Howard Drossman, Chemistry & Environmental Science
Tutt Science 130F, Phone: x6756
hdrossman@ColoradoCollege.edu

Miroslav Kummel
Tutt Science 130E, Phone: x8228
mkummel@ColoradoCollege.edu

Previous EV311 Classes
2002 Class
2003 Class
2004 Class
2005 Class

2005 Final Projects

2007 Class

2008 Class

2009 Class

About This Course:

The Colorado College catalog description for the EV 311Water: Hydrology, Aquatic Chemistry & Ecology course states: "Introduction to the geochemical, physical hydrological and biological properties of water systems at the level of a watershed.   This course applies principles of surface hydrology, aquatic ecology, redox and acid-base chemistry, field sampling, and experimental design.   Includes a significant laboratory component involving GIS and the analysis of samples collected in the field.   Prerequisites: EV 212 and EV 228 (or equivalent) and GY 140 or GY 130. BY 208, EV 208 or EV 209 highly recommended.

Environmental scientists are often charged with understanding the sustainable use and management of water resources. Such abilities assume: (1) an understanding of how the ecosystem sustains a stock of potable water; (2) an understanding of how the social systems using and managing the resources function; and (3) an integration of this knowledge in a form usable by the people who make resource management decisions. In this course we will seek to apply scientific principles and scientific research to the study of water resources in an integrated, interdisciplinary fashion.

Course Objectives:
1) Introduce fundamental principles of ecology, geochemistry and hydrology that are relevant to sustainable water management, with a special emphasis on the importance of "watershed-level thinking";

2) Develop a common understanding of the theories of physical hydrology, aqueous geochemistry and aquatic ecology;

3) Enhance your skills in hydrological techniques, biological techniques. chemical techniques, field sampling, statistics, spreadsheets, GIS, teamwork and oral and written communication.

4) Recognize and appreciate the complexity of real-life water management situations;

5) Learn how to formulate an appropriate research question about human impacts on stream health;

6) Carry out applied projects and appropriately analyze data that will extend our knowledge about the ecological, physical geological and geochemical aspects of the Fountain Creek watershed and the ecosystem surrounding it; and

7) Integrate that information and develop recommendations for the sustainable use and management of the Fountain Creek watershed.

Format:
Class will typically begin every morning at 9:00 AM unless otherwise noted. Morning sessions will usually involve a combination of lecture-style presentations, guided worksheets and class discussion. We plan to keep the "lecture" to the minimum necessary, and will rely heavily on you to keep up with the reading. Morning sessions will usually last until about noon.

In the first week of class, there will be a three-day field trip that will look at water supplies do Colorado Springs, study hydrologic and ecological principles along the Arkansas River and visit with local experts.

On the first Friday of class, there will be a full-day field trip performing a sampling gradient from high up on the snows of Pikes Peak to below the waste water treatment plant.

The readings and assignments are linked to the topics on the on-line syllabus. Please come prepared by reading before class each day.

Class grading is described in detail with crieria and aources for help on a separate page.