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Water in the Western United States
Beginner
Online
2 Weeks
2,699 INR Quick Facts
| Medium Of Instructions | Mode Of Learning | Mode Of Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| English | Self Study | Video and Text Based |
Courses and Certificate Fees
| Certificate Availability | Certificate Providing Authority |
|---|---|
| yes | Coursera |
The Syllabus
Videos
- Why Study Water in the West
- Important Things to Know About the Course
- Geography of the West
- Review of the Water Cycle (with a focus on the Western US)
Readings
- So You Want to Learn about Water?
- Water Footprint Activity
- [OPTIONAL] Atlas of the New West
- [OPTIONAL] Beyond the Hundreth Meridian
- [OPTIONAL] Climatic fluctuations, drought, and flow in the Colorado River Basin
Videos
- History and Development of Water in the West
- Native American Tribes and Water
- Water Storage and Delivery Infrastructure
- Prior Appropriation
- Interstate Water Conflicts and Agreements
- Environmental Flows and the Endangered Species Act
Readings
- [OPTIONAL] Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States
- [OPTIONAL] Colorado River Basin Ten Tribes Partnership Tribal Water Study
- [OPTIONAL] The Emerging Tribal Role in the Colorado River Basin
- [OPTIONAL] Suggestions for further reading
Practice Exercises
- History, Politics, and Culture Quiz
- Water Footprint Challenge Part 1
Videos
- Climate in the Western US and Water Resources
- Water Quality, Aquatic Habitat, and Drinking Water
- Groundwater Resources
- Watershed Impacts
- River and Flash Flooding
- Impacts of Climate Change in the Interior West
- Water Demand for Agriculture
- Water Demand for Urban Areas
Readings
- [OPTIONAL] Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwestern United States
- [OPTIONAL] Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation
- [OPTIONAL] Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study
- [OPTIONAL] Water to Supply the Land: Irrigated Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin
- [OPTIONAL] Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water
- [OPTIONAL] The twenty-first century Colorado River hot drought and implications for the future
- [OPTIONAL] When is Drought Not a Drought? Drought, Aridification, and the “New Normal”
- [OPTIONAL] Climate Change and the Colorado River: What We Already Know
- [OPTIONAL] New House, New Paradigm: A Model for How to Plan, Build, and Live Water-Smart
- [OPTIONAL] Understanding California’s Groundwater
Practice Exercises
- Hydrology, Water Demand, and Climate Quiz
- Water Footprint Challenge Part 2
Videos
- Geographic and Physical Overview of the Colorado River Basin
- History of Development of the Colorado River Basin
- Climate and the Colorado River Basin: Past, Present, and Future
- The Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study
- Physical Attributes of the Colorado River and Experimental Flows in the Grand Canyon
Readings
- [OPTIONAL] Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study
- [OPTIONAL] The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons
- [OPTIONAL] Water is For Fighting Over and Other Myths about Water in the West
- [OPTIONAL] Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West
- [OPTIONAL] Colorado River Drought Contingency Plans
- [OPTIONAL] West wrestles with Colorado River “grand bargain” as changing climate depletes water governed by 1922 compact
- [OPTIONAL] First-ever mandatory water cutbacks will kick in next year along the Colorado River
Practice Exercises
- Colorado River Basin Quiz
- Water Footprint Challenge Part 3
Videos
- A Growing Controversy: Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Supplies
- Understanding Water Quality Impacts: Boulder Creek Case Study
- Science, Management, and Reality: The Story of the California Bay Delta
- Doing More With Less: Water Conservation and New Supplies in Las Vegas
- A Collision of Impacts: The Water-Energy Nexus
- What Does the Future Hold?
Readings
- [OPTIONAL] EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources
- [OPTIONAL] The role of precipitation type, intensity, and spatial distribution in source water quality after wildfire
- [OPTIONAL] Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Historical Ecology Investigation: Exploring Pattern and Process
- [OPTIONAL] Freshwater Use by U.S. Power Plants
- [OPTIONAL] Conservation Oriented Rate Structures
- [OPTIONAL] Third Intake Documentary
Practice Exercise
- Controversial and Complex Topics Quiz