Formal and informal opportunities exist to obtain Watershed Coordinator training in Indiana through the Purdue University Watershed Leadership Program and the on-line U.S. EPA Watershed Academy. Both offer extensive materials and experience to fulfill all the skill requirements needed to become a watershed coordinator or watershed manager. Additional materials and trainings are also available through the IDEM Watershed Program.
- Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy:
- The Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Purdue University, educates watershed coordinators, teachers, volunteers, engineers, district staff, non-profit organizations, and others to lead watershed efforts that improve water quality in Indiana. Be sure to check out the free webinars on watershed-related topics that are posted to this site.
- Purdue also hosts a social networking site for watershed leaders to connect and provide assistance to others in Indiana’s watershed community. The group projects portion of this site provides wonderful resources for watershed practitioners.
- Network Sessions:
- IDEM and its partners regularly offer face-to-face training and networking sessions on a variety of watershed management topics. These sessions are generally announced via multiple newsletters and outlets. If you do not currently receive announcements, but would like to, please contact your Watershed Specialist.
- U.S. EPA Watershed Academy:
- U.S. EPA - Online Training in Watershed Management website offers a variety of self-paced training modules that represent a basic and broad introduction to the watershed management field. The modules are organized by the six themes listed above. Modules vary in the time they to complete, from 1/2 hour to 2 hours. Fifteen of them (marked with asterisks [*]) are the core modules for the Watershed Academy Certificate Program.
- The U.S. EPA Watershed Academy also hosts and archives live webcasts with experts on topics related to watershed management.
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) AgLearn:
- The Agriculture Learning (AgLearn) system is a new department-wide system for managing training records and activity at the USDA. USDA employees and their partners use AgLearn to search, access, enroll in, and record all training opportunities through the web, any time, any place. Training opportunities on AgLearn include online courses as well as instructor-led training. AgLearn is also available for USDA contractors, customers, and the public, however access requires a USDA sponsoring agency to purchase a license for each identified external user.
- Watershed Management Training Materials:
- These are the materials that were part of two training seminars developed and sponsored by the IDEM's NPS Grants Program with the assistance of the NRCS, the IASWCD, the IDNR and Purdue Extension.
- Watershed Coordinator Training Module 1:
- Section 1: Role of the Coordinator [PDF]
- Section 2: Organizing the Group to Function & Facilitating Progress [ZIP]
- Section 3: Getting the People that Will Get You There [PDF]
- Section 4: Skit (You and Your Steering Committee) [PDF]
- Section 5a: Moving Forward at Every Meeting [PDF]
- Section 5b: Moving Forward at Every Meeting [PDF]
- Section 5c: Moving Forward at Every Meeting [ZIP]
- Section 5d: Moving Forward at Every Meeting [PDF]
- Section 6: Resources for the Coordinator [ZIP]
- Watershed Coordinator Training Module 2:
- Section 1: Overall Planning Process [PDF]
- Section 2: Where does collecting information (inventory) fit in the planning process? [PDF]
- Section 3a: Land Inventory [PDF]
- Section 3b: Land Inventory [ZIP]
- Section 3c: Land Inventory [PDF]
- Section 4: Aquatic Inventory [PDF]
- Section 5: Turning Data into Useful Information [PDF]
- Section 6: Partnership Agency Funding Requirements [ZIP]
- Section 7: Wrap-up [PDF]