Geologist Doyle Wilson

He Loves Limestone (and Hates Wasting Water)

Geologist Doyle Wilson has worked for Lake Havasu City for almost 10 years as water resources coordinator. He also teaches part time at ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu. Before participating in a panel on the future of the Colorado River, he talked about his favorite rock, his geological vanity license plate, and how he wastes water in the Zócalo green room.

Q:

What do you eat for breakfast?


A:

It changes, but during the week, it’s oatmeal, toast, and milk.


Q:

If you didn’t live in Lake Havasu City, where would you be?


A:

That’s a hard question, actually, because there are a lot of places I would like to live. We lived in Portland, Oregon before we moved here, so back to Portland would be nice.


Q:

What’s the ugliest tie you own?


A:

[Laughs.] Number one, I hate ties, and I wear one maybe once every five years. [Points to the tie he has on.] It’s kind of maroonish, and it’s got squares and other squiggly things on it, and I don’t like it much.


Q:

What was the most important year of your life?


A:

My wife will kill me if I don’t say our wedding year, 1981.


Q:

What’s your least favorite household chore?


A:

Picking up dog poop.


Q:

What’s your most wasteful use of water?


A:

Over-irrigation. We’re actually starting a program on that to educate more people on their over-watering.


Q:

Where do you go to be alone?


A:

Outdoors someplace. You can do that easily out here. It’s very nice.


Q:

When’s the last time you broke a sweat?


A:

This morning. Exercising.


Q:

What’s Arizonans’ biggest misconception about water?


A:

I think for a lot of people it’s the expectation that it’s going to come out of the faucet every time. They think we have plenty.


Q:

What’s your favorite rock?


A:

I would say fossiliferous limestone. My license plate says “Eocene,” a geologic time period 38 to 55 million years ago. That’s when modern life forms we know today started to make their form as we see them. The first horses had five toes, not one—but you could recognize them as horses, for example.