Watershed Rapid Field Assessment Techniques

Catalog description

Whether you will be working for an environmental or natural resource consulting firm, a state planning, and regulatory agency, serving on local community planning boards or conservation commissions, or as staff for NGOs, such as a watershed, river or lake associations, or even organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Audubon or The Nature Conservancy, these field skills will provide a necessary introduction those field techniques that potential employers will expect you have some familiarity. Also, these protocols will interest educators, who could bring such field experiences into their middle and high school curriculums. The characterization as rapid assessment techniques reflects that these are necessary 1st-level protocols, which identify the existence, absence, or deterioration of key field indicators of watershed health. Such field metrics include macro-invertebrate assemblages, the integrity of buffers and shoreline stability, placement of built infrastructure reflecting the specific geomorphic location, viability of aquatic organism passage, evidence of pollutant loading through water sampling and how to map groundwater flow and take well samples to ascertain the existence of chemicals that statistically exceed regulatory limits. Ultimately the goal is to identify which areas of the watershed to preserve, where mitigation measures should be implemented, or where there are opportunities for restoration. Once identified, then additional resources can be targeted for specific locations on the watershed. Watershed Science and Management is a pre-requisite, for taking this course.