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Technical Workshops
Technical Workshops
All of the technical workshops are held on Sunday, July 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The professional development workshops held in conjunction with the SWCS international conference will be eligible for continuing education credits from various certifying organizations. Certified, licensed, or professional engineers (PE), agronomists (CPAg), soil scientists and classifiers (CPSS and CPSC), crop advisors (CCA), crop consultants (CPCC), foresters, range managers (CPRM), grassland professionals (CGP), professionals in erosion and sediment control (CPESC) and storm water quality (CPSWQ), and other professional conservationists may be able to obtain continuing education credits. Late fees for workshops apply beginning on June 16.
Workshop #1: Using the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) for Conservation Planning
Cost: $35/$45 late
Organizer: Mike Sporcic, Wind Erosion Specialist, NRCS
E-mail: michael.sporcic@ftw.usda.gov
This 4 hour workshop will cover and introduce wind erosion
principals and hands-on experience with the Wind Erosion Prediction
System (WEPS) model. Users will learn to build management scenarios
and will make wind erosion estimates for various location in the US.
Special Instructions: Attendees need to provide their own laptops
Instructors: Dr. Ed Skidmore, ARS; Mike Sporcic, NRCS; and
Dave Lightle, NRCS
Workshop #2: The Social Side of Nonpoint Source Management:
Using Social Indicators to Build Effective NPS Programs
Cost: $35/$45 late
Organizer: Rebecca Power
E-mail: rlpower@wisc.edu
Working with land owners and managers to find effective and
practical solutions to water quality problems is crucial to achieving
environmental goals. Social indicators provide information about
the social context, awareness, attitudes, capacities, constraints, and
behaviors in a watershed or project area. Using social indicators can
help conservation professionals understand and target audiences,
select effective interventions, and evaluate their impacts. This
interactive workshop will 1) provide an overview of social indicators for
nonpoint source (NPS) projects, 2) describe how indicators are being
used in Upper Great Lakes states for NPS planning and evaluation,
3) guide workshop participants through the process for developing
and applying social indicators in their own NPS management efforts,
and 4) provide participants with tools and reference materials to
support their work at home.
Instructors: Rebecca Power, University of Wisconsin-Extension; Linda
Prokopy, Purdue University; and Ken Genskow, University of
Wisconsin-Madison
Workshop #3: Energy in Agriculture
Cost: $35/$45 late
Organizer: Stefanie Aschmann
E-mail: stefanie.aschmann@por.usda.gov
This workshop is a series of short modules including presentations
and group exercises covering a variety of topics related to energy.
These topics include : “Why do we care about energy?”, “Basic energy
concepts”, “energy conservation planning in agriculture, “solar energy”,
“wind energy”, “bioenergy”, “energy audits” and “web-based energy
tools.” The relationships between energy and soil, water, air, and
climate change will also be discussed. Each topic will be covered
at an awareness level, but additional sources of information will be
provided to interested participants.
Instructors: Stefanie Aschmann, NRCS; Stan Hitt, NRCS; and
Carolyn Olson, NRCS
Workshop #4: WEPPCAT - A web-based tool to evaluate erosion changes with changing climate.
Cost: $35/$45 late
Organizer: Dr. Mark Nearing
E-mail: mark.nearing@ars.usda.gov
This workshop is a hands-on tutorial and presentation of the science
behind the Water Erosion Prediction Project - Climate Assessment Tool
(WEPPCAT). WEPPCAT is a web-based erosion simulation tool that
allows for the assessment of changes in erosion rates as a consequence
of user-defined climate change scenarios. The tool is based on the
USDA-ARS Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) erosion model.
Global warming is expected to lead to a more vigorous hydrological
cycle, including more total rainfall and more frequent high intensity
rainfall events. Rainfall amounts and intensities increased on average
in the United States during the 20th century and, according to climate
change models, they are expected to continue to increase during the
21st century. These rainfall changes, along with expected changes in
temperature, solar radiation, and atmospheric CO2 concentrations,
will have significant impacts on soil erosion rates. The workshop will
present the science behind the impacts of climate on erosion rates,
and will include a training session on using the WEPPCAT tool for
assessing climate change impacts on erosion.
Special Instructions: Attendees need to provide their own laptops
Instructors: Dr. Mark Nearing, USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed
Research Center; Dr. Phil Guertin and Tim Bayley, University of
Arizona, Tucson
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