The University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences is offering an intensive course on the physical principles of hydrology with particular relevance to Canadian conditions.
Factors governing hydrological processes in Canadian landscapes will be discussed including precipitation, interception, snow accumulation, snowmelt, evaporation, infiltration, groundwater movement and streamflow. These processes will be framed within the context of distinctly Canadian landscape features such as glaciers, peatlands and seasonally frozen ground. State of the art statistical analyses will be presented. Students will be exposed to an overview of each subject, with recent scientific findings and new cutting edge theories, tools and techniques. They will complete numerical and essay assignments to develop skills in problem solving and in synthesizing complex hydrological concepts. Field examinations in nearby environments and research basins will enhance the learning experience. Students will emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of physical hydrological processes and how they interact to produce catchment water budgets and streamflow response.
The course will take place at the University of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute’s Barrier Lake Station in the Kananaskis Valley from February 28 – March 11, 2011. The course will focus on classroom instruction, but will take advantage of the proximity to the Marmot Creek Research Basin to expose students to current field instrumentation and measurement techniques. Each day will start with lectures on the primary subject, and include time to work on assigned exercises. Certain days will include a field work component to examine the processes and measurement techniques relevant to the lectures.
The course is intended for hydrology and water resources graduate students and early to mid-level career water resource engineers, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists and technologists from Canada who are either working directly in hydrology and water resources or are looking to broaden their understanding of hydrological systems and processes. In 2010, participants were from several universities and employers such as Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Syncrude, Ducks Unlimited, Brookfield Power, Knight Piesold, AMEC, and Alberta Environment. Participants came from across Canada and the United States.
Course capacity is 30 students. Registration ends February 7, 2011. This physical science course is quantitative in nature and so a firm foundation in calculus and physics at the first year university level and some undergraduate hydrology or hydraulics training is required. Registration and course information can be found here:
If you have further questions, please contact Dr Christopher Spence or Dr John Pomeroy. If interested in receiving academic credit for your participation, please contact Dr Pomeroy. Arrangements have been made for people not currently enrolled in a university program to receive academic credit.
The full announcement is available in PDF form here.
25th Oct 2010: Frontiers in Science Lecture by Prof Howard Wheater
Prof Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan, will give a lecture entitled ‘Water Futures and the Perfect Storm’ on Monday 25th October 2010, at 7pm in the St Thomas More College Auditorium. Please note that seating may be limited.
This event has been organised by the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and made possible by the William Rekunyk Fund.
Seminar Announcement
Matt MacDonald will be defending his MSc, entitled Hydrological response unit-based blowing snow modelling over mountainous terrain on Monday, 18 October at 1:00 pm, in room 144 Kirk Hall
CUAHSI Cyber-Seminar
Director of the Centre for Hydrology Prof John Pomeroy will be giving a cyber-seminar on Advancing hydrological processes to better predict hydrology in cold regions, for the US Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrological Science Inc (CUAHSI), at 3 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, 17 September.
The subject-area will cover results from IP3, DRI and other research from the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Hydrology.
To attend, browse to http://www.cuahsi.org/sem-current.html#0917.
Breakfast Talk: Water prescriptions for a dry land how the West can prepare for drought
Bacon & Eggheads Breakfast
Version française ci-dessous
Water prescriptions for a dry land – how the West can prepare for drought
John Pomeroy, University of Saskatchewan
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010 from 7:30am ‑ 9:00 am
Place: Room 200, West Block, Parliament Hill
Registration deadline: Tuesday, May 25th. Please register by contacting Donna Boag, PAGSE Manager,
email: pagse@rsc.ca, tel: (613) 991‑6369.
Cost: $20. No charge to Members of the House of Commons, Senators and Media.
Dr. Donald Gray Scholarship in Canadian Hydrology
The CGU is pleased to announce a new sholarship for Ph.D. stduents, “Donald Gray Scholarship in Canadian Hydrology”. The scholarship was made possible by generous donation by the family of the late Don Gray, a recipient of the CGU J. Tuzo Wilson Medal (please see the attachment). The scholarship is open to all Canadian students, not just to CGU members. The deadline for 2010 application is May 15.
Download full description here.
Hydrology course establishes Bow Valley as national centre
By Lynn Martel, Rocky Mountain Outlook, Canmore, AB
March 11, 2010
Students and professionals converged in Kananaskis Country last week to participate in an intensive course on the physical principles of hydrology – the first of its kind in four decades.
Hydrology is the scientific study of the properties, distribution and circulation of water on earth – on the surface, below ground and in the atmosphere.
Taking place at the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute Barrier Lake Station, the course was hosted by the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Hydrology in partnership with the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences.
Running March 2-11, the for-credit course drew 40 grad students from the universities of Lethbridge, Regina, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C.’s Simon Fraser, as well as professionals working as environmental assessment specialists, design engineers, environmental technicians, hydrometric technicians, water resource managers, streamflow forecasters and hydrogeologists with employers including Ducks Unlimited, Alberta Environment, Environment Canada and Syncrude.
The jam-packed agenda included full-day classroom sessions covering topics such as the fundamentals and physical principles of hydrology, precipitation and snow hydrology, the hydrology of glaciers, wetlands and groundwater, interception and evapotranspiration, infiltration and soil water, river networks, river hydraulics and ice.
Canadian Water Security – How Science Can Help
Canada has vast reserves of water – yet only 7% of the world’s renewable supply. Water is of critical economic and strategic importance—a resource, a commodity and an essential element in health, agriculture, energy, urban, commercial and industrial development. What is happening to our water resources? What have we learned about changing water conditions across Canada over the last few years—and what questions remain? The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences and Environment Canada invite you to find out.
Since 2000, the Foundation has invested $14.4 million in water related research. The workshop will look at what has emerged from this work and its relevance to safety, security, ecosystems, health and economic development. The Symposium will provide a forum on water security for policy and decision makers, in cooperation with researchers.
Experts explore future of Columbia Basin glaciers
from Revelstoke Times Review
A distinguished panel of glacier scientists was in Golden on Feb. 1 week to present information about the state of water reserves in the Columbia Basin, and to discuss the impacts of shrinking water supply.
Kindy Gosal, Director of Water and Environment for Columbia Basin Trust, said the evening was intended to be an information session for the citizens of the area about glacial recession.
“I think it’s important information to fill in the knowledge gap that people have in this basin about what’s going to happen for the future of water supply in the face of climate change and the recession of our glaciers,” said Gosal.
“The reason we need this information is because those glaciers are our banks and reserves of water. And really, we don’t have a good idea what’s happened to those bank accounts of water and what the future impacts might be as those bank accounts become depleted, or how fast we’re depleting their funds.”
Speaking at the event, Brian Menounos, from University of Northern British Columbia, commented on the potential political ramifications of this research. Part of this involves striking a balance between the electricity and water needs of the people in the Columbia Basin, southern British Columbia, and exports to the United States.
“One of the reasons we are studying these glaciers – and this is also why BC Hydro finds this interesting – people are going to consider the renegotiation of the Columbia Basin Treaty. When it was actually first set, at the turn of the last century, people assumed the glaciers were at their extent, that climate was more or less stable. We know that is not the case now. So we have to have a better understanding of how those glaciers have changed and how surface flows have changed.”
Read more here