The purpose of this class is to introduce students to measurement and monitoring equipment and techniques commonly used in the design and analysis of hydrologic systems. This course is primarily a lab-based course. In this project, the students worked with The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), in collaboration with local stakeholders and project partners, who is developing a Section 319 Nonpoint Source Watershed Management Plan for Halfmoon Creek by June 2020. The plan will encompass a restoration plan with a long-term goal of getting Halfmoon Creek delisted as an impaired stream. Monitoring the surface water quality and streamflow of the creek will be essential for tracking incremental milestones of the restoration plan we develop, and therefore, beginning monitoring before implementation of the plan occurs is critical to establish a baseline. CBF, project partners, and the local community will greatly benefit from the data that students will collect and analyze, as it will contribute to an inventory of baseline data and can later be compared to future monitoring data as more and more projects get implemented and conservation practices get adopted throughout the watershed. The data will also give a greater understanding of the current conditions of Halfmoon Creek and the watershed.
Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Michael L. Hile, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator and Adviser for the ERM program
mlh144@psu.edu
814-865-6942