This course will evaluate how diverse human activities influence the physical, chemical, and biological properties of freshwater ecosystems. Field and laboratory exercises will focus on learning the monitoring tools currently used to assess the quality of streams, rivers, and lakes. These tools will be further implemented in small, field-based group projects that will address different environmental pressures characteristic of northern Sweden and Umeå (e.g., forestry, agriculture, and urban development). Additional course lectures, discussions, and/or excursions will focus on a broader set of environmental issues that are of both regional and global significance, including stream and river restoration, hydroelectric development, organic pollutants, eutrophication, mining, and aquaculture. These themes will be discussed within the context of current environmental legislation, most notably the EU Water Framework Directive.