Hydrology Short Courses
The training courses are presented through lectures and on-the-ground field experience for professionals working with rivers and their watersheds. The overall intent is to develop unique expertise through shared data, applied methodologies, and project experiences to help meet the current challenges facing todays scientists. The course offerings allow individuals to progress through a range of interrelated courses beginning with the fundamentals in Basic Survey Skills and Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (Level I) and continuing through the more complex River Restoration & Natural Channel Design (Level IV).
Course Participants The short courses are designed for hydrologists, engineers, fisheries biologists, range management specialists, water resource planners, and other specialists involved in water resource management and research, aquatic habitat assessment and improvement, river and water quality determination, cumulative impact assessment, TMDLs, evaluation of riparian ecosystems, and watershed analysis. Individuals working with urban, agricultural, and wildland watersheds also attend these courses.
Course Locations The courses are held at various locations; travel, lodging, and conference center information will be sent to registered students.
Short Course Schedule The course fees include tuition and materials (no meals or lodging). Please note that all classes require general knowledge of surveying; if you have no field experience, we recommend the Basic Survey Skills course.
Basic Survey Skills
- Fee: $800 (1.5 Day Course)
- Instructor: Brandon Rosgen
- Prerequisite: None
The Basic Survey Skills course familiarizes students with the fundamentals of surveying, which are required as a prerequisite for the Level I. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology course.
Select Date/Location:
Level I › Applied Fluvial Geomorphology
- Fee: $2,500 (5 Day Course)
- Instructor: Dave Rosgen
- Prerequisite: Basic Survey Skills or Field Experience with Survey Techniques
The Applied Fluvial Geomorphology course combines lecture and field applications to familiarize students with the fundamentals of river behavior and the general principles of fluvial geomorphology. Applications of these principles are presented using a stream classification system.
Select Date/Location:
September 21 - 25, 2026 - Steamboat Springs, CO- November 2-6, 2026 - Resource Institute, Asheville, NC
- March 8-12, 2027 - Resource Institute, Asheville, NC
- June 7-11, 2027 - Seeley Lake, MT
- June 21-25, 2027 - Bend, OR
- November 1-5, 2027 - Resource Institute, Asheville, NC
Level II › River Morphology and Applications
- Fee: $2,500 (5 Day Course)
- Instructor: Dave Rosgen
- Prerequisite: Level I. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (AFG)
The River Morphology & Applications course trains students to conduct a geomorphic characterization and delineate stream types using the stream classification method as published in Applied River Morphology (Rosgen, 1996)
Select Date/Location:
- September 14-18, 2026 - Ennis, MT
- October 5-9, 2026-Winona, MN-RESERVED FOR MN, MI, and WI DNR REFERRALS-Preference to Federal, State and Local government staff!
- March 15-19, 2027 - Resource Institute, Asheville, NC
- August 16-20, 2027 - Ennis, MT
Level III › River Assessment and Monitoring
- Fee: $3,800
- Instructor: Dave Rosgen
- Prerequisite: Level I. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (AFG) and Level II. River Morphology & Applications (RMA)
The River Assessment & Monitoring course includes "hands-on" techniques for field measurements, data analysis and interpretations, and the use of replicate studies for verification and time-trend analysis.
Select Date/Location:
- April 12-22, 2027 - Resource Institute, Asheville, NC
- July 19-29, 2027 - Alta, WY
Level IV › River Restoration and Natural Channel Design
- Fee: $3,800 (10 Day Course)
- Instructor: Dave Rosgen
- Prerequisite: Level I. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (AFG), Level II. River Morphology & Applications (RMA), and Level III. River Assessment & Monitoring (RAM)
Natural channel design principles are utilized in this "hands-on" course that provides training in river restoration, stabilization, and aquatic habitat enhancement. The complexities involved in natural channel processes require detailed study and a working knowledge of the principles applied in river design; thus the three prerequisite courses help prepare the participants for this advanced river design course.
Select Date/Location:
- August 17-27, 2026 - Granby, CO
- TBA, 2027 - TBA
COURSE TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Registration & Payment Policy:
- Online registration does not guarantee a spot in a class. You must wait and receive an email confirmation from Wildland Hydrology stating a Registration Confirmation in each particular course.
- All students are required to register through our online registration system.
- Unless other arrangements have been made in advance, Tuition is due and payable January 1st of the year attending the short course.
- Wildland Hydrology accepts check, ACH, and credit card payments. Credit card payments will have a 3.5% surcharge. Checks can be made payable to Wildland Hydrology (or for all Asheville, NC location classes, payable to Resource Institute – class sponsor). WE DO NOT ACCEPT purchase orders, or SF 182 forms.
- The fee for each course includes the course tuition and course materials only; participants are all responsible for their own food and lodging unless noted otherwise; paid directly to the resort or business; not paid through Wildland Hydrology.
- If full payment is not received by January 1st of the year attending the short course, the student will automatically be dropped from the course and we will go to the waitlist to fill this new open spot. No exceptions.
- Students are not allowed to roll their paid tuition to the next year if they cancel from a course. If they cancel and cannot find a substitute, they will forfeit their paid tuition.
Cancellation & Refund Policy:
- Cancellations received in writing BEFORE full tuition payments are paid will not be penalized. No money paid, no money refunded. However, once full tuition is paid, it will not be refunded. No exceptions. Substitutions are encouraged. Students are not allowed to roll their tuition payments to the next year. Once tuition is paid, the student must either attend the course, send a substitute to take their place or forfeit their full tuition paid.
- Although rare, Wildland Hydrology reserves the right to cancel a class and refund all tuition payments received. All refunds will be by check only — NO EXCEPTIONS.
Waitlist Policy:
- For classes that are full, we accept waitlist registrations online by completing the registration form.
- If slots become available for the course, Wildland Hydrology will send an email to all waitlisted registrants. The first ones to respond with immediate approval and payment will be awarded the spot in the course.
- Waitlisted folks will get advance notification to register for classes offered the following year prior to being offered to the general public.
About Dave Rosgen, P.H., Ph.D.
Dave is a Professional Hydrologist and Geomorphologist with field experience in river work spanning 49 years, 20 of which were with the U.S. Forest Service. Dave has designed and implemented over 70 large-scale river restoration projects. Dave developed a stream classification system, the BANCS streambank erosion model, the FLOWSED/POWERSED sediment transport models, the WARSSS methodology for cumulative...
