R#1.

a) What are the importance / purpose of Hydrology and

Water Resources Engineering?
• Hydrology plays a crucial role in civil engineering for several
reasons. It involves the study of water, its properties,
distribution, and movement, and is essential for various
civil engineering projects, such as the design and
construction of water supply systems, drainage systems,
flood control measures, and irrigation systems.
• Understanding hydrology helps engineers to assess the
impact of water on infrastructure, plan for water resource
management, and mitigate the risks associated with water-
related hazards.
• It helps in assessing the impact of human activities on
water resources and ecosystems.
• Water resource engineers, in particular, ensure that the
water supply infrastructure is effective and able to
withstand natural disasters caused by climate change,
aging and a growing population.

b) . Discuss the applications of Hydrology in Civil Engineering

Professions.
1. Flood Risk Assessment and Management:
Engineering hydrology plays a crucial role in assessing and
managing flood risks. It involves analyzing historical flood
data, rainfall patterns, and river flow characteristics to
develop flood frequency analyses and floodplain mapping.

2. Water Supply Planning:

Engineering hydrology is essential for assessing water
availability and designing water supply systems. It involves
estimating water demand, analyzing rainfall-runoff
relationships, and determining the capacity of water
sources such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater aquifers.

3. Irrigation Design and Management:

Engineering hydrology is applied in the design and
management of irrigation systems. It involves estimating
water requirements for crops, analyzing soil moisture
characteristics, and determining the most efficient
methods of water delivery.
4. Stormwater Management:
Engineering hydrology is used in managing stormwater
runoff in urban areas. It involves analyzing rainfall intensity,
drainage systems, and land characteristics to design
stormwater collection and conveyance systems.
5. Watershed Management:
Engineering hydrology plays a vital role in managing and
protecting watersheds. It involves studying the hydrological
processes within a watershed, such as rainfall,
evapotranspiration, and streamflow, to assess water
availability and quality.

6. Dam and Reservoir Operations:

Engineering hydrology is crucial for the efficient operation
and management of dams and reservoirs. It involves
analyzing inflow and outflow data, rainfall forecasts, and
water demands to optimize reservoir storage and releases.

7. Environmental Impact Assessment:

Engineering hydrology is applied in assessing the potential
environmental impacts of infrastructure projects. It
involves evaluating changes in water availability,
streamflow patterns, and aquatic ecosystems due to
project activities.

8. Climate Change Impact Studies:

Engineering hydrology is used to assess the potential
impacts of climate change on water resources. It involves
analyzing climate models, historical hydrological data, and
future scenarios to understand changes in rainfall patterns,
river flows, and water availability.

c. Illustrate and discuss the processes / components

involve in Hydrologic Cycle.

The hydrologic cycle begins with the evaporation of water

from the surface of the ocean. As moist air is lifted, it cools
and water vapor condenses to form clouds. Moisture is
transported around the globe until it returns to the surface
as precipitation. Once the water reaches the ground, one
of two processes may occur; 1) some of the water may
evaporate back into the atmosphere or 2) the water may
penetrate the surface and become groundwater.
Groundwater either seeps its way to into the oceans, rivers,
and streams, or is released back into the atmosphere
through transpiration. The balance of water that remains
on the earth's surface is runoff, which empties into lakes,
rivers and streams and is carried back to the oceans, where
the cycle begins again.

Evaporation of warm surface water increases the amount

of moisture in the colder, drier air flowing immediately
above the lake surface. With continued evaporation, water
vapor in the cold air condenses to form ice-crystal clouds,
which are transported toward shore.

By the time these clouds reach the shoreline, they are filled
with snowflakes too large to remain suspended in the air
and consequently, they fall along the shoreline as
precipitation. The intensity of lake effect snowfall can be
enhanced by additional lifting due to the topographical
features (hills) along the shoreline. Once the snow begins
to melt, the water is either absorbed by the ground and
becomes groundwater, or goes returns back to the lake as
runoff.