ENVI194/GEOL194: Water Science and Policy
Tues and Thurs 9:40-11:10 am &= nbsp; OLRI Room 241
Professor Roopali Phadke&n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ;
Office: Olin= -Rice 249 &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp;
Office hours: Tues 1-3pm and by appointment &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; =
(651) 696-6802 (office)&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; =
phadke@macalester.edu = ; &n= bsp;
Professor Kelly MacGregor&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Preceptor: Allison Jacobel
Office: Olin= -Rice 116 &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nb= sp; = Office hours: TBA
Office hours: Monday 12:30-2:30 and by appointment &= nbsp; ajacobel@macalester.edu
(651) 696-6441 (office)&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; &= nbsp; =
macgregor@macalester.edu&n= bsp; &= nbsp;
Course Overview: Many scientists and political lead= ers argue that the world is in desperate need of a “blue revolution”= ; to provide safe, clean and accessible water for human and ecosystem services. Drawing from the fields of hydrology, political science, geography, and history, this course will introduce students to the basic analytical tools necessary to understand surface and groundwater processes. This interdisciplinary course is t= eam taught by two professors affiliated with the Environmental Studies department.
Through a focus on large river basins, we will examine historical and emerging challenges to the sustainable use of water. The course begins with an over= view of scientific concepts, water laws and institutions, and development challe= nges such as flood prevention, hydroelectric energy generation and groundwater contamination. In the second half of the course, we will shift our attention to the application of these concepts to major world water systems. Students will c= hoose a domestic or international river system to examine for their final poster = and paper project.
Our fieldtrips will introduce students to the
“Three Rivers” region of Minnesota. Students will measure water
discharge during a fieldtrip to the Sunrise River, a tributary of the St. C=
roix
River. We will discuss the effects of dams and riverfront development on th=
e urban
corridors of the Mississippi River. We will also learn about the impacts of
industrial agriculture on the Minnesota River. Through exercises, homeworks,
and fieldtrips, students will also be introduced to the plethora of governm=
ent
agencies and NGOs that are involved with river related concerns.
This course can be used to fulfill requirements for the Geology and Environmental Studies majors and will be listed as a Q1 course, satisfying one of the Quantitative Thinking course requirements at Macalest= er.
Readings/Assignme= nts: http://moodle.macalester.edu is where you will find readings, assignments, helpful weblinks and announcements. This is also a place where you can post questions and commen= ts of your own. You will also be= able to share data with each other here. Check it frequently!
There are no required textbooks for this course, outside of the summer reading assignment. Most of the readings are available at the through the library ERES system. A few of the required readings can be downloaded from the course Moodle page.&nb= sp; We reserve the right to add/change the reading assignments during the course.
All assigned readings must be completed prior to the cl= ass meeting. You will be requ= ired to complete assigned ‘reading reflections’ by 9 am the morning = of class. No late reading reflec= tions will be accepted.
Student Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated (i.e., your final grade will be calculated) on the basis of class participation (10%), submission of reading responses and homework assignments in advance of class meetings (20%), three quizzes (40%), and the river poster & paper project (30%).
We will assign a = final grade by taking the following percentages into account:
90-100% =3D A
80-89% =3D B
70-79% =3D C
60-69% =3D D
The top 2% of each category will typically receive a “+” (i.e., a score of 88-89% will receive a B+), and the lower = 3% of each category will receive a “-” (91% is an A-).
There is no limit on the number of students who can get any grade. If 50% of the class ac= hieves an overall score of 95%, then 50% of the class will get an A. We DO have high expectations of yo= ur work in this course. It is im= portant to know up front that we think an A means OUTSTANDING – in terms of effort, discipline, comprehension, and skills.
We need everyone to be on time to class, and to our field = trip departures! You will NOT be able to make up field exercises.
Part of your class participation grade includes attending = any three EnviroThursday seminars throughout the semester that relate to water resources issues. These seminars meet at 12pm in Olin Rice 250. They are li= sted on the Environmental Studies website and will be routinely announced in cla= ss. You will need to compose a brief summary (~250 words) of the presentation a= nd explain how the seminar relates to the course. This should be completed within a = week after the seminar, and can be done on the course Moodle page.
Collaboration on the homework questions and on assignments= is encouraged, but we expect each person to turn in their own work. We strongly advise you to consult = us or each other once you have already attempted to figure something out; i.e., do not lean too heavily on others to get you through the assignments, or you w= ill find yourself having a tough time on the quizzes.
We expect all of the assignments to be turned in on time, unless you have talked with one of us in advance. Late assignments will be docked 10= % each day it is late (an assignment worth 100 points will be worth a maximum of 90 points if it is one day late). An assignment is considered a day late if it is between 1 minute and 24 hours late. If you think you have a good reason your work is late, please talk to= us in advance. Assignments are w= orth 0 points if they are more than 1 week late.
Please turn in neat work.= If you need to type or re-copy handwritten work, please do so.
Quizzes:
In this course, you will have three quizzes/exams. These written exams will be primar= ily short answer and essay questions. We try to write exams that will allow you to show us your understand= ing of the presented concepts and not simply your ability to memorize an answer. The final exam will t= est your knowledge, reasoning and explanatory skills of the course material.
We do not allow students to take exams at times other than those posted. This is because= it is not fair to the students in the class who take the exam on time. Some reaso= ns WE WILL reschedule: 1) You wi= ll be out of town on a Macalester-related event (sports, music, etc.), 2) You are genuinely ill, 3) You must leave town for a family emergency. If you are dealing with a long-term crisis or illness (either you or a family member), we encourage you to come= and talk to one of us so we can better support your work in class and accommoda= te you.
River paper and project:
The final project will involve preparing a “Biograph= y of a River”. For this assignment, you will prepare a 10 page paper and a= poster formatted using Powerpoint software. The poster will be presented in class = at the end of semester and will be peer evaluated. The final project grade breakdown i= s: River Proposal (10%), Draft (20%), Poster (30%), Final paper (50%). More details on this project to co= me.
Success in this c= ourse:
There are several things that you can do to be successful = in this course. They include:
° Please do the required reading before class. It will not only help you understa= nd the lectures, but you may be expected to discuss readings in class with your colleagues.
° Please attend class. If you can’t be there, pleas= e let one of us know in advance, if possible.&nb= sp; You will be responsible for getting notes from your colleagues.
° Do not get behind in your reading and studying. You will find that it is almost impossible to cram for a course that meets only twice a week, and you will learn much more if you can ask questions along the way!
° Working in groups is incredibly useful – talk =
with
your colleagues about the material you are learning! You will learn a lot of vocabulary=
in
this class, and you need to adopt some language skills to be successful.
Other details= :
We are available to talk with you about the class material= and assignment questions during office hours or by appointment. You are welcome to stop by our off= ices, but we can’t guarantee an ‘on the spot’ meeting. Calling in and emailing questions = works as well. We do not necessarily answer phone calls or emails outside of the typical work day (M-F 9-5 pm), so please do not expect an immediate reply if you email us at 10 pm! We will also use Moodle as a tool for answering questions and disseminating information – please check this regularly= !
Cheating is obviously not allowed. As per the Academic Hon= esty statement (which will be passed out in class and is also in the student handbook), a first offense will cause you to get a failing grade on the assignment, and a second offense means you fail the class. If in doubt about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, or if stress is causing you to consider this route, please speak to one of us.
We are committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are avai= lable for students with documented disabilities.= Please meet with the Associate Dean of Students, Lisa Landreman, who will serve as the coordinator for services for students with disabilities. = It is important to meet with her at the beginning of the semester to ensure th= at your accommodations are approved and in place to begin the semester successfully. The Associate D= ean can be reached in the Office of Student Affairs, 119 Weyerhaeuser, by phone= at 651-696-6220, or email llandrem@macalester.edu.
Water Science and Policy Course:
Preliminary course outline
Saturday Sept 5: Course Introduction
PART I: Water availabi=
lity
and demand
Thurs Sept 10: World water crisis and scarcity conc= erns
- F. Rijsberma= n. 2004. “Water Scarcity: Fact or Fiction” Colombo: IWMI.
Reading reflec= tion is due on Moodle by 9am.
Tues Sept 15: Groundwater vs surface water availabi= lity
Thurs Sept 17: Water, agriculture and energy
Tues Sept 22: Water laws, agencies and commissions =
Thurs Sept 24: Blue Lake wastewater treatment plant fieldtrip (8:15-11:45 am)
Tues Sept 29: Bottled water controversies
Thurs Oct 1: Quiz #1 (9:40-10:30) and Library Session (10:30-11:30)
Tues Oct 6: Nobel Conference fieldtrip to Gustavus Adol=
phus
College (8:15am - 1pm)
PART II: Su=
rface
and Ground Water – with focus on the Three Rivers
Thurs Oct 8: Introduction to River science
Friday Oct 9: Poster Fair in Olin Rice 3:30-5:30 pm
Sunday Oct 11: Sunrise River field trip 9 am - 4 pm (required)
Tues Oct 13: Sediment transport and flooding
Thurs Oct 15: Library session #2; Mayor’s forum at noon
Tues Oct 20: = Dams and river engineering (Jemma Brown - student guest speaker)
Thurs Oct 22: Introduction to groundwater resources
Tues Oct 27: Quiz #2
Thurs Oct 29: No
class FALL BREAK
Tues Nov 3: Ginny
Yingling, MDH (guest speaker) - Groundwater contamination and public
health issues
* River biography proposal due in clas=
s
Thurs Nov 5: Field Trip to St. Anthony Falls lab (9:30-=
12pm)
PART III: International
water conflicts and scenarios
Tues Nov 10: India
and anti-dam social movements
Thurs Nov 12: Chris
Sneddon (guest speaker) – Mekong River basin, Thailand
Tues Nov 17: South African water privatization debat=
es
Thurs Nov 19: Restoring
the Iraqi Marshlands
* Paper draft due in class
Tues Nov 24: Desalinization
and the Middle East -- Isreali/Palenstine conflict
Tues Dec 1=
: Australia drought and climate change
Thurs Dec 3: Water
as international commodity or human right
Tues Dec 8: Poster
sessions
Thurs Dec 10: Poster
sessions
Tues Dec 15: Quiz
#3 and course evaluations
* Final
paper due Thursday December 17 by noon in Roopali’s office