Course:SOIL520/Syllabus

Course Content

The course covers all aspects of watershed management in agricultural 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.

Agriculture and Food Concerns

• Global agricultural trends
• Agricultural intensification
• Agricultural expansion onto marginal lands

Agricultural Impacts on Soil and Water

• Non-point source (NPS) pollution
• Erosion and sediment
• Stream health
• Drainage
• Storage and irrigation

Best Management Options

• Nutrient budgets
• Fertilizer & manure management
• Buffer zones, wetland functions
• Beneficial management practices (irrigation, drainage, erosion, sedimentation, NPS solutions)
• Policy & legal tools
• Economic tools

Course Schedule

Period	Module (Online Textbook)
Week 1	Registration & Introduction
Week 2	Agricultural Challenges and Trends
Week 3	Agricultural Water Issues
Week 4	Water Use & Irrigation
Week 5	Flooding & Drainage
Week 6	Nutrient Budgets
Week 7	Riparian Buffer Zones
Week 8	Non-point Sources of Pollution
Week 9	Soil Erosion & Sedimentation
Week 10	Policies & Economic Tools
Week 11	Stream Health & Environmental Protection
Week 12	Watershed Protection
Week 13	Summary & Review
Final Project	Due at the end of the term

Learning Objectives

1. Introduce students to the complex nature of water use in agriculture and impacts of agriculture on water resources.
2. Demonstrate how a watershed plan can be developed and implemented.
3. Describe the role various stakeholders play in agricultural watershed management.
4. Create an awareness of the tools necessary to carry out watershed studies.
5. Show what actions can be taken (at many levels) to reduce the impacts of agriculture on aquatic ecosystems.

By the end of the course, participants should have a sound knowledge base of agricultural 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.

Assignments and Discussions

To complete the course, the following student activities will be graded:

• Discussion Each week the instructor will host a 1 hour discussion of the previous weeks textbook materials. The discussion will be scheduled so that students can participate live (either in person or by Skype) or contribute to the discussion notes. Participation in the discussion will be graded.
• Two written assignments will be posted on the Course Blog. Participants have at least 3 weeks to complete each assignment.
• A Final Project will be assigned to teams of students. Teams will be formed after the first written assignment has been marked and will be due at the end of the term.