Hydraulic Tour of Standard NRCS Inlet Risers

Dhan Gautam, Ph.D., PE
Hydraulic Engineer

USDA-NRCS

Dhan is a hydraulic (H&H) engineer at the National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics Center (NDCSMC) in Fort Worth, TX. His educational background includes a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, a master's degree in biosystems engineering from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and a Ph.D. in agricultural and biosystems engineering from North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. Initially, he began his career as a lecturer, teaching various engineering courses to undergraduate students. Throughout his academic journey, he gained practical experience as a student intern, graduate research assistant, and research fellow at different universities and research centers. Additionally, he served in the US military for three years. Following his military service, Dr. Gautam transitioned to civilian life as a supervisory environmental engineer for the Indian Health Service, where he dedicated his efforts to serving the tribal community in Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota. He commenced his career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service as a design engineer, eventually progressing to the position of State Hydraulic Engineer in Temple, TX. Currently, he holds the position of Hydraulic Engineer at the NDCSMC in Fort Worth. Through his professional journey, he has acquired diverse experience in various fields, having worked in different parts of the world and collaborated with individuals and institutes from various backgrounds. Dr. Gautam has also contributed to the academic community by publishing many articles in scholarly journals and serving as a reviewer for different publications. Residing in Fort Worth, Dr. Gautam shares his life with his wife, Sara, and their two sons, Deepson and Ashvik. He has a passion for outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, cycling, and playing soccer. With a penchant for exploration, he has traveled to over 15 countries and explored different states within the US. He embraces rural living and is enthusiastic about immersing himself in new cultures and traditions.

Karl Visser, PE
Hydraulic Engineer

USDA-NRCS

Karl holds BS and MS degrees in agricultural engineering from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS.  He is licensed as a professional engineer in Kansas and Illinois and has worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kansas, Illinois, and Texas since 1982. He is married to Susan and has two children, Sarah and Kenton. Karl is the agency liaison for SITES and WinDAM software for hydraulic routing and auxiliary spillway erosion. He has reviewed several hundred NRCS dam rehabilitation projects across the US during his time at the National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics Center (NDCSMC) in Fort Worth, TX.

Hong Wang, Ph.D., PE
Hydraulic Engineering

USDA-NRCS

Dr. Hong Wang has over 30 years of experience working in the private and public sectors. Her expertise includes sustainable watershed planning and structural/non-structural alternatives for flood prevention and drought reduction; flood risk assessment, damage evaluation, and flood disaster recovery planning and design; and hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and study for dam and flood control structures, floodplain management, and urban drainage system planning and design. In the mid-2010’s, Hong worked for a few years on international assignments. The projects ranged from integrated watershed management in arid, semi-arid, and flood-prone regions to flood and drought disaster reduction strategies and regulatory framework development. In 2017, Hong joined the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) working on dam safety-related projects, reviewing watershed plan/environmental documents and design documents. Hong is a registered professional engineer and a review editor for several academic journals.