Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The minor emphasizes one of three areas of study: irrigation, water policy, or watershed management. In California, approximately 40% of available water is used for agriculture including crop irrigation, 50% for environmental purposes, and 10% for urban use (CA Water Plan). Irrigation water use and management have tremendous impacts upon ground water quality, power usage, crop yields, surface water supplies and quality, drainage problems, and water availability for transfer to urban uses. For students interested in environmental assessment and protection of water resources, the watershed management and policy areas provide land use planning and management skills for meeting water regulations and law. For students wanting background in water resources the Water Science minor provides marketable skills.
Program Learning Objectives
- Describe the current state of California and global water resources.
- Compare human water needs for urban uses such as hygiene and landscape, agricultural uses such as food and fiber, and environmental uses such as fish and riparian habitat.
- Contrast different types of water rights in California.
- Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate concepts of water use and policy.
Minor Requirements and Curriculum
The minor must be completed prior to, or at the same time as, the requirements for the bachelor's degree. A major and a minor may not be taken in the same degree program, and a minor is not required for a degree. Requirements for the minor include:
- At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
- At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
- No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
- A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| BRAE 3340 | Irrigation Water Management | 3 |
| CRP/NR 4408 | Water Resource Law and Policy | 4 |
| SS 1120 | Introductory Soil Science | 4 |
| Emphasis Areas | ||
| Select one of the following emphasis areas: 1 | 12-13 | |
| Irrigation | ||
| Engineering Surveying | ||
| Water for a Sustainable Society | ||
| Agricultural Irrigation Systems | ||
| Water Pumps and Wells | ||
| Irrigation Project Design | ||
| Water Policy | ||
| Leadership Seminar on Issues Affecting California Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources | ||
| Agricultural Policy | ||
| Advanced Agricultural Policy | ||
| Water for a Sustainable Society | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Watershed Processes and Management and Watershed Processes and Management Laboratory | ||
| Wetlands | ||
| Senior Project - Environmental Policy Analysis | ||
| World Food Systems | ||
| Public Policy and Administration | ||
| Watershed Management | ||
| Soil Erosion and Water Conservation | ||
| Applied Groundwater Hydrology | ||
| Applied Environmental Contaminant Transport | ||
| Natural Resource Ecology and Habitat Management | ||
| Watershed Processes and Management and Watershed Processes and Management Laboratory | ||
| Wetlands | ||
| Forest and Range Soils | ||
| Total Units | 23 | |
- 1
Additional prerequisites may be needed to complete this requirement.