ERM 327Soil and Water Resource Management

3 credits · Environmental Resource Management · Penn State

This course equips students with the ability to understand land measurements, mapping, soils, hydrology, channel flow, erosion control techniques with emphasis on RUSLE2, subsurface drainage techniques, and water impoundments for use in storing water, managing stormwater, and capturing suspended sediment. The class concludes with a 3-week section on irrigation, which teaches water needs and pipe flow. Basic hydrology is presented using both the Soil-Cover-Complex and Rational Methods. Manning's equation is developed and discussed for use in understanding flow in open channels. The various components of the RUSLE2 soil erosion model are presented with emphasis in agricultural erosion. Irrigation is taught from both a supplemental agricultural and environmental perspective.