Utilizing Websites for Hydrology Assignments

After teaching hydrology classes for 40 years, the first author requested students access the following websites and complete the exercises useful in hydrology applications: 1. (http://www.noaa.nws.gov) Access National Weather Service rainfall data for gauges in city or region (such as the Houston/Galveston region). 2. (http://www.harriscountyfws.org) Access flood warning system, plot rainfall total for county (Harris County). For heavy rainfall totals, draw 15.0, 10.0, 5.0 rainfall contours/isohyets or smaller increments for lesser rains. Also see:http://www.hcoem.gov 3. (http://www.waterdata.usgs.gov) Access U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Data for streamflow for a local basin (such as the San Jacinto River). 4. Selected Texas flood videos are available from the Texas Natural Resources Information System: goo.gl/maps/qE9w meta data. Texas historical high water marks updated monthly are useful hydrologic data readily available through google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?d ocid=1gT3F42twZSi5TCc2Q5GSF0enntCC2rPW404n-J4. 5. (http://www.hec.usace.army.mil) Download HEC- HMS computer program and complete homework assignment: HEC-HMS modeling problems 5-3 to 5-6 from Bedient, Huber and Vieux, Hydrology and Floodplain Analysis, Prentice-Hall, 2008, 2013. 6. (http://www.noaa.nhc.gov) Download national hurricane center data for plotting Caribbean/ Gulf of Mexico. Daily: plot hurricane coordinates until 24 hours from U.S. landfall, forecast landfall location. Compare actual hurricane path (as Hurricane Issac). 7. To apply reservoir routing techniques such as the Modified Puls or Storage Indication methods, flood streamflows and reservoir storage elevation-discharge data or curves need to be available or compiled and utilized for a reservoir case such as Lake Houston. The second author has worked for a state water and information service agency and uses hydrology websites regularly. An exercise is presented that allows students to compare what actually happened vs. results of theoretical rainfall and regulation models. Students (learning to access the websites for regional, state, and federal rainfall and streamflow) can compile storm information reports (for jobs or research). A survey on accessing hydrologic websites from selected past students in the workforce will be compiled and presented.