Watershed Management and Ecohydrology is the art and science of managing the natural resources of wild land drainage basins, with special consideration given to the quantity and quality of water. Watershed managers are concerned with sustained productivity of lands for water, wood, forage, wildlife, and recreational opportunities. Students receive specialized course work in the management of surface water resources, ecology, social science, communication skills, and procedures for analyzing policy. Graduates of the program are qualified for careers in organizations and businesses concerned with integrated land management, the environment, or water resources. Many are employed as hydrologists. Employers include federal or state agencies, municipal water districts, private consulting firms, and conservation organizations.All programs in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment tend to emphasize applications of ecological principles for conservation and management of plant, animal, and water resources at local and global scales, and solutions to negative impacts of human activity. Students complete courses that provide a foundation in natural resource science, conservation, and management, and elective courses that allow students to explore areas of interest.

The Natural Resources major in the Watershed Hydrology and Management concentration provides students with a strong career foundation, through coursework in hydrology, ecology, geology, water quality, fire science, resources management, soil and plant science, policy, communications, and economics. Graduates are well prepared for work as hydrologists, resource managers, planners, environmental advocates, and consultants for government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations. This concentration is also excellent preparation for graduate studies in hydrology, geology, or arid lands resource science.