What did you learn at work today, Rolanni?

[rolanni]

I learned about the ecology of salt marshes and that there are two kinds of phragmites -- one which is native to Maine and lives in peaceful harmony with the salt hay, cord grass and other marsh vegetation; and one which is an invader from the Middle East and is extremely bad juju.

I learned about floodgates and their relationship to high tide. 

I learned (thanks to kinzel's research librarian genuis) what a floodgate looks like and how the particular sort of floodgate needed in the story can go terribly, terribly wrong.

I learned that some people can't even do a simple job without screwing it up bad and wasting the lives of innocents.

OK, I knew that one already.