Sustainable Water in a Wet Region

Course Description

Participate in a University of Washington Summer Field Course jointly sponsored by the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and taught by UW faculty. The course was developed as part of the UW Freshwater Initiative.

Water is all connected – whether flowing through a mountain stream or through wastewater treatment plant for reuse. Creating long-term sustainable systems requires that scientist and engineers understand how each of these water systems work. This unique course that bring the full breadth of water all together through first-hand experiences being on the water, and visiting engineered water facilities throughout the Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands.

The value of water is recognized world-wide. Even in wet regions, such as the Pacific Northwest, sustainable strategies must recognize the inter-connections among water resource, drinking water, and wastewater. This course examines the intersection of these three water engineering sectors with a focus on environmental implications of climate change predictions for temperate rain forest and wet forest regions, using the Pacific Northwest as an observational “laboratory.” These intersections will be examined at differing scales (state, city and small town) and from multiple cultural perspectives by studying.

• Integrated “One Water” Management including the influence of water use on water quality at multiple scales. (for an example, see here)
• Cultural values related to water, and the influence of tribal cultural views on water on local and regional water decisions,
• Impacts of human water use on shellfish beds and salmon runs,
• Basics of the ecosystem food chain and how water quality can impact/disrupt this,
• Wastewater and stormwater reuse to mitigate impacts of changing water supply and demands, and
• Treatment and control of combined sewer overflow and polluted stormwater.

Course Structure

• This is a field study course (i.e. away from campus and meetings times run all day). Learning is by seeing, hearing and experiencing.
• Hiking, plant tours, hands on, professional and expert speakers,  – focused on technical aspects of multiple perspecitves on water resources and technologies
• Offered jointly for students from University of Washington and Jordan University of Science and Technology. (an immersive international experience, at home…)
• Group travel from Seattle to multiple locations on the Olympic Peninsula.
• Immersion learning course – students are expected to participate in all activities – including weekends and evening, travel together, and group living for the duration of the course.
• Science Course: Section options available for all majors including environmental science with no pre-requisites and engineering technical elective.
• All levels (freshmen through graduate students).

Course Fees

The course activity fee is $1500. This is the true value of the items listed below (i.e. there is no mark up or sur-charge).

This cost includes:

• CAMP GROUND FEES and UW REMOTE CAMPUS DORMITORY FEES. This covers all the housing costs for the full length the field course.
• All required TRANSPORTATION, including leaving from Seattle Campus on the 1st day through return to Seattle Campus on the last day. Not included would be optional travel for evening recreation, such as an UBER into town in an evening.
• ENTRANCE FEES for ALL Program group field trips (including the National and State Park entrance fees, whale watching, river rafting, tree canopy climbing etc. – programming may vary by year)
• SOME MEALS (two group meals are included – one at a camp ground and one at a restuarant)

Additional Costs include:

• Summar A tuition
• Meals (shared campfire and kitchens available for cooking)
• Camping Gear (rental and group purchase options available)
• Personal souvenirs