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Streams - Objectives

Clemson Hydrogeology Field Camp

Clemson Hydrogeology Field Camp

Stream gauging and hydraulic gradient

Upon completion, students will be able to:

  • Measure the volumetric flow rate in a stream
  • Characterize the change in flow with distance
  • Use Manning's Law with stream gauging to characterize channel roughness

Using a pygmy meter to measure stream velocity

Measuring stream gradient

Using a manometer to determine stream velocity

Interaction between groundwater and surface water

Upon completion, students will be able to:

  • Characterize the interaction between groundwater and surface water
  • Measure the groundwater discharge to a stream
  • Measure the vertical hydraulic head gradient in a stream bed
  • Estimate the hydraulic conductivity of a stream bed

Students installing seepage meters 

Student installing seepage meter

Student inspecting seepage meter

Student setting up seepage meter

Water balance and water quality

Upon completion, students will be able to:

  • Recognize a stream hydrograph
  • Be aware of methods for analyzing hydrographs and recognizing some of the insights that can be gained from them 
  • Be aware of factors affecting water quality and basic measurements of water quality
  • Make water quality measurements and use them to make hydrogeologic inferences

Water and sediment sampling

Upon completion, students will be able to:

  • Use methods for sampling surface water and groundwater
  • Use selected methods for sampling and characterizing water
  • Take sediment cores and analyze the rain-size distribution
  • Measure the bed-load transport rate across the width of the channel

TA explaining the use of stream sediment coring tool

Students preparing to use bedload sampler

Nice place to be on a hot summer day