CRSS (WASR) 1020: Introduction to Water Resources (Lecture Notes)
Course objectives
- Establishing the importance of water resources in both human and ecologic terms, including knowledge of: a) the uses of water resources to meet human needs; b) the role of water resources management to protect environmental systems; c) the laws and agencies that currently regulate and manage water resources; and d) the historical and modern conflicts that have arisen due to water scarcity.
- Establishing the scientific basis for managing water resources, including knowledge related to: a) the quantification of water resources measurements, including volumes, fluxes, concentrations, and loads; b) the occurrence and movement of components of the hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, surface, and ground water; and c) the components of water quality, including the physical, chemical, and biological aspects.
CRSS 4600/6600: Soil Physics
Course Objectives:
The objective of this 3-semester hour lecture course and 1-semester hour lab is to describe the physical and hydrologic properties and processes of soils. The emphasis is on soil water movement in the unsaturated (vadose) zone and it differs from other hydrology courses offered at the University in this respect. Students learn how to use the HYDRUS-1D computer model. There is an emphasis on learning how to measure water content and associated properties of soil and the laboratory exercises are chosen for this purpose. CRSS 3050, CRSS (FORS) 3060, ENGR 2150, ENGR 3050, or FRS 3110 can act as prerequisites along with MATH 2200 and PHYS 1111 or 1211.
Topics Covered
1. Soil Solid Phase
2. Soil Water Content and Potential
3. Steady Water Flow
4. Heat Transport
5. Transient Water Flow
6. Solute Transport
CRSS (GEOL) 8710: Watershed Scale Modeling
This course will describe the science, technology, and policy aspects of watershed-scale modeling.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will learn how to prepare SWAT input files for a typical watershed in the U.S. where weather, landuse, elevation, soil and observed stream data are readily available from USGS and other web sites. They will learn how to run the model and use an auto-calibration/validation tool to compare the model output with the observed data. They will learn how to model water flow and at least one contaminant (sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, or pesticide).
2. Students will also learn how to prepare SWAT input files for a typical watershed outside of the US where data are not readily available and more intensive GIS work is required to obtain data. For this watershed, modeling will be limited to water flow. They will learn how to complement field data using readily available satellite remote sensing data. Since observed data is usually sparse, they will learn how to use manual calibration/validation for this type of watershed.
3. Students will learn the science behind the SWAT model and the policy that is driving the use of models. The recent development of a Statewide Water Plan in Georgia, international water policies, and the US EPA Total Maximum Daily Load program will be used as examples.