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APPANOOSE COUNTY, IOWA -- In our continuing coverage of Black History Month, we share with you the story of a USDA Civil Engineer who is helping to reduce flooding on your crop land.

Lya Hatton Williams has worked in Iowa for the USDA for the past 12 years as an engineer in the Natural Resources Conservation Service agency. It has been her responsibility to design and oversee the construction of more than 50 dams in the Soap Creek Watershed, which runs through Monroe, Appanoose, Davis, and Wapello Counties. She says she moved to Ottumwa three years ago after living in Des Moines for almost a decade.

"It was very different in a sense," said Hatton Williams. "When I moved here, I knew no one. It's not a whole lot of diversity so it has been very a challenging experience. But, I still have enjoyed the fact that in this capacity, I get to get out to the field and I can see the structures that I was reviewing actually come to life. And so as a former designer, it's good to see it actually implemented."

Many of the structures she oversees help reduce flooding in the area so that farmers can use more of their land for crops. Also, she said landowners nearby receive secondary benefits from the dams including a supply of water for their livestock, and the opportunity to use the dams as a hydrant in case there were any fires nearby.

"Historically, this agency was built to improve water quality and control soil erosion. When the dust bowls happened back in the 1930s, it was significant that we restore our natural resources. Water is a very important part of every day and sometimes we take it for granted. But I like knowing that I am apart of trying to help to improve the quality of the water for everybody. "

But, working in the rural areas of southeast Iowa isn't always easy. Sometimes, while surveying land, she said she gets a lot of stares.

"Seeing a brown face causes a lot of people to stare at you at times. It can be a little uncomfortable. But usually, when I crack a smile, that kind of breaks the ice and a person either stops staring at you or maybe they might ask you a question."

Lya Hatton Williams said the most difficult part of her job is dealing with the ever changing weather.

"The most difficult part of my job has been dealing with extreme weather conditions. Sometimes during construction season, we're not going to stop just because it's blazing 100 degrees or because it's -2 below. If the weather is still conducive for construction, we still have to go. Some times it doesn't make you as eager to get out."