Field Problems is a 4-credit, intensive, field-themed methods course based on watershed assessment and monitoring.

The watershed assessment includes aspects of biological monitoring, hydrology, and chemistry. The first half of the course is focused on general stream monitoring methods and centered on learning about field methods and instrumentation, coupled with short field trips to practice techniques.  The class will be divided into groups of students who focus on biology, chemistry, or hydrology components who will then teach the rest of the class about their expertise and components throughout the semester.

The second half of the course is all about the data collected from two local stream sites (Las Huertas Creek in the northern Sandia Mountains and East Fork of the Jemez River, Valles Calderta National Preserve) during longer field days. Get muddy! Those data become the basis for the final class projects.  Students will develop a class watershed monitoring paper and presentation based on the expertise they gain through their field and classroom experiences. Students will learn methods, analyze data, and synthesize data to make recommendations related to watershed assessment.  The course will conclude with a group public presentation highlighting the results of the class.  

Data collected at Las Huertas Creek and the Jemez River are deposited in Dryad and publicly available.

2022 data

2023 data

2024 data

For questions about the course or data, contact Dr. Becky Bixby (bbixby@unm.edu) and Dr. Gerhard Schoener (GSchoener@sscafca.com).