ESPM 150: Watershed Hydrology
Last taught:
spring 2006
Next offered:
spring 2008 (sorry, Prof. Boyer is on leave from teaching during spring 2007)
Instructor: Elizabeth W. Boyer, Office: 337 Hilgard Hall, Email: boyer@nature.berkeley.edu, Phone: 510-643-6679, Web: http://nature.berkeley.edu/boyerlab/.
Course description
This course (3 credits, 1 hour 3 times per week) provides an introduction to watershed hydrology. The focus is on developing both a basic understanding of hydrological processes and the ability to acquire and analyze hydrological data. We take a detailed look at the hydrologic cycle, with a focus on the distribution, storage, & movement of water at the watershed scale, emphasizing surface waters. Though the focus of this hydrology course is not on water management, policy, or quality, an understanding of watershed hydrology is essential for making land management decisions & protecting natural resources.
Enrollment & learning
objectives
This introductory course is intended for upper-level undergrads who are broadly interested in environmental sciences, ecology, or natural resources; no pre-requisites are required. Graduate students wanting an introductory course are also encouraged to enroll. Knowledge of basic algebra is assumed, and many homework assignments require the use of a computer (with basic spreadsheet & internet browser software) to obtain and analyze hydrological data. I will provide tutorials to those who need help with problem solving, and encourage all interested to take the course. Specific objectives are:
· To delineate and define watersheds and their boundaries
· To understand the distribution and movement of water through hydrologic reservoirs at global, regional, and local scales.
· To acquire and analyze hydrological data
· To quantify components of the hydrological cycle within a watershed; including precipitation, evapotranspiration, water storage, fluxes, and flows.
· To understand how water moves through landscapes producing runoff; including surface, unsaturated, and groundwater flow pathways
· To become familiar with the application of watershed hydrology concepts to related fields.
Grading
Undergraduates:
· Homework 35%.
· Mid-term Exams (2 @ 20% each) 40%.
· Final Exam 25%.
Graduates:
· Homework 35%.
· Mid-term Exams (2 @ 15% each) 30%.
· Final Exam 20%
· Semester Project 15%
Notes about grading:
· The lowest homework grade will be dropped.
· There is no “dropping the lowest grade” for exams.
· I will provide an extra credit opportunity.
· Homework is due at the beginning of class on the date assigned.
· No late homeworks will be accepted without prior permission of the instructor.
·
As in all classes, I expect students to follow
Textbook
Hornberger, GM,
JP Raffensperger, PL Wiberg, and KN Eshleman, 1998. Elements
of Physical Hydrology,
Course schedule and
supplemental materials
The schedule will evolve over the course of the
semester and is subject to change.
Students are responsible for information posted on the course website
and are expected to check for updates regularly. All materials will be distributed
electronically and can be viewed with free Acrobat Reader
software. Lecture notes below are the
intellectual property of Dr. Boyer and should not be distributed or
reproduced. PDF documents of lecture notes
and supplemental materials are available to enrolled students only. Materials below are distributed exclusively
for educational use in accordance with the "fair use" principle
expressed in
From spring 2006 (links no
longer active):
Wednesday, January 18
·
Course overview [pdf]
Friday, January 20
·
Introduction to
watersheds & hydrology [pdf_6p]
·
List of world’s
largest rivers [pdf]
·
Optional
information:
[pdf] Graham, S.T., J. S. Famiglietti,
and D.R. Maidment, Five-Minute, 1/2º, and 1º Data
Sets of Continental Watersheds and River Networks for Use in Regional and
Global Hydrologic and Climate System Modeling Studies, Water Resources
Research, 35(2), 583-587, 1999.
Monday, January 23
·
Watershed
delineation [pdf_6p]
·
Homework 1
assigned, Watershed delineation, due Monday 1/30 [pdf]
·
Homework #1
solutions [pdf]
[link] EPA surf your
watershed
[link] TopoZone
·
Wednesday, January 25
·
Hydrologic cycle
[pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
·
Optional
information:
[link]
EPA page on definitions of waters of the
Friday January 27
·
Global water
budgets [pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
Monday January 30
·
Residence times [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Homework #1 is
due
·
Homework 2
assigned, Unit Conversions & Water Budgets, due 2/8 [pdf]
·
Homework #2
solutions [pdf]
·
·
Optional
information:
[pdf] Masterson WL & CN Hurley, 1989. Chapter 1.3, units &
conversions. In: Chemistry:
Principles and reactions,
Wednesday, February 1
·
Catchment water
budgets [pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
·
Optional
information:
[pdf] Milly C, 2005. Trends in
the water budget of the Mississippi River basin, 1949-1997. US Geological
Survey, National Streamflow Information Program, Fact Sheet 2005-3020.
·
Optional
information: Research opportunities for undergrads, for summer 2006:
[link]
National Science Foundation, search for an REU program
[link] Another
site for REU information
[link] National
Science Foundation, IGERT program (grads & undergrads)
Friday February 3
·
Land-atmosphere
interactions [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Monday February 6
·
Measuring
precipitation [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
·
Optional: for the
map of spatial distribution of precipitation across the
·
Optional
information:
[pdf] Yang D, BE Goodison, JR Metcalfe, P
Louie, G Leavesley, D Emerson, CL Hanson, VS Golubev, E Elomaa, T Gunther, T Pangburn,
[link]
National Weather Service standard rain gage
[link]
[link] US Army Corps of Engineers engineering &
design manuals: runoff from snowmelt
Wednesday February 8
·
Quantifying
spatial variation of precipitation [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Homework #2 is
due
·
·
Optional
information:
[link] NASA
tropical rainfall measuring mission
[link] NASA global
precipitation measurement mission
Friday February 10
·
Quantifying
temporal variation of precipitation [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
·
Optional
information:
[link]
[link]
NRCS
[link] National
Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center
Monday February 13
·
Precipitation
Frequency analysis [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Wednesday February 15
·
Interception [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
·
HW3 assigned,
Precipitation data analysis, due 2/22 [pdf]
·
[xls]
Data for HW3, Problem #3
[link] NOAA NCDC climate data
[link]
Friday February 17
·
Evapotranspiration
& energy budget [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Monday February 20
·
No class, president’s day
Wednesday February 22
·
Energy Budget [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
HW 3 is due
·
Friday February 24
·
Energy Budget
& Review [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Monday February 27
·
Mid-term #1
·
[pdf]
Givens for mid-term 1
·
[pdf]
Mid-term #1 solutions
Wednesday, March 1
·
Fluid Dynamics [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Friday, March 3
·
Fluid Dynamics [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Monday, March 6
·
Open Channel Flow
[pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
·
Wednesday, March 8
·
Quantifying
streamflow, 1 [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Homework #4
assigned, due March 15 [pdf]
·
Homework #4 data
[xls]
·
HW#4
solutions [pdf]
·
HW#4
extra credit (problems 7&8 from original assignment now for 2 extra pts),
due March 20 [pdf]
·
HW#4
extra credit solutions [pdf]
·
·
Optional:
[link] USGS
National Streamflow Information Program
[pdf]
Friday, March 10
·
Quantifying
streamflow, 2 [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Reading: relevant
portions of Chapter 4, especially sections 4.5-4.7 (pp 86-95)
Monday,
March 13
·
Quantifying
streamflow, 3 [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Reading: relevant
portions of Chapter 4, especially sections 4.5-4.7 (pp 86-95)
·
Optional:
[link] USGS verified roughness characteristics of natural
channels
[pdf] Barnes HH Jr.,
Roughness Characteristics of Natural Channels. US Geological
Survey, Water Supply Paper 1849.
[pdf] Arcement GJ Jr. & Schneider VR, 1984. Guide for Selecting Manning's Roughness
Coefficients for Natural Channels and Flood Plains. United
States Geological Survey Water-supply Paper 2339.
Wednesday, March 15
·
Stream Tracer
Responses [pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
·
Optional:
[pdf]
[pdf] Moore, RD, 2004b. Introduction to salt dilution
gauging for streamflow measurement Part II: Constant-rate injection. Streamline
Watershed Management Bulletin 8(1):11–15.
[pdf] Moore, RD, 2005. Introduction to salt dilution
gauging for streamflow measurement Part III: Slug injection using salt in
solution. Streamline Watershed Management Bulletin 8(2):1-6.
Friday, March 17
·
Hydrograph
Responses [pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
& intro to Flood Routing (see notes on 3/20)
·
·
Homework #4 due
Monday, March 20
·
River &
Reservoir Routing [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Wednesday, March 22
·
Discharge
Frequency Analysis [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
Friday, March 24
·
Discharge
Frequency Analysis, wrap up (see notes on 3/22)
·
Homework #5 is
assigned, due April 5 [pdf]
·
HW5
solutions [pdf]
Monday-Friday, March 27-31
·
No class, Spring Break, Enjoy!
Monday, April 3
·
Groundwater/
surface water interactions [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Wednesday, April 5
·
Groundwater
characteristics [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Homework #5 is
due
·
Friday, April 7
·
Groundwater
formations [pdf_6p]
[pdf_2p]
·
Monday April 10
·
Review of
homework 4&5, etc.
Wednesday April 12
·
Mid-Term #2
(covers material since last mid-term; March 3 – April 7 )
·
[pdf]
Mid-term #2 solutions
Friday, April 14, 2006
·
Water movement: hyporheic exchange [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Optional:
[link] One
dimensional transport model, with inflows and storage
[link] New York Times article on stream gaging network
Monday, April 17, 2006
·
Water movement: hyporheic exchange (see notes from 4/14)
·
Groundwater
movement: wells & piezometry 1 [pdf_6p] [pdf_2p]
·
Homework 6 is
assigned, due 4/26 [pdf]