Course:SOIL516/Syllabus
More than 50% of the global population now resides in cities, and this number is expected to increase rapidly. This puts enormous pressure on water resources and without effective conservation and water reuse, many cities will face major water challenges. This online course presents a comprehensive approach to urban watershed management, and covers themes such as rainwater management, drinking water, waste water, riparian buffers and urban stream health, climate change adaptation, and more. It is intended for graduate students, professionals and community leaders interested in integrated water resource management in urban settings.
The course has the following components:
- The online course is supplemented by a weekly face-to-face Discussion period on Wednesday afternoons, 2:00 - 3:15pm, on UBC campus in MCML 158 (MacMillan building, 2357 Main Mall).
- A multimedia course e-Textbook that can be accessed online from your desktop and most mobile devices (iOS, Android).
- All course information is posted on Canvas, which contains course announcements, discussion boards, links to readings and resources, etc.
- Assignments will be posted and submitted through Canvas.
Course Prerequisites
A Bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as environmental science, engineering, planning, geography or biology is recommended. Academic or professional experience related to land and water resource management in an urban context is desirable.
Learning Objectives
- Introduce students to the complex nature of urban watersheds.
- Demonstrate how processes are connected at different scales in an urban watershed.
- Describe the role various stakeholders play in urban watershed management.
- Develop awareness of the scientific methods necessary to carry out watershed studies and assessments.
- Identify and evaluate management practices can be used (at different scales) to reduce the impacts of urban development on aquatic ecosystems.
By the end of the course, students should have a sound knowledge base on the biophysical processes, impacts, and beneficial management practices in urban watersheds. It is expected that course participants who are involved in developing and implementing a watershed management plan will be able to directly apply the course concepts to their activities.
Course Content
The course covers a wide range of aspects of watershed management in urban areas: a list of topics is provided below. In addition, a large number of case studies have been included, which are linked to one or more topics.
Fundamentals of Watershed Assessment and Monitoring
- Impacts of urbanization
- Hydrology, stream channels and sediments
- Water and sediment quality
- Aquatic habitat and biota
- Watershed mapping and GIS
Urban Watershed Issues
- Water Consumption and Quality
- Stormwater Management
- Waste Water Management
- Riparian Buffer Zones
- Climate Variability - Floods and Droughts
Management and Planning
- Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs)
- Policy and Regulatory Context
- Land Use Planning and Conservation Tools
Course Schedule (Winter Term 1)
Students are to use the schedule below as a guide to the discussions and to reading the corresponding units in the Urban Watershed Management course e-Textbook. Discussions and Assignments will be based upon the units covered to date.
| Period | Module (e-Textbook) |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Registration & Introduction |
| Week 2 | Introduction to Urban Watershed Management Challenges |
| Week 3 | Fundamentals: Watershed Monitoring |
| Week 4 | Stormwater Management and Riparian Buffers |
| Week 5 | Waste Water |
| Week 6 | Assignment due this week |
| Week 7 | Water Use and Consumption |
| Week 8 | Water Quality for different Uses |
| Week 9 | Climate Variability |
| Week 10 | Floods & Droughts |
| Week 11 | Assignment due this week |
| Week 12 | Planning and Regulatory Context |
| Week 13 | Summary & Review |
| Final Exam | Take home exam |
Assignments and Discussions
The Urban Watershed Management course has three primary assessment components:
| Participation in Discussions | 20% of final grade |
| Written Assignments (2) | 40% of final grade |
| Final Exam | 40% of final grade |
- Participation in Discussions (in-person and online follow-up) is expected on a weekly basis throughout the term. Your participation marks will be based on your responses and thoughts shared in the live and follow-up online discussion. You will do well if you participate actively, respond to your peers, and come prepared to the Discussion sessions.
- Two written Assignments will be posted in Canvas. Students have 3 weeks to complete each assignment and submit it via Canvas. Special discussion sessions will be designated to help you work on your assignments.