Overview

This one-day training course deals with low flow occurrence in rivers in the UK and Ireland. The course has three main objectives:

• To provide an understanding of the flow processes for low flows 


• To provide an overview of the standard methods of analysing low flows


• To provide some understanding and guidance of when and where these methods should provide useful results

Who should attend

This course is intended for non-specialists who require an overview of the hydrology of low flows and an introduction to the standard techniques of low flow analysis.  It is particularly relevant to those involved in water resource management, the ecological management of rivers, licensing of abstractions or discharges to rivers of chemicals or other potential pollutants.

Course outcomes

After the course delegates will understand:

• Hydrological processes and their link to low flows


• Flow measurement during low flow conditions


• Techniques for analysing low flows 


• Impacts of low flow 

Topics covered

Hydrological and anthropogenic controls on low flows:

• Controls on low flow development  and how these vary for different UK rivers


• Discussion of impacts of river abstractions and reservoir  releases on flow regimes

How low is the flow?

• Issues associated with measuring river flows during periods of low flow.  We will also look at flow naturalisation and basic data processing

Low flow analysis and characterisation

• Application of  key techniques for analysing low flows, including flow duration curves, flow accretion and depletion relationships, baseflow separation, low flow severity indices and low flow event frequency estimation.  Methodologies for low flow estimation in ungauged catchments are also briefly covered


• Ecological impacts, water resource and water quality management and navigation

Related courses

• Introduction to the Modelling of Water Resource Systems


• Urban Hydrology


• Introduction to Water Management for Sensitive Water Environments

Presenter

Dr Maxine Zaidman BSc CEnv MCIWEM C.WEM

Summary

• Introductory one day course


• Full set of course notes and worked examples will be provided


• Counts as 6 CPD/CET hours