Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Water Science Minor

Soil, Water, & Climate
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Program Type: Undergraduate free-standing minor
  • Requirements for this program are current for Spring 2019
  • Required credits in this minor: 18 to 20
Increasing pressures from population growth, climate change, and other human activities are severely impacting the quality and quantity of water on a global basis. Tomorrow’s scientists will require a keen understanding of factors pertaining to the biology, chemistry, hydrology and scarcity of our water resources. The minor provides students the opportunity to broaden their expertise in the area of water science. Students must complete at least 18 credits for the minor. Note: Students interested in qualifying as a hydrologist should determine the exact requirements for the Minnesota civil service position by checking the Hydrologist I (Hydrogeology) and Hydrologist I (Water Resources) position descriptions.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Minor Requirements
Minor Courses
FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology (3.0 cr)
or ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology (4.0 cr)
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology (3.0 cr)
or SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
or ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
Electives
Courses used to fulfill requirements above cannot be chosen to fulfill electives.
Take 9 or more credit(s) from the following:
Wetlands
Take at most 6 credit(s) from the following:
· ESPM 3575 - Wetlands (3.0 cr)
· SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
or ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
· Hydrology
Take at most 9 credit(s) from the following:
· FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
· SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology (3.0 cr)
· ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology (4.0 cr)
· Water Quality and Limnology
Take at most 9 credit(s) from the following:
· ESPM 4061W - Water Quality and Natural Resources [ENV, WI] (3.0 cr)
· ESPM 4601 - Environmental Pollution (3.0 cr)
· EEB 5601 - Limnology (3.0 cr)
· EEB 5605 {Inactive} (2.0 cr)
· PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
· Conservation and Urban Systems
Take at most 6 credit(s) from the following:
· ESPM 3221 - Soil Conservation and Land-Use Management (3.0 cr)
· GCC 3009 {Inactive} [ENV] (3.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2020


View checkpoint chart:
· Water Science Minor
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FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems. prereq: [[BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009], [[CHEM 1015, CHEM 1017] or CHEM 1021], MATH 1151] or instr consent
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of contaminant transport in percolate solution and in overland flow. Hydrologic cycle, percolation/runoff processes, contaminant transport, leachate sampling methods, remediation technologies, scale effects on runoff water quality, tillage technologies, control of sediment/chemical losses. Discussions mostly descriptive, but involve some computations.
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theory of groundwater geology, hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, Darcy's law, governing equations of groundwater motion, flow net analysis, analog models, groundwater resource evaluation/development. Applied analysis of steady and transient equations of groundwater motion and chemical transport. Chemistry of natural waters. prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1062, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1066, MATH 1271, PHYS 1201] or instr consent
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil physical properties/processes governing transport of mass/energy in soils. Emphasizes water/solute transport through unsaturated root/vadose zones, their impact on subsurface hydrology and on water quality. Lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, discussion of real world problems, problem solving. prereq: [Math 1271 or equiv], [Phys 1042 or equiv]
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
ESPM 3575 - Wetlands
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3575/ESPM 5575
Typically offered: Every Spring
Freshwater wetland classification, wetland biota, current/historic status of wetlands, value of wetlands. National, regional, Minnesota wetlands conservation strategies, ecological principles used in wetland management.
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
FNRM 5153 - Forest Hydrology & Watershed Biogeochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
This rigorous course examines hydrology and biogeochemical cycling in forested watersheds. Topics include role of forests in hydrologic processes (precipitation, runoff generation, and streamflow) and exports (sediment, carbon, and nitrogen). Readings from primary literature, active discussion participation, research/review paper. prereq: [Basic hydrology course, one course in ecology, and one course in chemistry [upper div or grad student]] or instr consent
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil physical properties/processes governing transport of mass/energy in soils. Emphasizes water/solute transport through unsaturated root/vadose zones, their impact on subsurface hydrology and on water quality. Lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, discussion of real world problems, problem solving. prereq: [Math 1271 or equiv], [Phys 1042 or equiv]
ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Theory of groundwater geology, hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, Darcy's law, governing equations of groundwater motion, flow net analysis, analog models, groundwater resource evaluation/development. Applied analysis of steady and transient equations of groundwater motion and chemical transport. Chemistry of natural waters. prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1062, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in CHEM 1066, MATH 1271, PHYS 1201] or instr consent
ESPM 4061W - Water Quality and Natural Resources (ENV, WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Water quality decision making. International focus. Ecology of aquatic ecosystems, how they are valuable to society and changed by landscape management. Case studies, impaired waters, TMDL process, student engagement in simulating water quality decision making.
ESPM 4601 - Environmental Pollution
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course uses the principles of chemistry, microbiology, physics, and toxicology to understand the fate and behavior of environmental contaminants and the pollution of soils, surface waters, groundwater, and sediments. The course is structured around a semester-long risk assessment project that provides a framework for integrating concepts of pollution, contaminant movement, contaminant degradation, human health risk, ecological risk, risk mitigation, environmental remediation processes, and interactions among them. The history of federal regulations concerning environmental contamination is presented in the context of the major episodes of environmental pollution that motivated legislative action. prereq: SOIL 2125, CHEM 1061 and 1062 or equiv, or permission
EEB 5601 - Limnology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Advanced introduction to description/analysis of interaction of physical, chemical, and biological factors that control functioning of life in lakes and other freshwater aquatic environments. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
ESPM 3221 - Soil Conservation and Land-Use Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course is designed to provide a local and global historical perspective of soil erosion (causes and consequences); develop a scientific understanding of soil erosion processes; and relates various soil conservation and land-use management strategies to real-world situations. Basics of soil erosion processes and prediction methods will be the fundamental building blocks of this course. From this understanding, we will discuss policies and socioeconomic aspects of soil erosion. Lastly, we will focus on effective land-use management using natural resource assessment tools. Case studies and real-world and current events examples will be used throughout the course to relate course material to experiences. prereq: SOIL 2125 or instr consent