ND Water - May 2018
Ernie Mathias retired in April after 21 years of service to the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District (Garrison Diversion). Mathias was an operations and maintenance specialist working at the Oakes Test Area (OTA) in Oakes, N.D. He was responsible for maintenance of the system – keeping the pumping plants up and running, canals full, and gates working.
Mathias has a long history with the OTA, as he began working with the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in 1969. During the 1980s, he was a drainage investigator and construction inspector for Reclamation working at the OTA. After several more years with Reclamation, Mathias’ employment transferred from Reclamation to Garrison Diversion in 1997, where he finished his career in 2018.
“This was a good job for me,” says Mathias. “We all enjoyed working together, and I enjoyed the work I did.”
Now that he’s retired, Ernie Mathias and his wife, Carol, can spend more time with their three children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. They enjoy following the kids’ sporting activities. Mathias enjoys fishing, and they plan to split their time between their lake home and their home in Oakes and anticipate some traveling in the upcoming years.
“Ernie, your service to Garrison Diversion is appreciated, and all of us here at Garrison Diversion wish you a healthy, happy retirement,” says General Manager Duane DeKrey.
ND Water - Ernie, May 2018