WATERS Collaborative
Watershed Academics to Enhance Regional Sustainability
Sonoma State University / Sonoma County Water Agency
All Projects WATERS Meeting 1-25-2013 3:30-4:30
In Attendance: Claudia Luke (notes), Mike Thompson, Suzanne DeCoursey, Jean Wasp, Debora
Hammond, Lynn Stauffer, Mike Smith, Bulent Sokmen, Mark Perri, Caroline Christian, Juliet ChristianSmith, Merith Weisman
Agenda:
3:00-3:10
3:10-3:25
3:25-3:45
3:45-4:00
Background
Fall Projects & Deliverables
Spring Projects & Deliverables
Logistics: Funding and Permits
Background
We reviewed the purpose of the collaborative, cross-course collaboration model, and management
questions:
 Water Quality: What pollutants occur? Where are they and when? What is the influence of
summertime urban irrigation on water quality?
 Sediment: How much and what kind of sediment comes out of the headwaters of Copeland
Creek? What does it come from? How has the amount and type of sediment changed with
settlement?
 Vegetation Management: What types of riparian canopy planting work best at shading out
blackberry? How do we modify our channels to prevent/minimize the growth of Ludwigia or
Cattails?
We additionally mentioned faculty interest in becoming involved in the Copeland Creek Watershed
Storm Water Detention, Groundwater Recharge, Habitat Restoration, and Steelhead Refugia Project
Fall Projects and Deliverables
During the Fall, we provided funding to two projects that were ready to go while we undertook planning
for Spring projects:


Sedimentation Rates in Fairfield Osborn Preserve Marsh - GEOG 317: Lab Methods in Physical
Geography (Michelle Goman) - 16 students
Copeland Creek Watershed Evapotranspiration Project - BIOL 348: Plant Physiology (Tom
Buckley) - 12 students, Heather Vice (Master’s Student)
Additionally during the summer we worked on a vegetation management project:

Blackberry Removal Project - Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps (SSU Preserves Suzanne
DeCoursey/SSU Facilities Craig Dawson) – 2 students; 7 youths at risk
Deliverables provided to SCWA during the Fall:
Task
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Deliverable
Compile Existing Collaborations between Water Agency and SSU
Establish Website
List of Existing Collaborations
Connect Water Agency data needs with SSU research resources
Interests and Expertise Guide
Academic Engagement Guidelines
Courses and Materials Related to Watershed Management
List of Courses
Perform Outreach
Volunteer and docent information
Due Date
8/20/2012
12/10/2012
12/10/2012
12/11/2012
9/15/2012
8/12/2012
Spring Projects and Deliverables
Copeland Creek Water Quality Project: What pollutants occur? Where are they and when? What is the
influence of summertime urban irrigation on water quality?
These questions will be addressed by the following courses:
Bacteria - BIO 338 Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (Mike Cohen) - 18 students
Ions and Hydrocarbons: nitrate, chloride, nitrite, sulfate, fluoride, hydrocarbons CHEM 125B Honors Chemistry (Mark Perri) - 20 students
Conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temp, turbidity, flow
o LIBS 320B Water Seminar (Deborah Hammond) - 15 students
o LIBS 202 Challenge and Response in the Modern World (Debora Hammond) - 70
students (5 sections)
o SCI 120 Sustainability in My World (Jeremy Qualls/Claudia Luke) - 45 students (3
sections)
Sediment Loads From the Upper Copeland Creek Watershed: How much and what kind of sediment
comes out of the headwaters of Copeland Creek? What does it come from? How has the amount and
type of sediment changed with settlement?
1. How much sediment is coming out of the upper watershed? Techniques: Hand or Trap
Sampling on Alluvial Fan
o GEOL 311 Sedimentary Geology (Mike Smith) – 20 students
o SCI 121 Sustainability in My World (Mike Smith) – 45 students
2. Where is the sediment coming from? Techniques: LIDAR Survey, Ground Survey &
Photomonitoring, Cross-sectional Surveys in upper watershed
o GEOG 490 Geography Senior Seminar (Jeff Baldwin) – 2 students
o (Additional classes in Fall)
Other Projects: Russian River Flooding Impacts
o
GEOG 375 Natural Hazards (Michelle Goman) – 36 students
Vegetation Management: What types of riparian canopy planting work best at shading out blackberry?
How do we modify our channels to prevent/minimize the growth of Ludwigia or Cattails?
1. Do SCWA management techniques meet the multiple objectives of controlling floods and
increasing the abundance of native species?
o ENSP 423 Restoration Ecology (Caroline Christian); restoration student blog
2. What are the effects on other organisms (e.g., birds and fish)?
o BIO 323 Entomology (Fran Keller) - 25 students
Additional Projects - Kinesiology KIN 101 (Bulent Sokmen) This course is designed to improve the health
and wellness of SSU students through cleaning, gardening, landscape design, tree pruning, and hiking in
the Copeland Creek area.
Deliverables to be provided to SCWA during the Spring:
Task
Deliverable
2.2
Connect Water Agency data needs with SSU research resources
2.3
2.4
Due Date
Project Information Library (Annotated Bibliography)
5/15/2013
Project Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Ongoing through
5/15/2013
Courses and Materials Related to Watershed Management
Data, Metadata, Project Descriptions
Ongoing through
5/15/2013
Permitting Guidelines
5/15/2013
Symposium Agenda
5/15/2013
Perform Outreach
News Releases
5/15/2013
Articles
5/15/2013
Symposium posters and powerpoint presentations
5/15/2013
During the meeting we also discussed the upcoming Copeland Creek Watershed Symposium on Friday
May 3: 9-1 pm. Meeting location tbd.
Spring Logistics
We reviewed the available requests for equipment and available funding of $4,500. The funding will go
towards water quality measurement supplies and insect collecting equipment this semester.
Additionally we discussed the need to coordinate permitting requests with SSU Facilities for access to
sites on Copeland Creek on campus.