River systems carry more than water. Rivers transfer energy, sediment and dissolved materials; modify the landscape; provide water and nutrients to ecosystems and agriculture. They are corridors for the migration of fish, facilitate commerce, and attract recreation and development.

Because of the wide range of demands placed on rivers, laws and policies have been developed to limit and allocate how these resources can be used. Effective management of river resources is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring the application of knowledge in both environmental sciences and management. We will examine geology, hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and aqueous chemistry, environmental economics and benefit-cost analysis with an emphasis on how society has impacted some of the natural river processes. Our modes of learning will include seminars, lectures, problem-solving workshops, science and GIS labs, project work and field studies.

In winter, we will focus on natural resource economics, physical geology and surface water hydrology. Quantitative problem solving will be emphasized. In addition, students will be introduced to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and develop skills in analyzing and displaying spatial data associated with river systems and drainage basins. There will be several daylong field trips to study local river systems in Western Washington.

In spring quarter, we will turn our attention to fluvial geomorphology, aqueous chemistry and benefit-cost analysis. Students will participate in project work and there will be an extended field trip to the Columbia River Basin in Eastern Washington.