Hydrology & Hydraulics
This is a collection of trainings, video replays, and information pertaining to the engineering skills hydrology and hydraulics. Hydrology in this training series primarily includes topics pertaining to watershed delineation and resulting water flows needed to design various engineering practices. Hydraulics in this training series includes topics like conveyance and flood routing of water through pipes and channels, also relevant to various engineering practices.
TTCP
United States
Hydrology
Basic Hydrology Training
- This video covers the science of hydrology, specifically precipitation, runoff, curve numbers, and peak discharge as covered in the NRCS hydrology modules 101-106 (pdfs online). The video is generally used as a prerequisite to the TTCP basic hydrology course (in-person or virtual).
2. Basic Hydrology Classroom or Live Virtual Session
- Typically offered through TTCP at least once a year, this training covers the basic concept of determining hydrology for common conservation practices. Concepts such as runoff, curve numbers, peak discharges, and hydrographs will be reviewed. Participants will learn about reading contour maps and delineating watersheds through example problems. By the end of the training participants should be able to delineate a watershed as well as be able to obtain the values needed to determine a peak discharge from the delineated watershed using EFH2. Visit the Training Calendar to see when and where the training will be offered.
Advanced Hydrology Training
- Tech Talk Replay from June 15, 2020. Amanda Deans demonstrates the use of HEC-HMS. Amanda models a simple drainage area and compare the discharge values from HEC-HMS to EFH2 to show how utilizing storage in a drainage area effects the peak flows.
- Tech Talk Replay from June 29, 2020. Amanda Deans demonstrates a simple HydroCAD model. She used the same simple drainage area from the ‘Intro to HEC-HMS’ Tech Talk (June 15, 2020) to demonstrate the difference between HEC-HMS and HydroCAD, as well as to show how utilizing storage in a drainage area is completed using HydroCAD.
3. Tech Talk: What Do I Need to Run HEC-HMS or HydroCAD?
- If you watched either of the Intro to HEC-HMS or Intro to HydroCAD Tech Talks and wondered "But how do I obtain the information I need to enter into those programs?" Well this is the Tech Talk for you! Amanda Deans will showcase how to break-up drainage areas and how to gather the information needed to run a hydrology model.
- Tech Talk Replay from February 27, 2023. Elizabeth Oolman reviews culvert basics, demonstrates how to design a culvert using a nomograph, and demonstrates how to design a culvert using HY-8.
NRCS GIS Watershed Tools Training
1. ArcGIS Pro Watershed Tools Demo (pre 2026 Beta version)
- This 30 minute demonstration steps through watershed delineation and runoff curve number steps in ArcGIS Pro using the NRCS GIS toolbox. It includes where to find the toolbox, an example watershed delineation, and shows what your watershed maps should include.
2. ArcGIS Pro Watershed Tools Demo (2026 version)
- This 45 minute demonstration walks through the watershed delineation and runoff curve number steps in ArcGIS Pro using the NRCS GIS Toolbox that was released in early 2026. The video starts with where to obtain the tools and how to load them into a project. Also shown are examples of what to include on hydrology documentation maps.
Hydrology Resources
1. Minnesota | Field Office Technical Guide | NRCS - USDA
Link to MN NRCS engineering tools in FOTG section 4. Several tools related to hydrology and hydraulics can be downloaded from here.
Link to NRCS website to download Technical Tools.
The EFH-2 software implements the procedures described in the NEH 650 - Engineering Field Handbook Chapter 2 (EFH-2) for estimating runoff and peak discharge. Required information includes watershed characteristics (drainage area, runoff curve number, watershed length, watershed slope) and rainfall amount and rainfall distribution. The link above will take you to the NRCS Tech Tools page. Find and download the latest version of EFH-2
Hydraulics
Basic Hydraulics Training
1. Tech Talk: Intro to Hydraulics
- TTCP Training Engineers Pat Schultz and Amanda Deans dive into all things hydraulics. They provide an introduction into channel flow, orifice flow, weir flow, and pipe flow.
- Time: 15:55, Suggested viewing: 10:20; The NRCS Oklahoma State Engineer demonstrates pipe hydraulics in a lab setting. He shows several types of inlets and their effects on pipe flow efficiency.
Advanced Hydraulics Training
1. Tech Talk: HEC-HMS - Modeling a Grade Stabilization Structure
- TTCP Training Engineer Amanda Deans runs through an example using HEC-HMS to model a Grade Stabilization Structure.