Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

SR268 is intended for majors and non-majors alike who are interested in water resources.  ESR268 Focuses on the water cycle, examining surface groundwater water processes and the connections between rivers, lakes, wetlands, and aquifers. It also examines the intersection of natural conditions and human uses by looking at the impacts of global climate change and land use changes on flooding, droughts, and pollution. 

Students are expected to be able to read and comprehend college-level science texts and perform basic mathematical operations in order to successfully complete this course.

Evolution Statement:

To clarify the teaching of evolution and its place in the classroom, the Portland Community College Science Departments stand by the following statements about what is science and how the theory of evolution is the major organizing theory in the discipline of the biological sciences. Science is a fundamentally nondogmatic and self-correcting investigatory process. In science, a theory is neither a guess, dogma, nor myth. The theories developed through scientific investigation are not decided in advance, but can be and often are modified and revised through observation and experimentation.

The theory of evolution meets the criteria of a scientific theory. In contrast, creation "science" is neither self-examining nor investigatory. Creation "science" is not considered a legitimate science, but a form of religious advocacy. This position is established by legal precedence (Webster v. New Lenox School District #122, 917 F. 2d 1004).

Science (ESR) instructors of Portland Community College will teach the theory of evolution not as absolute truth but as the most widely accepted scientific theory on the diversity of life. We, the Environmental Studies Subject Area Curriculum Committee at Portland Community College, therefore stand with such organizations as the National Association of Biology Teachers in opposing the inclusion of pseudo-sciences in our science curricula.

Upon successful completion of the class, students should be able to:

1. Analyze watershed and aquifer data to determine how precipitation, infiltration, runoff, streamflow, and groundwater flow influence water distribution.
2. Evaluate the effects of geology, climate, and human activity on water quantity and quality using numerical datasets from field, laboratory, and public sources.
3. Evaluate water-related issues, such as flooding, drought, contamination, and groundwater depletion, using evidence from observations, datasets, and case studies.
4. Connect hydrologic concepts to real-world community needs, sustainability challenges, and environmental hazards, showing how local issues link to regional and global systems.
5. Assess the role of hydrology and hydrogeology in resource management, policy, and workforce planning, considering historical, cultural, and ethical contexts.
6. Collect, represent, and interpret hydrologic and hydrogeologic data using topographic maps, hydrographs, groundwater contour maps, and GIS-based watershed boundaries.

The material in this course will be presented in a  lecture/discussion format accompanied by laboratory exercises. Other educationally sound methods may be employed such as guest lectures, field trips, research papers, presentations, and small group work.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will detail the methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course grade. The methods may include one or more of the following tools: examinations, quizzes, homework assignments, laboratory and field work write-ups, research papers, small group problem solving of questions arising from application of course concepts and concerns to actual experience, oral presentations, or maintenance of a personal work journal

1. Identify and describe the main parts of the hydrologic cycle and how water moves between them. 

2. Understand the physical and chemical properties of water and how they affect infiltration, runoff, storage, flow, and contamination. 

3. Measure precipitation and calculate snow-water equivalence.

4. Classify aquifers and groundwater systems based on porosity, permeability, and water table behavior. 

5. Explain how watersheds work and how precipitation, runoff, and groundwater flow are connected. 

6. Apply simple calculations (stream discharge, water budgets, Darcy’s Law) to real hydrologic situations. 

7. Evaluate problems such as flooding, drought, groundwater depletion, and contamination using hydrologic concepts.

8. Explain the effects of climate change on water resources and issues.

9. Discuss how hydrology and hydrogeology connect to sustainability and water resource management.

10. Describe the hydrogeology, major watersheds, and water sources of the PNW.

11. Understand the historical development of water rights in the Western US and their effect on current water use and laws.