An understanding of water is becoming increasingly important in natural resource management in relation to demand and supply, water quality in multi-use catchments, human health and ecosystem maintenance .  The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of the hydrologic processes important in using and managing the environment. The course examines water quantity and quality, in terms of both surface and groundwater systems, and the impacts of anthropogenic and natural factors on the value of the resource.  Practicals and field work provide opportunities to develop skills in sampling, analysing and presenting hydrological data that relate to catchment characteristics and processes.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. describe hydrological processes and the water balance, and their importance in environmental processes and management
2. describe principles of, and demonstrate field skills in, hydrological measurement
3. describe practical examples of hydrology in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region
4. appreciate the relationship between raw data and the interpretation(s) that stem from them, and how limited or poor quality data influence natural resource management decisions.

Assessment will be based on:

• Practical exercises to demonstrate use of basic mathematics and statistics in hydrology (30%; LO 2, 3, 4)
• Group-based field study and report to demonstrate field skills and data analysis  (30%; LO 2, 3, 4)
• Two-hour open-book written exam (40%; LO 1, 2, 3)

65 contact hours comprising 5 days of lectures and 5 days in the field (1-12 February).

24 units towards a degree

SRES2002

Gordon et al. (2004) Stream hydrology: an introduction for ecologists, Wiley, Chichester, UK.

Ward, R.C. and Robinson, M. (1990) Principles of Hydrology, McGraw-Hill.