ENVS 560/560L
Watershed Systems
Spring 2011, CSU Monterey Bay. Copyright (C) Dr Doug Smith & Dr Fred Watson.
Syllabus
Syllabus ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Course Description from Catalog ......................................................................................................................... 1
Course Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1
M.S. Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy - Major Learning Outcome 5...................................................... 1
Course Outcomes .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Instructors ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Class times & location .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Recommended preparation: .................................................................................................................................. 3
Required texts ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Suggested texts ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Assessment ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities ...................................................................................................... 4
SMART College Policy on Academic Honesty .................................................................................................... 4
Tentative Schedule of Topics: .............................................................................................................................. 5
Syllabus
Course Description from Catalog
ENVS 560 – 3 credits: Develops interdisciplinary skills to address complex environmental issues. Skill sets will
be in the fields of hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, water quality, and ecology. Topics include environmental
policy/agency framework, current environmental issues, and physical/ecological processes in natural and
impacted watershed systems. May require weekend field trips. (Offered spring semester.)
ENVS 560L – 1 credit: Required lab course for ENVS 560. Lab fee may be charged. Practical exercises in
understanding, communicating, and solving environmental issues introduced in ENVS 560. Includes data
acquisition, analysis, and computer modeling using HEC-RAS, GIS and other software packages. (Offered spring
semester)
Course Introduction
Water-centric terrestrial environmental issues are at the heart of sustainable land use and ecosystem health. Water
quality, water quantity, pollutant loading, coastal pollution, floodplain management, wetland function, urban and
agricultural runoff, environmental restoration, impact mitigation, and natural ecosystem function are topics of
regional and global concern. In Watershed Systems (ENVS 560) the student is exposed to broad spectrum of
watershed issues and the modern tools for solution seeking.
In lectures, the student will form a clear understanding of an array of watershed issues impacting California and
the world beyond. The student will place these issues in the modern regulatory framework and attendant overarching environmental policies. Through a series of short, mentored laboratory exercises, the student will use
industry-standard software & other technology to develop solutions or scenarios that can be used at all levels in
the environmental decision-making process. The software will include HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, ArcGIS, and
Microsoft Excel 2007.
M.S. Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy - Major Learning Outcome 5
Watershed Systems partially fulfills the requirements for “Applied Sciences” major learning outcome (MLO 5) in
the Coastal and Watershed Science and Policy M.S graduate program. MLO 5 states that students will apply
advanced principles, theories, and practices of a life science or earth science field to environmental issues and
policies. This outcome is met by passing the ENVS 560 and ENVS 660 series. Advanced methods and
technologies in watershed research are introduced in ENVS 560 (Watershed Systems) using a series of short
teaching modules. In each module, advanced analysis tools that are used to address watershed issues are
introduced and practiced. In ENVS 660 (Advanced Watershed Science & Policy) students combine the skills that
were learned in both ENVS 560 Watershed Systems and ENVS 550 Research Methods to effectively address
current watershed issues.
Course Learning Outcomes
1.
Learning outcome 1 (Water issues in California and the world):
 Students will be able to discuss the major water and watershed issues facing California and the
world today. They will be able to place the issues into a policy framework. Students will be
able to list a selection of common analytical tools used to address key watershed issues.
2. Learning outcome 2 (Quantitative Hydrologic Cycle):
 Students will be able to create a systems diagram of the hydrologic cycle, and will solve water
budget problems at a variety of scales in that system. Student will be able to quantify the
movement of water through the water cycle.
3. Learning outcome 3 (Statistics of flood and drought frequency):
 Students will calculate the frequency of hydrologic (e.g. rainfall, drought, flow, and flood)
events using annual hydrologic data and partial-duration series hydrologic data. The student
will be familiar with normal and log-normal probability density functions and log-Pearson III
analysis. The student will develop flow-duration curves for use in water quality modeling.
4. Learning outcome 4 (Fluvial geomorphology and Hydraulics):
 Students will be able to accurately identify various parts of watersheds and rivers, and discuss
their physical significance. Students will be familiar with the Rosgen stream classification
scheme. Students be familiar with the theory and calculation of Froude number, Reynolds
number, and will be able to recognize the various hydraulic states of flowing water. Students
will be familiar with models of sediment competency and capacity.
5. Learning outcome 5 (Rainfall and Runoff):
 Students will be able to describe the watershed parameters that are used to model and predict
the conversion of precipitation to overland flow and river discharge. Student will be able to use
HEC-HMS to model the parsing of rainfall into runoff and losses.
6. Learning outcome 6 (River Discharge and Stage):
 Students will be able to use standard hydraulics theory to calculate local water elevation for a
given stream discharge. Student will be familiar with the use, limitations, and assumptions of
HEC-RAS step-backwater computer model that converts stream discharge to water elevation.
7. Learning outcome 7 (GIS Watershed Applications):
 Students will be able to use GIS data to conduct basic watershed and land use analysis in
support of hydrologic and water quality analyses.
8. Learning outcome 8 (Sediment Yield):
 Students will be able to describe the watershed parameters that are used to model and predict
the sediment yield eroded from the landscape. The student will be familiar with use,
limitations, and assumptions computer models of sediment yield such as WEPP. Student will
be familiar with the use of sediment inventories using the methods of Pacific Watershed
Associates (PWA) as a tool for predicting annual sediment loads from rural watersheds.
9. Learning outcome 9 (Sediment Transport):
 Students will be able to apply sediment transport models to a variety of watershed issues
including stream channel design.
10. Learning outcome 10 (Water Quality TMDLs)
 Students will be able to list and describe typical steps involved in assessing water quality issues,
such as is required in TMDL development.
11. Learning outcome 11 (Science Communication)
 Students will be able to verbally discuss technical scientific concepts to both technically savvyand lay-audiences. Students will be able to create technically correct, well-illustrated scientific
reports.
Instructors
Dr Doug Smith
Chapman Science Academic Center, Room E213, (831) 582-4696, dosmith@csumb.edu
Office hours: Mondays 1 -3 or by appointment set up using email.
Dr Fred Watson
Chapman Science Academic Center, Room E112, (831) 582-4452, fwatson@csumb.edu
Office hours: By appointment set up using email.
Class times & location
Tuesdays: 1:00 – 4:50
Thursdays: 3:00 – 4:50.
Chapman Science Academic Center S119 and E223 (first session meets in E223)
Prerequisites

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
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

Instructor consent
Postgraduate course. Undergraduates may apply
Calculus (one year)
Biology/Ecology (one year)
Physical Earth Science (one course)
GIS (one course)
Recommended preparation:

River Hydrology (e.g. GEOL 460)
Non-CSUMB applicants may enroll through Open University
Required texts
None
Suggested texts


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
Dingman - Physical Hydrology (2nd ed.)
Gordon et al.--Stream Hydrology an intro for ecologists
Dunne & Leopold—Water in Environmental Planning
HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS software manuals
Maidment and Djokic, 2000, Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling Support. ESRI Press. ISBN:
1879102803
Elder, Killian, and Koberstein, 2006, The Clean Water Act: Owner's Manual, 2nd ed. River Network
Chapra – Surface Water-Quality Modeling
Subscription to Department of Water Resources’ CA Water News at the following web page.
http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news
Assessment
This course must be taken for a letter grade. Student learning will be assessed primarily through completion of inclass and take-home Assignments submitted electronically using iLearn. The grading breakdown is as follows:
Assignments
Attendance
(It is ok to miss one or two sessions for good
reasons)
Total
N
Approx.
9
Percentages of total assessment
Approx. 10% each, for 90% total
10%
100%
You are expected to have a good understanding of Excel 2007, Word 2007, PowerPoint 2007, and Acrobat
(writer) and you should be able to utilize and combine all of these programs to create assessable documents.
Assignments are due at midnight on the date specified, unless otherwise specified. Late assignments will only be
accepted with prior approval by a course Instructor, normally with a 1% deduction of final grade per day late,
starting immediately after the deadline. It is the student’s responsibility to request approval ahead of time.
Grades will be specifically linked to the learning outcomes of each project. While the grade A+ signifies
perfection beyond the basic learning outcomes, the C signifies the ability to accomplish the learning outcome, and
grades between A and C reflect the performances between these extremes.
Grading basis will be approximately as follows.
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
Score
98%
92%
90%
88%
82%
80%
78%
70%
na
60%
<60%
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
CSUMB welcomes and accommodates students with disabilities as part of campus diversity and for legal
compliance. Students with disabilities who may need accommodations please see a course Instructor by 8-Feb2007 (3 days after the Add/Drop deadline of 5-Feb-2007) during office hours or by making an appointment.
ALSO, contact: Student_Disability_Resources@csumb.edu, Building 47, Student Services, First Floor, Phone:
831/582-3672 voice, or 582-4024 fax/TTY http://sdr.csumb.edu/.
SMART College Policy on Academic Honesty
All students are expected to do their own academic work. Plagiarism, copying the work of others and claiming it
as one's own, has lead to the destruction of many reputations and careers. The code governing student conduct in
the California State University regarding plagiarism and academic honesty is based on section 41301, Article 1,
Subchapter 3, Chapter 5, Title 5 of the California Code Regulations, and is as follows:
"41301. Expulsion, Suspension and Probation of Students.--Following procedures consonant with due process
established pursuant to Section 41304, any student of a campus may be expelled, suspended, placed on probation
or given a lesser sanction for ..... cheating or plagiarism in connection with an academic program at a campus."
Within the SMART College, plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty by students in their academic work will not
be tolerated, and will result in serious and immediate consequences. In keeping with CSU requirements,
academic dishonesty cases that occur in the classroom shall be handled by faculty members. The practice in
SMART shall be that students who are found by faculty to have committed plagiarism in an assignment will, at
minimum, upon the first offense fail that assignment. Upon the second offense, a student will, at minimum, fail the
class.
In addition, and in keeping with CSU requirements, after action has been taken, the faculty member shall
complete a REPORT OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY form to identify the student who was found responsible, the
general nature of the offense, the action taken, and a recommendation as to whether or not additional
administrative action is needed. The completed form shall then be sent by the faculty member to the Judicial
Affairs Office. This process provides an opportunity to hold students accountable and to identify students with
multiple academic dishonesty reports. In all cases, the student may be subject to an academic sanction as
determined appropriate by the faculty member, as well as administrative sanctions as deemed necessary by the
Judicial Affairs Office.
Schedule of Topics from Spring 2008. Spring 2009 & 2010 were similar, and Spring 2011 will be similar, but the order will be different:
(The most up to date schedule is on the internal class web site)
Date
DS
FW
Theme
Topic/s
Tu
1/22/08


Intro
Th
1/24/08
Tu
1/29/08
Th
1/31/08
Tu
2/5/08
Th
2/7/08
Tu
2/12/08
Th
2/14/08
Tu
2/19/08
Th
2/21/08


Hydrology


“
Lab
Reading
A=Assign
Q=Quiz
A1 Intro
Due
Outcome
presented
1, 10, 11

“
Define the system and the existing policies &
issues that drive resource protection; and
introduce the tools & approaches used to
address them. Examples of the kinds of issues
we can address.
Watershed morphometrics and GIS: Carmel
River
Field trip to explore Carmel Watershed &
Seaside Groundwater Basin
Quantified hydrologic budget e.g. Mono Lake

“
“
1, 2
“
1, 2
”
Domestic water budget – from brushing teeth
to acre-feet
Seaside groundwater

“
Hydrograph modeling – HEC-HMS
1, 2

”
“
1, 2

“
1, 2, 3, 5
Tu
2/26/08
Th
2/28/08
Tu
3/4/08
Th
3/6/08
Tu
3/11/08

“
e.g. Rational method, SCS curve numbers,
drought and flood probability..7-day annul
minimum, partial duration series, LPIII
“

Sediment etc
Upland erosion

“
Fluvial Geomorphology and applications

“
“

“
Th
3/13/08

“
Modeling sediment transport, competence,
capacity, stream assessment and design
applications
“


1, 7
A2
A1
1, 6, 10, 11
1, 2
A3
A4
A2
A3
1, 2, 11
1, 2, 3, 5, 11
1, 8
A4
1, 4, 11
1, 4
1, 4, 9, 11
A5
1, 4, 9
3/18/08
3/20/08
Tu
3/25/08
Th
3/27/08
Tu
4/1/08
Th
4/3/08
Tu
4/8/08
Th
4/10/08
Tu
4/15/08
Th
4/17/08
Tu
4/22/08
Th
4/24/08
Tu
4/29/08
Th
5/1/08
Tu.5/7

“
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
Hydraulic modeling – HEC-RAS

“
Natural channel design
Water quality
etc
Sediment etc
Field trip: Gabilan Watershed / Carr Lake

Water quality
etc
”
Intro to TMDLs. Example TMDLs. Tools and
approaches used.
“

“
Molera Wetland – Topographic survey

“
Spare

Flow duration curves

Modeling land
use
Spatial
modeling
“

“



“
Spatial hydrograph modeling – HEC-HMS
continued
“
“
“




Th.5/5
Tu.5/13
Th.5/15


A5
Natural channel design (continued)
1, 4
1, 4, 6, 9
1, 6, 10, 11
1, 4, 6, 9
1, 8, 10, 11
A6
1, 8 10,
1, 4, 10
A7
A6
1, 2, 3, 11
Watershed delineation
1, 7
Land use statistics by watershed
1, 7
Review, and finishing A8
Spare
A8
1,2, 5, 7, 11
A7
1, 2, 5, 7
1, 2, 5, 7
A8