In this project, current meters, portable water laboratories, and well monitoring equipment are being used to enhance student experiences in undergraduate hydrology. Within 5 years, the project may benefit over 125 students in environmental science and earth and space science education. This curriculum improvement is providing students with important experience in collecting and interpreting hydrologic data, using the data in decision-making processes, and communicating technical information in practical writings. The final course project is to characterize streams draining areas of variable land-use and geology in a small drainage basin near the campus. Student teams design a study, collect data, and interpret results, their goal being to determine major factors that influence the quality of surface and ground waters in the basin. Results can be communicated in the form of poster sessions and briefings. With diverse backgrounds in biology, earth science, and geography, each student can contribute a unique set of skills and knowledge to the team effort. These laboratory experiences are of particular importance to the preparation of pre-service teachers. Learning exercises in environmental hydrology will provide training in both scientific content and the process of scientific investigation that will serve these students throughout their teaching careers.
