BSE 5404: Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution
| Concentration: Credits: 3 graduate credits |
Description
Assessment and management of agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Precipitation, runoff, erosion, pollutant fate and transport, and best management practices. Application of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and water-quality standards.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Generalize the CleanWater Act and explain how it relates to NPS pollution issues.
- Identify the major program and regulatory requirements of federal and state Total Maximum Load (TMDL) programs.
- Interpret water quality standards, use attainability analysis, and apply them to the TMDL process.
- Illustrate the major components of the hydrologic cycle and discuss how they influence NPS pollution.
- Recognize and explain the major chemical, physical, and biological processes affecting the rate and transport of nutrients, sediments, pesticides and other pollutants to surface and groundwater.
- Describe the principal components and requirements of a watershed management plan.
- Discuss the benefits and limitations of conventionally used best management practices (BMPs) for NPS pollution control.
- Develop an NPS pollution control plan for a arm, agricultural watershed, or urban development using appropriate BMPs.
- Estimate NPS pollution loads and effectiveness of BMPs using simple modeling techniques.
- Describe monitoring system requirements for NPS pollution assessment.
Prerequisites and Corequisites
Background in physical, chemical, biological, and soil factors that affect the environment.
Instructor(s)