Riverscape Monitoring

Use Riverscapes Studio (QRiS) to collect, analyze, and report monitoring data to evaluate riverscape health.

Online · October 26–29, 2026 · 1 graduate credit or 1.5 CEUs · Registration open

Register through USU Continuing Education

Matriculated USU Students - Register via Banner

Course Overview

Course Number	Format	Dates	Credit	Cost
WATS/CEWA 6628	Live online	October 26–29, 2026	1 Graduate Credit (1.5 CEUs)	Standard Tuition or $330

Who Should Attend

This advanced short course is designed for restoration practitioners, natural-resource professionals, graduate students, and GIS users who want to apply riverscape network models to monitoring. Participants should already be comfortable working in GIS. Previous LTPBR coursework is helpful but not required.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Use Riverscapes Studio (QRiS) to organize and document monitoring observations collected at different points in time.
Create field forms and bring both field-collected and existing data into QRiS.
Apply appropriate monitoring methods to evaluate riverscape conditions and project outcomes.
Analyze changes across locations and over time using sample areas, measurements, and summary metrics.
Understand the differences between inventory, assessment, baseline monitoring, long-term status and trend monitoring, and action-effectiveness monitoring.
Create a monitoring report, complete a QRiS project, and publish the results to the Riverscapes Data Exchange.

Prerequisites

Students are recommended to be proficient in GIS (See: getting started in QGIS for self-paced; see USU's Geospatial Collective for more formal training options).

Instructor of Record

Joe Wheaton, Professor of Riverscapes, Utah State University

Office Hours - By appointment this semester.

Schedule

Class	Time	Days	Location	Dates	Instructor(s)
Online - Google Meet	9:00 am - 12:00 noon; 2:00 to 4:00 pm	Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu	Google Meet
Oct 26 - 29, 2026	Professor Joe Wheaton , Jordan Gilbert, and Philip Bailey

Registration

Matriculated USU Students: Register via Banner
Continuing Ed/Professional Students: CEWA

Fees

Matriculated Students: pay standard USU tuition. No additional fees.
Continuing Education Students: $330 (includes $45 CEU processing fee).

Course Resources

The course will use:

Main Course Resources Page

The main page for course materials and resources is on the QRiS Webiste.

QRiS & QGIS

Riverscapes Studio plugin to QGIS will be the software used in this course.

note

We will NOT be using Canvas for this class. All communication outside of class time will be on our Advanced LTPBR Series Community on the Riverscapes Consortium. Assignments will be submitted by sharing your Riverscapes Studio Projects and as posts in our community.

Community Resources

These communities from the Riverscapes Consortium are great places to ask questions, connect with colleagues and share your work.

Advanced CEWA LTPBR Series Community

The community for connecting with others in this class and the advanced series of Adavanced LTPBR courses. This is in lieu of Canvas.

Riverscapes Studio Users

Community of QRiS Users. Stay up to date on latest releases, webinars, trainings, ask questions and share your work.

LTPBR of Riverscapes - Practitioner Community

This community is intended to facilitate exchange between practitioners of LTPBR anywhere in the world.

Textbook

LT-PBR Manual

The 2019 Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes Design Manual (Free/Required). Focus on Chapter 3 of the Design Manual.

Pocket Guide

A LTPBR Pocket Guide to take with you into the field (Optional)

Course Grading

Pass / Fail Grading based on completion of project assignment and participation. Simple: do the work - pass.

University Policies

USU policies apply, including:

If you experience barriers or need accommodations, please reach out to the instructor or DRC as early as possible.