13-4 Wading into Watershed Science: Community-Based, Experiential Learning in Action

Session: Building Connections Between Educators and Geoscientists to Foster the Future Workforce

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Undergraduate students in a 400-level, field-based geoscience course conducted watershed-scale data collection in support of a Clean Water Act 205(j) grant through a collaborative partnership with multiple community organizations. The grant aims to assess water quality within the 216-mi² Upper East Fork Whitewater River watershed and develop a watershed management plan. Although we have mentored students on community-based field research inthe past, this project represents our first attempt to integrate a semester-long research project into a single class.

Thirteen students from 5 majors documented stream sample reach characteristics in ten HUC-12 subwatersheds. The students surveyed cross sections, quantified channel bed grain size, and measured water flow to estimate discharge in ungaged portions of the basin in order to calculate subwatershed contaminant loads. The class also assessed habitat cQHEI scores, measured 8 water quality parameters, and calculated a preliminary water quality index for each sampling reach. External volunteers provided hands-on instruction on macroinvertebrate sampling and fish community surveys.

Students gained valuable experience working on a real-world problem and an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of watershed studies as they worked together to collect and analyze data. The class contributed directly to datasets being used by the watershed grant steering committee and provided students with experience practicing industry-standard techniques. This project demonstrates that Clean Water Act grants can serve as effective frameworks for interdisciplinary, community-engaged geoscience research while preparing undergraduates for environmental and regulatory workforce pathways.

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