Week 1: Course Introduction, And Water As A Substance

SYLLABUS for GSD 6333: Water, Aquatic Ecology, and Land-Water Linkages Spring, 2011

Class Meetings: Monday and Thursday 8:30-10:00 AM, 505 Gund Hall

Instructors: Betsy A. Colburn and Tim Dekker GSD Office: 405 Gund Hall Office hours: Mondays 10 AM - 11 AM, Thursdays 10 AM -1 PM; other hours by appointment email: [email protected], [email protected] Phone: Monday, Thursday: 617-496-1248 (before class and during office hours only) Monday afternoon, Wednesday, and Friday: 978-756-6180

Objectives and Outcomes

This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of water, land-water interactions, and aquatic ecosystems that will

 inform their professional approaches to landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, and architecture, and  contribute to protecting, improving, restoring, and sustaining water resources.

Topics Covered

This course looks at water across the globe in relation to (1) aquatic ecology, (2) land-water interactions, emphasizing hydrology and water quality, and (3) human activities, including design questions. Each of these three aspects is covered in all parts of the course, although the emphasis shifts among them.

The course is organized broadly into four parts. Topics are covered from local to continental scales and are illustrated with examples and case studies from around the world.

Part 1: Background information and a broad overview of the subject, including the importance and values of water, physical and chemical characteristics, ecological concepts, ecosystem services, human impacts, and design approaches to sustainable water- resources management and the maintenance of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Part 2: Aquatic ecosystems (flowing waters, lakes and ponds, temporary waters, shorelines and riparian areas, inland and coastal wetlands, and nearshore coastal waters); their plant and animal communities; their connections with each other; their relationships with the terrestrial landscape and land uses, including the built environment and natural areas; and design considerations for aquatic habitat protection, restoration, and creation. Part 3: Land-Water Interactions: Watersheds; precipitation; land use and the hydrologic cycle; groundwater-surface water interactions; water withdrawals; surface hydrology, hydraulics, and geomorphology; hydrologic calculations for estimating runoff and groundwater flow; water quality issues; and design approaches to managing infiltration and runoff. Part 4: Special topics: Student project presentations.

Course Format

This is primarily a lecture course, but class time will also be spent in discussions of readings, practical hands-on exercises in hydrological analysis and site evaluation, and student presentations. A weekend field trip in early spring will compare urbanized and less heavily impacted aquatic habitats.

Summary of Class Schedule

Jan. 24: Introduction Jan. 27: Core Concepts in Aquatic Ecology and Water Resources Jan. 31: Ecosystem Services; Short Exercise #1 Due, Class Discussion of exercise findings Feb. 3: Lakes and Ponds Feb. 7: Temporary waters, and Inland Wetlands 1 Feb. 10: Inland Wetlands 2; Short Exercise #2 Due Feb. 14: Inland Wetlands 3 (Guest Lecturer) Feb. 17: Coastal Wetlands and Near-Coastal Waters; Quiz #1 available online Feb. 21: Stream systems 1: Introduction to Stream Ecosystems and Headwaters; RiverWebs film Feb. 24: Stream systems 2: The River Continuum, headwaters to the sea; Quiz #1 Due Feb. 28: Stream systems 3: Large River Systems and floodplains Mar. 3: Stream systems 4: Streams in Disturbed Landscapes (Tim Dekker); Quiz #2 online Mar. 7: Land-Water Interactions 1: Hydrologic cycle--Watersheds, and Precipitation Mar. 10: Land-Water Interactions 2: Hydrologic Cycle--Interception and Evapotranspiration, Infiltration; Project Topics Due by end of day, Friday Mar. 11 (see p. 19) Mar. 14 & 17 – No Class, Spring Break Mar. 21: Land-Water Interactions 3: Hydrologic Cycle—Groundwater: Infiltration and flow Mar. 24: Land-Water Interactions 4: Hydrologic Cycle—Groundwater flow, monitoring wells, wells, recharge, saltwater intrusion; Short Exercise #3 Due (see p. 18); Quiz #2 Due by end of Day Friday, Mar. 25 Mar. 28: Land-Water Interactions 5: Hydrologic Cycle – Runoff and Transport Mar. 31: Land-Water Interactions 6: Hydrologic Cycle – Stormwater BMPs, Low Impact Development, Green Designs (Tim Dekker) Apr. 4: Land-Water Interactions 7: Hydrologic Cycle – In-Class Hands-on Exercises and Hydrologic Calculations for runoff and groundwater flow; Quiz 3 posted online Apr. 7: Measuring Ecological Impacts – physical and chemical conditions, diversity indices, EPT, functional feeding groups, reference condition analysis Apr. 9, 10 – Field Trip Apr. 12: No class, or special session filling in on topics of interest Apr. 14: Pulling it all together: Scale considerations, legal and regulatory issues, restoration opportunities and the design team (Tim Dekker); Quiz #3 due Apr. 18, 21, 25: Special Topics and Student Presentations MAY 6: Last Day to Turn in Papers

2 Readings

For each lecture topic, required background readings are listed, along with optional supplemental readings that will provide additional background information. Required readings are in Dunne and Leopold, a variety of texts that are on reserve in the Loeb Library, and in articles and other materials that are available online. The List of Resources for GSD 6333 provides a comprehensive list of the reserve texts, additional books that may be of interest, and a wide variety of articles, manuals, and other resources. These are resources that should be of use to you not only for this class, but after you have left the GSD and are working in the field. Many of them are available online, and website addresses are listed for these. Listed journal articles are generally available online through the Harvard library system.

The Resources List also includes background information on journals, manuals, and websites that can serve as valuable resources for current and future work you may undertake involving water resources.

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course, but we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you get a copy of Dunne and Leopold, Water in Environmental Planning. Published in 1978, this book remains the best available overall text presenting an overview of hydrology and water concepts as related to planning and design. It can be found new for just over $100, but used copies in good condition are available for $30-50. Readings in this book serve as background to many of the lectures in this course.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on attendance (25 points), performance on three short (2-page) written assignments and 3 quizzes (10 points each), and an oral presentation (15 points) and final paper (30 points) on a research topic or design problem of interest to the student. Short assignments or quizzes will be due, on average, every two weeks. Content and presentation, including spelling and grammar, count. (See pp. 17-20 for more information.)

3 Detailed Course Schedule

Part 1: Introduction and Core Concepts in Aquatic Ecology and Water Resources Weeks 1 and 2, Classes 1-3

January 24 (Class 1):

Introductions, Course Overview and Logistics

Lecture: The Importance and Nature of Water - water and life - water and human society - water and the land - water as a substance: physical and chemical characteristics - global distribution of water - water issues, challenges, and opportunities

Background Readings: Specter, Michael. 2006. “The Last Drop.” The New Yorker October 23, 2006: 61-71. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/23/061023fa_fact1 Gleick, Peter. 2006. The World’s Water, 2004-2005. Chapter 1. The UN Millennium Development Goals for Water: Crucial Objectives, Inadequate Commitments. http://www.worldwater.org/2004-2005.html. Gleick, Peter. 2008. The World’s Water, 2008-2009. Forward (pp. xi-xii), Introduction (pp. xv-xvii), Chapter 1 “PeakWater,”Tables and select text. http://www.worldwater.org/data.html Martin, James. 2006. The Meaning of the 21st Century. (74-page slideshow – quick view) http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/podcast/04 martin .pdf Dunne and Leopold: Chapters 1 (case studies), 19 (sediment load and heat), 20 (chemical characteristics of water) Foundation for Deep Ecology, “Deep Ecology Platform.” http://www.deepecology.org/platform.htm

Optional Supplemental Readings (See Resources for GSD 6333 for complete citations): Allan: Chapter 2, pp. 23-36 (water chemistry) OR Warren: Chapter 5 (physical and chemical environment of water) Cole: Chapters 7 pp 155-172 (stream ecology), 8-14 (physical and chemical limnology) Postel and Richter (humans and water, water crisis) Leopold 1994 or 1997, or Leopold and Langbein 1960

4 January 27 (Class 2):

Lecture: Core Concepts in Aquatic Ecology and Water Resources Management - types of aquatic habitats – landscape patterns, mosaics, and connectivity - aquatic biota and communities - factors affecting the distribution and abundance of organisms in surface waters - energy flows and ecosystem processes - impacts of human activities; impact prevention, mitigation, removal - deep ecology platform and sustainability - bioassessment and biomonitoring

Background Readings Dunne and Leopold: Chapter 21 (stream biota and ecosystem health) Wagner et al: Chapter 2 (urban aquatic habitats introduction) (on reserve) Allan: Chapter 2, pp 36-43 (chemistry and biota); Chapter 3 (physical factors and biota) OR Cole: Chapters 3 and 4 (freshwater communities, ecosystems and energy flow)

Optional Supplemental Readings (see Supplemental Sources): Allan: Chapter 11 (ecological concepts) Caduto: Chapters 1 and 2 (character and behavior of water, freshwater ecology) Merritt and Cummins: Chapters 4-7 (aquatic insects: respiration, life history, ecology, use in biomonitoring) Voshell, pp. 17-76 (aquatic invertebrates, aquatic ecology) Warren: Chapters 4 (pollution biology), 6 (kinds of pollution), 7-9 (morphology and physiology of biota in relation to habitat variables)

January 31 (Class 3): Short Assignment #1 due. (see p. 17)

Class Discussion: Key research topics in Aquatic Ecology; relevance to LA and design

Discussion Readings: See instructions for Short Assignment #1, p. 16.**

Lecture: Ecosystem Services provided by Aquatic Systems: (1) Mangrove Wetlands (2) A Case Study from Puerto Rico - Ecosystem Services: municipal water supply, commercial and recreational fisheries, swimming, aesthetics, tourism, biodiversity, coastal fishery - Issues: dams, sedimentation, degraded water quality, barriers to migration of fish and shrimp, roads, landslides, headwater streams, leaf decomposition, altered carbon exports to coastal waters, rainfall patterns, urban heat island effect - Mitigation options

Background Readings:

5 Robin Kundis Craig. 2008. Justice Kennedy and ecosystem services: a functional approach to Clean Water Act jurisdiction after Rapanos. Environmental Law 38(3): 635-666 http://works.bepress.com/robin_craig/3 Robert Constanza et al., 1997. The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387: 253-260. http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/Nature_Paper.pdf Ecological Society of America. 2000. Ecosystem Services. 2-page information sheet. http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/ ecosystemservices .pdf

Optional Supplemental Reading: James G. March et al. 2003. Damming tropical streams: problems, solutions, and alternatives. Bioscience 53(11): 1069-1078.

Part 2: Aquatic Ecosystems

Weeks 2-6, Classes 4 - 12

February 3 (Class 4):

Lecture: Lakes and Ponds - Lakes: definitions - origins and evolution - lake basins - ecosystem processes - biota - light, temperature, oxygen - seasonal cycles - zones and biotic communities - ecosystem processes - land-water subsidies - watershed issues: water levels and erosion, pollution, eutrophication, aquatic “weeds” - ecosystem services - Ponds: farm ponds and aquaculture - pond creation and management - temporary waters – habitat, biota, conservation and design issues

Background Readings: Caduto: Chapter 3 (ponds); Chapter 4 (lakes) OR Cole: Çhapters 2 and 3 (lake habitats and biota); Pielou: Chapter 7 (lakes) Schueler, Tom and Jon Simpson. 2001. Why urban lakes are different. Urban Lake Management 3(4): 747-750

Optional Supplemental Reading: Additional articles on urban lake management from 2001 Urban Lake Symposium at http://www.cwp.org/Resource_Library/Special_Resource_Management/other.htm - 1 Readings as desired in Wetzel 6 NZ Ministry for the Environment 2002: Lake Manager’s Handbook, Land-Water Interactions (skim for general sense of issues and topics) (manual available online) NRCS 2006. Farm Pond Ecosystems. February 7:

Lecture: Temporary Waters: Northeastern Vernal Pools - temporary waters across the globe - vernal pools defined - origins - hydrology - plants and substrate - seasonal cycles and energetics - fauna and their life cycles and adaptations - land-water interdependence - conservation issues and options - creating vernal pool habitat

Background Readings: Elizabeth A. Colburn. 2008. Temporary Waters. pp. 3516-3527 In: S.E. Jorgenson (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Ecology. Elsevier. pdf in Course Documents folder, iCommons site Massachusetts Audubon Society: PondWatchers laminated information and identification sheet. On reserve at Loeb Library Biebighauser, Thomas A. 2003. A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds. USDA Forest Service. 37 pp. (Vernal Pond Creation Manual, available online – look through for general concepts) http://www.fs.fed.us/outdoors/naturewatch/resources/Creating- Vernal-Ponds.pdf

Optional Supplemental Reading: You may want to read selectively or extensively in any of the following (books listed below are available at the Museum for Comparative Zoology Library; scientific papers available online through the Harvard libraries): Calhoun and deMaynadier (Eds.) 2008 Colburn 2004 Glenn B. Wiggins et al. 1980. Evolutionary and. ecological strategies of animals in annual temporary pools. Archives of Hydrobiology Supplement 58: 97– 206 Williams DD. 1996. Environmental constraints in temporary fresh waters and their consequences for the insect fauna. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 15: 634–650. Williams 2006 Zedler 1987 Information on California vernal pools: see http://www.vernalpools.org/

February 7 and February 10 (Classes 5&6): Short Exercise #2 due Feb 10 (see p. 18)

Lectures: Inland Wetlands 1 & 2 - hydrology - soils and vegetation 7 - ecosystem function and ecosystem services - wetland classification – Cowardin method, hydrogeomorphic (HGM) method, RAMSAR convention - forested wetlands and shrub swamps - peatlands - meadows and marshes - nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in wetland soils - wetlands management – wildlife habitat - considerations in wetlands creation and restoration

Background Readings: Caduto: Chapter 6 (wetlands) Cowardin et al. 1978. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. (skim) http:// www.charttiff.com/pub/ Wetland Maps/ Cowardin .pdf or http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wetlands/classwet/index.htm Mitsch and Gosselink: Part I (wetlands science, definitions, types, and distributions)

Optional Supplemental Readings: Ehrenfeld, Joan G. 2000. Evaluating wetlands within an urban context. Urban Ecosystems 4: 69-85 Mitch and Gosselink: Parts II, IV Pielou: Chapter 10 (wetlands)

February 14 (Class 7)

Lecture: Inland Wetlands 3 – Guest Lecture by Ingeborg Hegemann, BSC Group - wetlands regulation and management - wetlands creation and restoration

Background Readings: Mitsch and Gosselink: Part V Additional materials may be provided by guest lecturer

February 17 (Class 8): QUIZ #1 posted online

Lecture: Coastal wetlands and near-shore marine waters - coastal landforms, waves, and currents - salt marshes - mangroves - beaches and mud flats - salt ponds - estuaries and nearshore waters - coastal hypoxia - constructed wetlands for water quality protection 8 - salt marsh restoration case study

Background Readings: Mitch and Gosselink: Part III Boesch, Donald F. Boesch et al. 2001. Chesapeake Bay Eutrophication: Scientific Understanding, Ecosystem Restoration, and Challenges for Agriculture. Journal of Environmental Quality 30: 303-320

Optional Supplemental Readings: Stout, J. P. 1984. The ecology of irregularly flooded salt marshes of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: a community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biol. Report 85(7.1) Teal, J. M. 1986. The ecology of regularly flooded salt marshes of New England: a community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 85(7.4). 61 pp. Zedler, J. B. 2005. Ecological restoration: guidance from theory. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 3(2). http://escholarship.org/us/item/707064n0 Zedler, J. B. and J. C. Callaway. 1999. Tracking wetland restoration: Do mitigation sites follow desired trajectories. Restoration Ecology 7: 69-73. Zedler, J. B. and J. C. Callaway. 2000. Evaluating the progress of engineered tidal wetlands. Ecological Engineering 15: 211-225.

February 21 (Class 8):

Lecture: Streams 1: Introduction to stream systems; First half of RiverWebs film to introduce stream ecology - drainage networks - stream profiles - instream habitats - overview of stream biota and their adaptation to current, substrate, seasonal cycles - characteristics and ecology of headwater streams - land-water interdependence

Background Readings: Dunne and Leopold: Chapter 14 (drainage basins) Caduto: Chapter 5 (streams) Meyer, Judith and J. Bruce Wallace. 2001. Lost linkages and lotic ecology: rediscovering small streams. pp. 295-317 In: Malcolm C. Press, Nancy J. Huntly, and Simon Levin (Eds.) Ecology: Achievement and Challenge, Blackwell Science Publishers. (copy posted in course icommons site)

Optional Supplemental Readings: Cole: Chapter 7 (streams) Dunne and Leopold: Chapter 16 (stream channels) Allan: broad reading in chapters 4-13 (stream ecology) Pielou: Chapter 5 (streams)

9 February 24 (Class 9): QUIZ#1 due

Lecture: Stream systems 2: The River continuum, headwaters to the sea - Substrate, current, and temperature – the work of streams - Woody debris, allochthonous carbon (i.e., energy subsidies from the land – leaves and detritus), and stream subsidies of terrestrial systems - Headwater-coastal connectivity – migrants, nutrients, energy, transport processes - River Continuum Concept, Land-water subsidies, Landscape-scale approaches to conservation of aquatic biodiversity

Background Readings: Judith Meyer et al. 2003. Where Rivers are Born: The Scientific Imperative for Defending Small Streams and Wetlands. American Rivers and Sierra Club.

Optional Supplemental Readings: Robin I. Vanotte et al. 1980. The river continuum concept. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 37: 130-137 Fausch et al. 2002. Landscapes to riverscapes: bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes. Bioscience 52(6): 483-498 Mary F. Willson et al. 1998. Fishes and the forest: expanding perspectives on fish-wildlife interactions. Bioscience 48(6): 455-462 Needham 1969 (1938) (MCZ Library)

February 28 (Class 11)

Lecture: Stream systems 3: Large Rivers and Floodplains - headwaters to the sea – the lower reaches - effects of urbanization on streams; some considerations for design and monitoring - annual cycles - river-floodplain interactions - Danube River floodplain restoration case study - stream crossings

Background Readings: Peter B. Bayley. 1995. Understanding large river-floodplain systems. Bioscience 45(3): 153-158. Michael E. McLain and Robert J. Naiman. 2008. Andean influences on the biogeochemistry and ecology of the Amazon River. Bioscience 58(4): 325-338. Eugene Turner and Nancy N. Rabelais. 2003. Linking landscape and water quality in the Mississippi River Basin for 200 years. Bioscience 53(6): 563-572.

Optional Supplemental Reading: Pielou: Chapter 6 (rivers at work) 10 March 3 (Class 12) QUIZ#2 posted online

Lecture: Streams in Disturbed Landscapes (Tim Dekker) - hydrology - geomorphology - sediment load - flood risk and management - case studies

Background Readings for March 3 Allan: Chapter 14 (altered stream systems) Dunne and Leopold: Chapters 9, 10 and 16. Thorne, Colin R., et al. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology for River Engineering and Management. New York: Wiley. Chapter 1. Hauer, F. Richard and Gary A. Lamberti, Methods in Stream Ecology, Second Edition. (Section A: Physical Processes) Margaret A. Palmer and 22 others. Standards for ecologically successful river restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 208-217. Michael J. Paul and Judy L. Meyer. 2001. Streams in the urban landscape. Annual Reviews in Ecology and Systematics 32: 333-365. Wagner et al.: Chapters 1, 2, 4 (urban streams and restoration) Walsh, CJ et al. 2005. Stream restoration in urban catchments through redesigning stormwater systems: looking to the catchment to save the stream. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 24(3): 690–705 Special issue on urban streams, J. of N. Amer. Benthological Society, December, 2009

Optional Supplemental Readings: Bedient and Huber, Hydrology and Floodplain Analysis (Chapter 6) Kondolf, G.M. 1997. Hungry water: effects of dams and river mining on river channels. Environmental Management 21, 533-551. Julien, P. 1998. Erosion and Sedimentation. Cambridge University Press: New York. Reisner, Marc. 1993. Cadillac Desert. New York: Penguin Books. Emily Bernhardt and 24 others. 2005. Synthesizing U.S. River Restoration Efforts. Science 308: 636-637. Judith L. Meyer, Michael J. Paul, and W.K. Taulbee. 2003a. Small streams in large cities: neglected links in urban river networks. Judith L. Meyer, M.J. Paul and W.K. Taulbee. 2003b. Stream ecosystem function in urbanizing landscapes. J. of the North American Benthological Society 24:602-612. Pielou: Chapter 9 (dams, diversions, and reservoirs) David Dudgeon. 2000. The ecology of tropical Asian rivers and streams in relation to biodiversity conservation. Annual Reviews in Ecology and Systematics 31: 239-263 Marcus Sheaves, Nguyen Juu Duc, and Nguyen Xuan Khoa. 2008. Ecological attributes of a tropical river basin vulnerable to the impacts of clustered hydropower developments. Marine and Freshwater Research 59: 971-986 11 Singler and Grabler 2005 (road crossing manual, available online) Jiongxin Xu. 1993. A study of long term environmental effects of river regulation on the Yellow River of China in historical perspective. Geografiska Annaler 75A: 61-72 Part 3: Land-Water Interactions

Weeks 7-10, Classes 13 - 20

March 7 (Class 13)

Lecture: The Hydrologic Cycle 1 – Watersheds and Precipitation - Hydrologic Cycle and water budget/water balance equation - watersheds and their delineation - precipitation - storm frequency and intensity - the “design storm”

Background Readings: Allan: Chapter 1, pp. 1-12 (hydrologic cycle) Dingman (1994 or 2008 edition): Chapters 3, global water cycle MA DEP Stormwater manual Chapter 2, water cycle

Optional supplemental Reading: Dunne and Leopold Chapter 2 (precipitation), Chapter 8 (water balance)

March 10 (Class 14): Project Topic due (may be submitted Friday if necessary) (see p. 19)

Lecture: The Hydrologic Cycle 2 – Interception, Soil Water, and Evapotranspiration - interception - soils and soil water - evaporation and transpiration - the role of plants

Background Readings: Dunne and Leopold: Chapters 3 and 6 (interception, soil water)

Optional Supplemental Readings: Pielou: Chapter 4 (soil water)

* * * * * * * March 14, 17 – No Classes, Spring Break * * * * * * *

March 21 (Class 15):

Lecture: The Hydrologic Cycle 3 – Groundwater - Infiltration and its importance in site design and mitigation

12 - Groundwater recharge, flow, and discharge; Darcy’s law; effects of land use and geology; piezometers; importance in site design and mitigation - Estimating direction of groundwater flow - Groundwater fluctuations and links to surface waters

Background Readings: Dunne and Leopold: Chapter 7 (groundwater)

Optional Supplemental Readings: Dingman (1994 or 2008 edition): Chapter 8, groundwater-surface water relations Pielou: Chapters 1-3 (water cycle, groundwater) MA DEP: Chapter 8 (recharge) (hydrology manual, available online) Freeze and Cherry: Chapters 1 and 6 (groundwater introduction and hydrology) Leopold 1994 or 1997, or Leopold and Langbein 1960 (water cycle and groundwater) Mitsch and Gosselink: Chapter 4 (wetlands hydrology)

March 24 (Class 16) Exercise #3 due (see p. 18)

Lecture: The Hydrologic Cycle 4 -- Groundwater Hydrology, continued - Groundwater flow, aquifers, monitoring wells, groundwater withdrawals, saltwater intrusion

Background readings: James L. Deacon et al., 2007. Fueling population growth in Las Vegas: How large-scale groundwater withdrawal could burn regional biodiversity. Bioscience 57(8): http://faculty.unlv.edu/wjsmith/smithtest/Deacon.PDF W. John Roach et al. 2008. Unintended consequences of urbanization for aquatic systems: a case study from the Arizona desert. Bioscience 58(8): 715-727.

March 28 (Class 17):

Lecture: The Hydrologic Cycle 5 -- Surface Hydrology - surface runoff - stream hydrographs, base flow, peak flow, flow volume - factors influencing runoff - runoff in urban and disturbed vs. unaltered areas

Background Reading: Dunne and Leopold: Chapter 9 and Chapter 10, pp. 279-305 (runoff hydrology) Hirschman and Kosco. 2008: Chapter 4. (stormwater approach and criteria -- stormwater manual, available online) MA DEP: Chapter 4 (and 5-7) (runoff) (hydrology manual, available online)

Optional Supplemental Reading: Dingman: Chapter 9 (stream hydrographs) 13 March 31 (Class 18):

Lecture: Planning & Design for Sustainable Aquatic and Human Ecosystems (Tim Dekker) - Smart Growth - Green Infrastructure - Design of stormwater control and treatment systems - Stormwater BMPs, agricultural land management - Urban waterfront planning and redevelopment

Background Reading: Fujita, S. 1997. Measures to promote stormwater infiltration. Water, Science, and Technology 36(8-9): 289-293 MA DEP Hydrology manual US EPA. 2005. Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices. (manual available online) At least one of the stormwater manuals listed on page 2 of “Resources for GSD 6333” Wischmeier, W. H., and Smith, D. D. 1978. “Predicting Rainfall Erosion Losses: A Guide to Conservation Planning”. USDA Agriculture Handbook 537. U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service: Washington D. C. EPA Stormwater Management BMP Manuals: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/0/17090627a929f2a488256bdc007d8dee? OpenDocument USEPA Green Infrastructure Implementation Manuals: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/munichandbook.cfm USEPA Water Quality Scorecard Methodology: USEPA Pub 231B09001: Water Quality Scorecard: Incorporating Green Infrastructure Practices at the Municipal, Neighborhood, and Site Scales. http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/2009_1208_wq_scorecard.pdf

Optional Supplemental Reading: Readings as desired in France 2002

April 4 (Class 19): Quiz #3 Posted Online

In-class exercises: Hydrologic calculations and analysis: - variables used in estimating runoff - surface runoff using Rational Method and TR-55 methods

Background Reading: Dunne and Leopold: pp. 234-235, 251-254, 366-391 (hydrologic calculation exercises) MA DEP Appendix B (Rational method), Appendix C (TR-55 method) 14 Handouts (You may also want to refer directly to pertinent sections of USDA NRCS 1986. Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds – TR-55, hydrology manual, available online)

Optional Supplemental Readings: MA DEP Appendix D (TR-20 method)

April 7 (Class 20):

Lecture: Measuring ecological impacts in aquatic ecosystems - types of impacts - habitat analyses - water-quality monitoring - biological indicators - reference condition analysis - other approaches - Background Reading: Hauer and Lamberti 2006, Methods in Stream Ecology, Chapter 31,”Stream Macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality.” Handouts

Optional Supplemental Materials: Readings as desired in France 2002

April 9-10 Field Trip to survey created & natural waters in Central Massachusetts – see p. 20

April 11 (No Class) or else further coverage of specific topics of interest

April 14 (Class 22):

Lecture: Pulling it all together: Scale considerations, legal and regulatory issues, restoration opportunities and the design team. (Tim Dekker) - Scale considerations: restoration at the watershed, river, stream, and microhabitat scale - Value of complexity, across temporal and spatial scales - Legal and regulatory issues (Superfund overview, Clean water act) - Problems of jurisdictional overlap and conflict and role of a master developer. - Design teams and the role of the landscape architect as integrator

15 Part 5: Special Topics and Class Presentations

Weeks 12 and 13, Classes 23-25

April 18, 21, 25 (Classes 23-25)

Special Topics: Student presentations summarizing individual projects. (See p. 19 for additional information on projects and presentations)

Background Readings: to be assigned by speakers

May 10 – Last Date to Turn in Research Paper – earlier is better, if possible

Course Readings

For each major class topic, the syllabus lists a number of pertinent background readings. Those listed as Background Readings are intended to provide basic background to the lectures. All listed books and articles have been placed on reserve in the library, with the exception of some manuals and resources which are available online.

Some classes will include a discussion of a research paper, review, or case study pertinent to the current topic. Please read Discussion Readings before the class and be prepared with thoughts, questions, and insights to share with the rest of us. Discussions will generally be planned to take up about ½ hour of class time. Class participation will count for 15 points.

I have listed some Optional Supplemental Readings which provide additional information that you may find of interest if you would like to learn more about a particular topic. These sources are also on reserve in the library or available online.

In many cases, the background materials duplicate one another. I have indicated when you can select which source (s) to read. You should familiarize yourself with the major texts and determine which ones are best for you in terms of the way they are written, their approach, and their level of detail.

Some of the reference sources are highly technical, while others are more general in scope. It is up to you to determine the level of detail that will be useful to you. Many of the assigned background readings will contain some materials that you will probably want to skim, to obtain a general understanding rather than develop a detailed technical expertise. I do not expect you to obtain an engineer’s or scientist’s knowledge of the details of climatological analyses, hydrogeological measurements, engineering formulas and calculations, taxonomy of aquatic 16 biota, bioassessment methodologies, and other topics we will cover. You should become sufficiently familiar with basic concepts associated with all of these topics to be able (1) to explain them clearly and succinctly, and (2) to incorporate them into your thinking about specific land-use problems and design questions.

There are also many other books in the Harvard library system, as well as extensive resources available on-line, providing different perspectives and much more detailed information on the topics we are surveying as well as on other aspects of aquatic ecology, water resources management, hydrological analysis, and water-focused design issues.

A bibliography listing all recommended and optional reference texts and papers, additional references, as well as technical manuals and websites of potential interest, is provided separately in a document titled “Resources for GSD 6333,” posted on the course icommons website.

Hands-on Exercises

There are no labs associated with this course, but we will spend a lecture period in carrying out some basic hydrologic analyses. Materials for these exercises will be provided as handouts in advance of class.

Short Assignments

You will be expected to submit three short (two-page) written exercises for this course. One involves summarizing major topics of research in aquatic ecology; the second provides a report on a visit to the New England Aquarium and a specific organism, group of organisms, or ecosystem; and the third involves broadly delineating a watershed and identifying both source areas and ultimate receiving waters.

The short exercises will be graded on content and presentation. Treat each of them as if it were a response to a client’s request for information. Grammar and spelling count. Each exercise will be worth 10 points.

Short Exercise #1. Overview of key research topics in aquatic ecology. (Due January 31) From the list of professional Journals in Aquatic Ecology provided in the List of Resources for GSD 6333 (on the course icommons site), select two journals, and examine all of the articles in one-to-three recent issues (within the past five years) of each. (I recommend that you steer clear of special issues focusing on a single major topic.) You should read enough of each article to have a sense of the background justifying the research, the questions being asked, the results, and their broader implications – i.e., you will probably need to look at more than the title alone. Skimming the abstract may be sufficient, although you may find it useful – and interesting – in some cases to look at the introduction, and possibly the discussion, as well. The idea is to get a general sense of major research topics in aquatic ecology, rather than to conduct a detailed evaluation of each individual research study.

17 In the written summary, you should  identify the two journals, and the issues of each that you reviewed, and  provide a succinct overview of the contents, as follows.

Your summary should not exceed two (2) pages. 1. Classify the papers into groups, each based on an overarching common theme or topic that you think is useful for the classification. Make a list of these major topics, and identify the number of papers in each group from Journal 1 and Journal 2. How would you characterize each journal in terms of its content? Are the papers in both journals similar in terms of the major questions and concepts, or do they differ? 2. For each thematic group of papers, discuss the major concepts and questions driving the research. How do these concepts and questions contribute to your understanding of aquatic ecology and land-water interactions? What application do they have to design and planning? Are certain topics more pertinent than others? 3. Do the research findings of any of the papers give you ideas or suggest things that should be considered by landscape architects, architects, and planners? 4. Do you have any thoughts of how to improve communication between aquatic ecologists and architecture/design professionals?

Short Exercise #2. Visit to the NE Aquarium (Due February 10.)

Visit the New England Aquarium and explore the exhibits. Spend some time looking at exhibits on freshwater habitats and their life, and exhibits on coastal wetlands and nearshore waters. For the written exercise, choose an organism or group of organisms, or a habitat or aquatic ecosystem of particular interest and describe ecological aspects, conservation issues associated with human activities, and any thoughts you have about potential design opportunities in relation to the study organism or ecosystem. This exercise will be due on February 10.

Short Exercise #3. Watershed delineation (by hand) (Due March 24)

Choose your place of birth, a childhood home, your current residence, or the Harvard Forest’s Fisher Museum in Petersham, MA, and determine the following things about the watershed. You will need a topographic map of the local area, or another map that shows the surrounding area with topographic details including surface-water bodies. You will probably also need a larger map showing major rivers that flow to the ocean.

1. Identify the location, and show it on the map. 2. When water flows off the roof in rainstorms, what is the first water body to receive the surface flow? What path (approximately) does the roof water follow to get there? (If the building is in an area with a subsurface stormwater conveyance network, can you tell where the storm drains take the water? Where would the water flow if there were no storm drains?) 3. On the map, outline the watershed of the water body identified in step 2, up to the point where the water from the roof enters (i.e., where did the water in the water body originate?) 18 NOTE: If the initial receiving water is a large, mainstem river, it will probably not be practicable for you to delineate the entire watershed. In this case, follow the river upstream until you reach the upper end of one headwater tributary. 4. Where does water leaving the property ultimately discharge into the ocean (or a closed inland basin)? What is the path that it takes from the building to the final receiving water? Quizzes

There will be three short quizzes, designed to show you and us how well you understand major concepts, terms, and relationships discussed in the lectures and readings in the preceding weeks. The quizzes will be posted on the course website and will be due 4-10 days later, on February 21, March 25, and April 14. Each quiz will have 5-10 short-answer questions and will count 10 points. The quizzes will be take-home, to allow those with difficulty writing in English adequate time to compose answers to the questions. You will be asked to sign a statement that you have not consulted the internet or other sources while completing the exam.

Research Project/Paper

Each student will carry out a detailed investigation of a topic in aquatic ecology/land-water interactions that they find of interest. Each project should include aspects of aquatic ecology, land-water interactions, and design. A one-paragraph summary of the proposed topic is due March 10. The results of the investigation will be presented to the class in a 10-minute talk during the last two weeks of the term, and a final paper will be due not later than May 6. An abstract summarizing the project content should be provided with your talk and final paper.

Students are encouraged to turn in the paper earlier than the final deadline if possible, to allow me time to read the paper carefully and provide useful comments and feedback, as well as a thorough assessment for evaluation purposes.

Topics may fall into any of the following broad areas:

1. Aquatic Ecology – explore a concept (such as bioassessment of water quality, river continuum concept, land-water subsidies, others); a specific habitat or habitat type (e.g., large-river floodplains, mangrove wetlands, Cambodia’s Tonle Sap lake, others); or an aquatic organism or group of organisms.

2. Design – redo a design problem you have worked on in the past, with new attention to implications for aquatic ecosystems and aquatic life, and to ways to reduce impacts. Current Studio projects are not eligible. Consider the watershed, aquatic resources, hydrology, water quality, habitat issues, design and BMPs, including problems with the initial design and specific solutions. NOTE: For students re-designing studio projects, the final paper should include a copy of the original studio report, which will provide the background information. Your paper for this course should not duplicate the earlier work, but should rather present a brief overview of the problems to be addressed, issues with the original design, basis for making revisions, and the new solution(s).

19 3. Water and Planning – choose one of the case studies in Dunne and Leopold Chapter 1, bring the data up to date, and add the ecological context. Alternatively, choose a specific problem that relates to planning, research the problem, and discuss.

4. Other – research a problem in aquatic ecology, society, and water-sensitive design that you find of interest.

Field Trip (April 9 and 10)

A field trip to Central Massachusetts is scheduled for Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10. The main theme is ecological assessment of habitat quality and aquatic community integrity in urban and relatively undisturbed aquatic habitats. In the course of the trip, we will visit and sample aquatic life and habitat characteristics in relatively undisturbed vernal pools in a forested park in the city of Leominster. We will then compare our findings with those from some created vernal pools in the city of Worcester. We will also compare a recently day-lighted urban stream with a forest stream of similar size, to evaluate some of the common biological and habitat metrics used to evaluate water quality and impact of land uses. Activities will include habitat assessment, biological sampling, calculation of ecological monitoring metrics, and graphing of results. In addition to these comparisons, we will visit two forested wetlands and will examine soil cores in and adjacent to the wetlands to determine the boundary of the wetland (i.e., where soils are reduced vs. oxidized). We will stay overnight at the Harvard Forest in Petersham.