Field Technician - Watershed Management Certificate

This program provides students with the concepts, methods, and applications of field work in watershed management and hydrology. Watershed program categories include the conservation of floodplains, invasive species, river restoration/bank stabilization and limiting nonpoint source pollutants.  Also, students will be prepared to perform basic tasks in hydrology, such as quality sample collection, data retrieval from stream gages, and surveying, by using standard fieldwork methods, and GIS field applications to collect, store and interpret data. Emphasis is on techniques in data collection by following industry protocols for proper collection of reliable data, and quality assurance procedures.   In addition to performing field work, the technicians will complete tasks such as compilation of review of collected data, database management, and data analysis, in collaboration with or in support of certified professionals.

Students who complete this program may get entry-level jobs as field technicians in in a multitude of job settings, in government, agencies, such as Fish and Wildlife, Water Resources, utility companies, and federal agencies including Environmental Protection, Geological Survey, and National Parks and private industry.

Based on current enrollments in a similar program at American River College, we expect around 8-10 students who will enroll and complete this program. 

One of the college’s missions is to train students for the workforce.  The purpose of this vocational certificate is to provide students with the knowledge and skills for employment as watershed management or water resource aide/technician positions in a variety of industries and settings, including private firms, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.   Students receive not only rigorous instruction in the theory and application of environmental sciences but also unique hands-on training in water resources conservation and management, preparing them for positions in environmental consulting and planning, water conservation, hydrological research, and other fields.

Our students will be prepared for drastic changes in the ways we manage our water resources, as water scarcity is becoming the new normal.  They will be well informed stewards and agents of change, who will manage, improve, and protect water resources, based on principles of sustainability and current research.

Yuba Water Agency offered Yuba College a grant, with the purpose to develop innovative programs and training in interdisciplinary fields of study that develop environmental literacy and employ principles of sustainability in the day-to-day use of natural resources in general and water resources in particular. Water scarcity is an ongoing problem in California. Water continues to shape the state’s development and no resource is as vital to California’s urban centers, farms, industry, recreation, and environmental preservation. Environmental Education increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provides the program participants with the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions.

The certificate in Watershed Management provides students with knowledge and skills to work in the fields of watershed management and hydrology, and perform a wide array of tasks, while aiding professionals such as hydrologists and conservationists. The technicians will be able to assess the characteristics of watersheds,  collect hydrological data, and use advanced web GIS technologies to collect, store and analyze field data. 

Our graduates will become a steady workforce for a broad range of environmental organizations, and they will become agents of change and good stewards of water conservation and aquatic systems preservation and restoration.