Training Courses

2012 Course Schedule

WDCP offers conveniently located training and testing throughout Minnesota. The basic five-day training course, covering the fundamentals of wetland delineation, is offered two times each summer. For those seeking re-certification, new courses on a variety of industry-related subjects are added every year, and these count toward continuing education credits. If you are interested in a particular course that you do not see listed here, please let us know what you are looking for and we can try and accommodate those trainings in the future.

The WDCP does reserve the right to cancel a class at any time if the minimum number of participants is not met.
 

Printable Schedule (.pdf)
 

Soils and Hydrology Assessment for Delineating and Monitoring

This course will cover assessing soils and hydrology for wetland delineations and monitoring of replacement wetlands.  Topics include proper soil sampling/description procedures, interpreting hydric soil indicators, dealing with problem soils, interpreting wetland hydeology indicators, hydrology monitoring design/techniques, monitoring well installation, and hydrology data interpretation.  The course will include a field practicum involving assessing soils for hydric indicators, completing a well installation log, and proper installation of monitoring wells.  This is a one-and-a-half day course worth 9 direct WDCP Continuing Education Hours.

Land Use Based Wetland Delineations

This course will cover approaches and requirements for wetland delineations as they relate to Minnesota wetland regulations.  Topics covered include methods and techniques for delineating linear projects, delineating agricultural lands, and delineation for development projects.  The course will also cover common wetland regulations (State and Federal) related to conducting and approving delineations.  This course will be worth 6.5 direct WDCP Continuing Education Hours.
 

5-Day Basic Wetland Delineation

This 5-day course will focus on the fundamentals, concepts and techniques for delineating wetlands in Minnesota.  The course will cover the Corps Manual of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual as well as applicable Corps Manual Regional Supplements used in Minnesota (Midwest, NC/NE, Great Plains).  Specifically, the course will focus on the hydrology, soils, and vegetation parameters including the background necessary to interpret these parameters for wetland delineation purposes.  Other relevant topics that are covered include problem areas, atypical situations, difficult to delineation situations, wetland mapping conventions, antecedent precipitation calculations, use of offsite data sources, delineation methodology levels, hydrology monitoring, wetland classification, plant identification, and wetland delineation reports.  This course will include lecture, lab, and field components.  At least two of the five days will include a field practicum where participants will practice utilizing techniques described int eh lecture.  Although there are no formal prerequisites for taking this course, participants who do not have at least some education background in natural resources (specifically soils, hydrology, botany) may find it challenging to follow the quantity and variety of technical information covered in a short time period.  

Given the moderate class size, participants can hone existing wetland delineation skills or develop and apply new skills.  Participants will receive printed materials that will be used throughout the sessions as well as many additional references for future wetland delineations.

The Professional and In-Training exam will be offered at the conclusion of each of the training sessions.
 

Wetland Mitigation in Minnesota

This course will cover both regulatory and technical aspects of wetland mitigation in Minnesota.  Topics include delineation and assessing wetland impact areas, determining wetland mitigation requirements, watershed approach to wetland mitigation, use of wetland banks, assessing wetland restoration/creation sites, monitoring, and delineating restores/created wetlands.  Course will include a half-day field practicum covering vegetation adn hydrology assessments for monitoring.  This one-and-a-half day course is worth 9 direct WDCP Continuing Education Hours.
 

Basic Plant Identification

This 2-day course, worth 12 direct hours of WDCP Continuing Education Hours, will focus on the identification of forbs, trees, and shrubs common to the wetland-upland transition areas of Minnesota.  The course will review techniques and characteristics to distinguish plant species and groups of species that are often relevant to the hydrophytic vegetation criteria for wetland delineations.  Keying out and identifying live plant specimens in the classroom and in the field will be part of the course.  Unlike the advanced plant identification course, this course will cover the basics of botanical organization and classification, plant parts, and how to use guides and keys to identify species.  The course is intended for those participants with minimal training in plant taxonomy or those who would benefit from a review of the basics related to plant identification. 

Although there is no prerequisite for this course, students without some background in plant identification and/or plant biology may find some of the terminology and methods difficult to grasp.
 

Advanced Plant Identification

This 2-day course, worth 12 direct hours of WDCP Continuing Education Hours, will focus on the identification of grasses, sedges, and rushes int he wetland-upland transition areas of Minnesota.  The course will review techniques and characteristics to distinguish plant species and groups of species that are often relevant to the hydrophytic vegetation criteria for wetland delineations.  Keying out and identifying live plant specimens in the classroom and in the field will be part of the course.  Participants should have previously completed a plant taxonomy/botany course, and are expected to be familiar with basic botanical terminology, and have some experience using dichotomous keys for plant identification.

Although there is no prerequisite for this course, students without some background in plant identification and/or plant biology may find some of the terminology and methods difficult to grasp. 

Why Choose the WDCP for Training?

• The instructor pool represents diverse experience and disciplines.

• WDCP instructors have participated as peer reviewers, members of regional work groups and have served on the national advisory team for the regional supplements.

• An instructor is on the national team developing version 2.0 of the Delineation Manual (the successor to the 1987 Manual).

• Instructors have authored Delineation Guidance for Minnesota and Wisconsin.

• Classes have an informal atmosphere making it easy to ask questions and have fun while learning.

• Instructors have authored numerous guides, guidance's, and books concerning plants, soils and hydrology.

• Prices are competitive compared to other training programs.

• Instructors have led and been involved with academic research in Minnesota concerning soils and whole landscape hydrology.

• Instructors have developed and refined the Minnesota Routine (Functional) Assessment Methodology for Wetlands (MnRAM) and have served on regional committees developing regional guidebooks for the Hydrogeomorphic Method (HGM) of Wetland Functional Assessment.

• Instructors have served as regulators for local, state, and federal government agencies, and have reviewed many delineations.

• Instructors have served as private consultants, performing many delineations.

• Instructors have been involved in numerous enforcement cases involving data collection and documentation of findings on significantly disturbed sites.

• Instructors have served as "troubleshooters" for wetland delineation issues throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.

• Instructors have created soil surveys and have a thorough knowledge of soils data bases, soil classification, soil mapping units and soil interpretations.