TEACHING HYDROGEOLOGY FIELD METHODS TO NON-TRADITIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS AT KU'S ROBERT P. HARRISON FIELD STATION

Knowledge of the theory, application, and limitations of field methods used in environmental assessments is essential for effective site management, but is typically not acquired by geoscience undergraduates before graduation. As part of KU's Professional Science Master’s program in environmental geology, we have developed a week-long, hydrogeology field course that introduces non-traditional, working professionals to the tools, equipment, and hydrogeologic settings they are likely to encounter early in their environmental careers. Students are immersed in groundwater and surface-water study while in residence at KU's established field station in the central Colorado Rocky Mountains. The facility is located along a tributary to the Arkansas River near an active gold mine and a former uranium mill Superfund site. Monitoring well design, installation, development, and sampling are conducted in the context of ongoing environmental activities at these sites. An overview of well drilling technologies and the installation of new groundwater wells are part of the class. Students log well cuttings and learn practical aspects of monitoring design, such as permitting and submission of well completion records. Commonly used water-quality sampling approaches are introduced, evaluated, and implemented in groundwater and surface water exercises. The measurement of unstable chemical parameters in the wells, adjacent stream, and at several locations downstream of the gold mine exposes students to dynamic geochemical and hydrologic conditions that should be considered in any site assessment. An evaluation of groundwater-surface water interactions is conducted through the construction and installation of stream-bed seepage meters and mini-piezometers, and in a series of stream gauging exercises conducted at several locations within the watershed. The impact of vertical infiltration on aquifer recharge is assessed using an infiltrometer. The varied backgrounds and experiences of the students enhances learning, as personal field experiences and work-related objectives are shared. The course provides an opportunity for networking among a new generation of environmental professionals and is used to illustrate field concepts taught in our other courses.