EPP 719 – Wetland Hydrology Indicators and Problem Situations
Course Summary: This two-day course will provide wetland professionals with an in-depth understanding of hydrologic conditions that form and sustain wetlands. Instruction will focus on identification of hydrology sources (precipitation, ground water, streams), as well as the hydrology indicators specified by the Western Mountains, Valley & Coast and Arid West regional supplements to the 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual.
The course will examine delineation situations where one or more of the evaluation parameters has been disturbed or missing (problematic situations). Common examples of these situations include grazed pastures, cultivated fields, drained/artificial wetlands, seasonal wetlands, and riparian wetlands. These examples are common occurrences in urban areas within the Western U.S., as well as other regions. This course is intended for wetland professionals wanting to expand their knowledge of wetland hydrology and better assess disturbed delineation sites. This course has a high participant-instructor ratio, so there are numerous opportunities for project specific examples that participants want to discuss. It qualifies as credit towards certification through the Society of Wetland Scientist Professional Certification Program, as well as elective credit toward the PSU River Restoration Professional Certificate. The course instructor has over 25 years of wetland delineation and training experience, with an emphasis on hydric soils, wetland hydrology, and disturbed site delineations. The course format will be mostly instruction in the mornings and field visits in the afternoon. The field visits will teach participants to apply wetland hydrology indicators, examine hydrology sources, document problematic situations, and refine delineation skills.
This course requires some wetland hiking, carrying field gear and some labor. Hiking/walking may involve slippery or wet, uneven ground that is often without trails.
Duration: 2 days in the field and 1 day of pre-recorded online lectures, readings, and videos.
Available Professional Credit: 1.6 CEU, or 16 PDH.
Student Testimonials:
"The instructor is effective at conveying the information and his deep experience helps with understanding a breadth of scenarios, typical situations vs outliers."
"This course did a good job of teaching students to critically think during problematic wetland situations and how to evaluate it from their own expertise standpoint. Working with regulators and the emphasis on this was helpful during the class discussions."
"The diversity of field locations allowed different aspects of wetland hydrology and delineation to be highlighted. It was surprising and unexpected to see where wetlands may be found despite current land use/appearances."
Course Topics:
• Introduction to Wetlands.
• Hydrophytic Vegetation.
• Hydrology Concepts.
• Soil Genesis and Features.
• Soil Color and Measurement.
• Wetland Hydrology Indicators.
• Hydric Soil Indicators.
• Field Delineation Methods.
• Problematic Situations Overview (Veg, Soils & Hydrology).
• Field Exercises and Data Review.
• Field Exam and Online Final Exam.
• Follow-Up Zoom Session (about 3 weeks later)