This focal area uses the watershed (stream or river basin) as its unit of analysis, instruction, and action. The global water crisis takes diverse forms, including water scarcity, polluted lakes and rivers, contaminated ground water, spread of water-related diseases, and extinction of aquatic species. The complexity and interdisciplinary nature of these problems necessitate a collaboration of biologists, physical scientists, policy experts, economists, lawyers, and social scientists to design and execute effective restoration and management activities.

Key research and teaching questions include: How can environmental managers wisely protect and restore ecosystems even when they lack full scientific understanding; and how can scientists make their work as useful as possible to environmental managers, without sacrificing objectivity? These are highlighted through course work such as water resource management; aquatic chemistry; coastal ecosystem governance; aquatic ecology; environmental hydrology; water quality control; and water system economics.

Faculty Gaboury Benoit (Coordinator), Shimon C. Anisfeld, Richard Burroughs, Mary Beth Decker, Bradford S. Gentry, Stephen R. Kellert, Jim MacBroom, Sheila Olmstead, Peter A. Raymond, James E. Saiers, Thomas G. Siccama, David K. Skelly, Julie Zimmerman