer or work in city and county departments – including paid outdoor-oriented Junior Ranger and Youth Corps programs – where you can see all the work our governments do.

Look at what you are currently doing in classes, clubs, and other activities, and see how those skills and interests could translate into a job. I didn’t think I’d end up as a ranger, but looking back on my time as resident advisor in college, I did well at dealing with conflict and emergencies and I liked helping people mediate situations. These are all things I now do daily.

Students often look to the federal government for jobs in natural resource management and environmental science – don’t overlook local jobs in cities and counties. Working for local government has been stable and rewarding. There are good benefits and incentives, and you get to know the elected officials and citizens you work for.