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  Course Description
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  Student Research Papers
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  EES Department

Course Description

This course examines water resources from a variety of scales and disciplines. Emphasis is placed on evaluating water resources from a multidisciplinary perspective. We will begin by looking at some physical aspects of water resources, based on an introduction to hydrology. In this first section we will cover the water cycle, evaporation, precipitation, runoff, streamflow, infiltration, groundwater, and forest hydrology. In this section of the course students will be expected to solve quantitative problems to explore the interface of hydrologic processes and human activity. Then we will turn to some of the institutional factors governing water resources, including law, economics and policy. Then will combine the physical and institutional issues as we focus on case studies of the Colorado, Columbia and Klamath river basins, drawing on Marc Reisner's classic Cadillac Desert and Blaine Harden's A River Lost. This second part of the course is reading intensive: students are expected to complete all reading assignments and contribute to class discussion based on the readings. Students will integrate course materials in an original research paper.

This is a writing-centered course in an interdisciplinary topic and so we will examine different styles of writing about water resources. Examples of writing from the media, popular texts, scientific and social science journal articles, government documents, and textbooks are used as source material in the course. We will focus on evaluating such sources for their relevance and appropriateness in defining the issues and on understanding a variety of discourse conventions. In addition to examining published works, students will be asked to prepare assignments in various styles. For example, more formal scientific writing will include responses to problem set questions and the research paper. Informal writing will include responses to discussion questions. The main goal is for students to learn how to write and communicate to an interdisciplinary audience.

All course materials may be accessed on WISE by students enrolled in this course.

Texts

Required (Available at the Willamette Bookstore)


Doremus, H.D. and A.D. Tarlock. 2008. Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology and Dirty Politics. Island Press. ISBN 978-1597263948

Harden, B. 1996. A River Lost: The Life and Death of the Columbia River. New York, W.W. Norton. ISBN 978-0393316902

McPhee, J. 1980. Encounters with the Archdruid New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374514310

Pielou, E.C. 2000. Fresh Water. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226668161

Reisner, M. 1993 Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water. New York, Penguin. ISBN 978-0140178241

Worster, D. 1992. Rivers of Empire: Water, Aridity and the Growth of the American West. New York, Oxford. ISBN 978-0195078060


Optional Texts (Available on reserve at the Hatfield Library)

Manning, J.C. Applied Principles of Hydrology. 1997. New York, Prentice Hall.

Course Requirements

EXAMS (250 points)
There will be two mid-term exams. The first is worth 100 pts, the second is worth 150 points.

RESEARCH PAPER (100 pts)
Each student will write a major (12-15 page) research paper, on some water resources issue. The purpose of the paper is to synthesize physical hydrologic and geographic data with social, economic, and/or legal factors, as well as to go through the process of writing a multidisciplinary research paper. The final paper will be due on the last day of class, however a paper proposal and two paper drafts will be due during the semester. Each student will also present his/her research to the class during the last few weeks of the semester. Finally, each student will create a web page with a summary of his/her research to be displayed along with previous student research papers from the course.

CLASS PREPARATION AND PARTICIPATION (100 pts)
Particularly during the last 2/3 of the course students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned materials. To prepare for discussion students will prepare short summaries of the reading material ten of which will be collected and graded. Students who are absent more than FOUR times during the semester without a valid excuse (legitimate medical condition or mandatory university activity) will be penalized 5% from their total grade. I have final discretion on what is considered a legitimate absence.

PROBLEM SETS (50 pts)
Three problem sets related to the hydrology section will be assigned. The purpose of these assignments is to help illuminate some of the hydrologic concepts and to introduce you to working with empirical data. A good grasp of algebra and the ability to manipulate data in electronic spreadsheets is required to complete the problem sets.

COMPUTERS AND CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM
Laptop computers are a marvelous learning tool, and the expansion of WiFi on our campus has enhanced many learning opportunities. But such technological advances can have negative consequences in the classroom. Please feel free to use your laptop for note taking in class. Occasionally, we may want to look things up on line as well. However, please refrain from checking email, iChatting, websurfing, etc. during class. If you are observed doing so during class time, you will be asked to stop bringing your laptop to class. Cell phones should be turned off prior to class.

Other Events

We will meet with the Dempsey Lecture speaker in a special session outside of class on Friday, March 6 from 3-4:30pm.

There will be an all-day field trip to Bonneville Dam schedules permitting.

Grading Policy

Make-up of exams is NOT permitted without a valid excuse. Any conflicts with exams must be resolved within the first week of the semester. Late assignments are assessed a 25% penalty.

Students may earn a total of 500 points. Letter grades corresponding to points earned are as follows:

Any student eligible for and desiring academic accommodation due to a disability should provide documentation to Disability and Learning Services located in the Bishop Wellness Center within the first two weeks of the semester.