Term Projects for "Hydrology for Planners" and "Restoration of Rivers & Streams"

Two water resources-related courses in the Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning -- Hydrology for Planners (LA222) and Restoration of Rivers & Streams (LA227) -- require students to conduct independent research projects. Both courses are taught by Professor Matt Kondolf. All past term projects for these two courses are part of the permanent collection of the UC Water Resources Center Archives (WRCA), where hard copies are available for viewing. The papers are individually cataloged in UC's Melvyl® catalog. Electronic versions of most papers completed since 2003 are available online in WRCA's eScholarship repository. Complete indexes of these two collections are available in online finding aids: LA222 and LA227. Professor Kondolf also hosts annual symposia for the presentation of the term projects produced from these courses. These symposia are open to the public. Programs for past and upcoming symposia are available below. Symposia programs: California Water Symposium (Hydrology for Planners, LA222):   »First (2004) program.   »Second (2005) program.   »Third (2006) program.   »Fourth (2008) program. Berkeley River Restoration Symposium (Restoration of Rivers and Streams, LA227):   »First (2003) program not available.   »Second (2004) program.   »Third (2005) program.   »Fourth (2006) program.   »Fifth (2007) program.   »Sixth (2008) program. About the courses: Hydrology for Planners (LA 222) This course has been offered annually since 1973, when Luna Leopold introduced the course to the Berkeley campus. This graduate-level course, taught by Associate Professor Matt Kondolf, presents an overview of relevant hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic processes, to provide the planner, ecologist, architect, and environmental scientist with insight sufficient to coordinate with technical specialists in the field of hydrology. The course also reviews relevant regulations and policies, and presents case studies illustrating hydrologic principles and measurement methods. The course is not intended to duplicate more specialized courses offered in such fields as engineering hydrology, coastal engineering, or geology, but rather to provide an integrated overview. The course takes a process- and field-based approach to hydrology, and emphasizes interdisciplinary perspectives. After eight field and laboratory exercises presenting methods in the field, the students undertake a substantial independent term project involving original research. Restoration of Rivers and Streams (LA 227) Taught since 1992 (one of the longest-running courses devoted to river restoration at a major research university), this course emphasizes understanding of underlying goals and assumptions of restoration and integration of science into restoration planning and design. Students review restoration plans and evaluate completed projects. In addition to lectures and discussions by the instructor, students, and an extraordinary set of guest lecturers drawn from the active restoration community, the principal course requirement is an independent term project involving original research.