Session one September 9 Thursday

Planning team would like to have exhibits up for participants to look at as they arrive, and during breaks. These would include watershed maps with sub-watersheds included, fly-over and local watershed video clips, and other exhibits.

  1. Participants arrive at 6 p.m. and pick up course materials, get situated.
  2. 6:05-615 Welcome and introductions (TRWG, Jane Herbert, Kara Griffith)
  3. 6:20-6:40 Course pre-evaluations (Jane Herbert)
  4. 6:40-7:15 A canoe trip down the Thornapple. TRWG presentation (*Patricia)

A good overview of the unique features of the Thornapple River Watershed.

    1. Headwaters, Eaton County
    2. Impoundments, hydropower dams
    3. Lakes
    4. Major tributaries and sub-watersheds, locations and characteristics
    5. Floodplains
    6. Agriculture
    7. Townships and municipalities in the watershed (maps)
    8. Description and details of the Thornapple and tributaries with video and/or static illustration, slides, maps, etc.
    9. General statistics (miles of river, %wetlands, land use %)
  1. 7:15 Watershed science (David Lusch, Ph. D.) (confirmed*)

    2. (See below…start and then break after 30 minutes.)

  2. 7:45 Break
  3. 8:00 Watershed science, continued(David Lusch, Ph. D.)

Regional hydrology and geology
    1. Basic introductory watershed science as in Kzoo presentation.
    1. Water cycle
    2. Sources of water in streams
    3. Stream "morphology"
    4. Stream description vocabulary
    5. Erosion, sediment, floodplains, channelization
    6. Pools and riffles
  1. 9:00-9:15, small group activity (outline small watershed on topographical maps)
  2. 9:15 David Lusch continues presentation (people want to know if their outlines are correct)
    1. Groundwater, aquifers, soils
    2. Aquifer vulnerability
    3. Role of wetlands in water quality
  1. 9:45, questions from the audience
  2. 9:55, name tag housekeeping, next session preview, any announcements.
  3. 10:00 dismissal