Watershed Restoration Certificate
Certificate | SC Program: CL.3421
This certificate provides full-time students as well as professionals related to various agencies and industries an opportunity to obtain knowledge, skills and hands-on training related to the many facets of watershed restoration including regulation, mapping, water quality, data collections, recent advances in erosion control and bio-engineering applications and techniques, and heavy equipment operations.
This is a locally approved certificate. Upon satisfactory completion of the listed requirements and application for completion of the certificate to Admissions and Records, the student will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate program is not approved through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office; therefore, completion of the certificate will not be listed on the student’s transcript.



Choose your path
Map your education by viewing the program map for the degree or certificate you’re interested in earning below. Meet with a counselor to create your official comprehensive education plan.
A program map shows all the required and recommended courses you need to graduate and a suggested order in which you should take them. The suggested sequence of courses is based on enrollment and includes all major and general education courses required for the degree.
Fall Semester, First Year
10 Units TotalThis course will help students develop an understanding of the sampling methods and equipment used to inventory forest resources on Private, State, and Federal lands. Measurements of timber stand growth, quantity and quality, and other natural resources including water, range, and wildlife will also be covered. The lecture portion of this course may be offered in a distance education format.
This class covers basic skill-level operation and maintenance of on- and off-road heavy equipment including agriculture and earth moving. Students will not be allowed to operate road equipment without license and driving record. Operational equipment used may include any of the following: dump truck, grader, backhoe, dozer, farm tractor, loader, excavator, forklift, scraper, and chainsaws. The lecture portion of this course may be offered in a distance education format.
This course addresses a variety of topics concerned with the quality and quantity of water resources and watershed management, ecology, and restoration. Emphasis will be on the State of California. Coverage will include the hydrologic cycle, water quality, water use and conservation, and watershed health and function. Sources, measurements, quality (pollution and treatment), usage, and conservation of water will be addressed. Environmental impacts of dam construction and hydroplant operation will be discussed. Laboratory work will involve measurements and interpretations of data collected or distributed and watershed restoration project planning and implementation. Field trips to various facilities (federal, state, county, city, private agencies) and restoration/monitoring sites will occur as feasible. The lecture portion of this course may be offered in a distance education format.
Spring Semester, First Year
3 Units TotalThis class teaches intermediate skill-level operation and maintenance of off-road and on-road heavy equipment. It also covers common project construction techniques utilizing heavy equipment with an emphasis on moving soil to grade using cut and fill calculations. This class will also introduce the student to the Topcon 3D-MC2 GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The lecture portion of this course may be offered in a distance education format.
Please see a counselor to discuss options for meeting general education requirements for transfer to California State Universities (CSU) and/or University of California (UC) campuses, as well as any specific additional courses that may be required by your chosen institution of transfer.
*Alternative Courses: Please see a Shasta College counselor for alternative course options. You can also view the following to find other courses to meet degree/certificate requirements:
- California State Universities – General Education
- IGETC – Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum
Need a print out? Feel free to download and/or print out a copy of the sample program map(s).
Earth & Environment Interest Area Counselors


Academic/Instructional Division Office
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