ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROLOGY by V.P.

Singh

What is environmental hydrology?

Environmental hydrology is the component of water science that focuses on the
hydrological cycle with an emphasis on its interface with humans and other organisms. Most
studies in environmental hydrology deal with ecohydrology, environmental flows or in stream
flow requirements and water quality/quantity analysis and modeling.

 Ecohydrology deals with interactions between ecosystems and the hydrological

cycle at different spatiotemporal scales.

CONTENTS:
1.1 Environmental Continuum
1.2 Integrated Environmental Management
1.3 Water Continuum
1.4 Integrated Water Management
1.5 Classification of Hydrology
1.6 Definition of Environmental Hydrology
1.7 Scope of Environmental Hydrology
1.8 Role of Environmental Hydrology

1.1 Environmental Continuum

Air soil and Water constitute the environmental continuum and are vital components for
sustaining life on earth. These components are interactive and interactions amongst them are
complex. Stated another way, a management change imposed on one component of the
environmental continuum has effects that propagate to other components, and some of these
effects are unknown and cannot be quantified. The interactive nature requires that the
environment is managed and protected as a cohesive whole (Or a system). This can be
accomplished by an integrated approach to environmental management that clearly has to be
interdisciplinary. Such an approach may entail the management of individual components with
proper accounting of their interactions and dependencies. Thus, the management of air, soil,
and water must be undertaken in an integrated manner.
1.2 Integrated Environmental Management

Worldwide, environmental systems are rarely managed as a cohesive whole. That is

partly because air, soil, and water resources have been and continue to be managed by
independent organizations having little interaction amongst them.

1.3 Water Continuum

Water exists in different forms— as water vapor in the atmosphere, as liquid water in
oceans, streams, lakes, etc. (or hydrosphere) and lithosphere, and as snow and ice on the land
surface. The flow of water observed in rivers evolves as a continuum comprising surface flow
(overland and channel flow), interflow, and base flow. These components occur concurrently but
their relative magnitudes vary with time.

For example, for a burst of rainfall, surface runoff predominates during the rising part of
the streamflow hydrograph, interflow during the early part of its recession, and baseflow during
the delayed part of its recession. The mechanisms governing these components are different
but are influenced by dynamic interactions prevailing between them. The factors controlling flow
generation can be summarized as climate, geology, topography, soil characteristics, vegetation,
and land use. The relative significance of each factor varies in time and space.

1.4 Integrated Water Management

The integrated water management should be accomplished within a spatial unit called
watershed through the instrument of modeling. Integrated water management can be viewed as
a three or more dimensional process centered on the need for water. The policy to meet the
needs and the management to implement the policy. Water elements encompassing physical,
chemical, and biological aspects of water quantity and quality may constitute the first dimension.
Water uses, including agriculture, water supply, energy generation, industry, fish production,
recreation, transportation, etc., may constitute the second dimension. Clearly, these water uses
have to be accomplished following a well-defined management policy balancing the demand for
water amongst different uses. The strategy to implement this policy may form the third
dimension. The management must be dynamic and evolve with time, in response to changing
needs and objectives. Thus, the fourth dimension may be formed by these needs and
objectives.

The water elements, their Interactions, and the effects on them of natural as well as
external constraints, as shown in Figure 1.1, constitute the foundation upon which the edifice of
integrated water management is to be built external constraints such as economic,
demographic, transportation and other forms of development directly influence one or the other
water elements. Likewise, climatic vagaries, climatic change, and climatic and a host of natural
hazards are some of the natural causes that greatly influence the water elements and have a
significant impact on integrated water management.

Fig. 1.1 Elements of a water system and their interactions.

The need for water is derived from a variety of activities in which it is used as shown in
Figure 1.2. These activities are vital for human society-its existence and development. Because
usable water is limited in its availability, it has an economic value. Furthermore, different
activities require water of differing quality. For example, for domestic use, the water of high
quality is needed. Clearly, all uses of water cannot be supported to the fullest extent, and a
management — policy has to be developed that can prioritize water use following established
criteria. There may be conflicts and interactions amongst different water uses, and these, in
turn, interact with water elements. The management policy has to incorporate all of these
considerations.

Fig. 1.2. Water use and its interactions with the water system
 The criteria, as shown in Figure 1.3, that form the foundation of the management policy
must be developed following such considerations as cost-effectiveness, economic efficiency
environmental impact, ecological and health considerations, socio-cultural aspects, to name but
a few. The criteria must be practical, implementable, and must be acceptable to society at large.
Furthermore, they must be capable of responding to changing needs of society. The resulting
policy must satisfy such interactive social goals as equity, efficiency, environmental quality, etc.
 Fig. 1.4. Integrated water management

A model for integrated water management helps develop implementable solutions to

water resources and environmental problems by combining into an optimization scheme all the
essential component models. The model incorporates or accumulates all of the interactive
forces or influences. Hence, it aids the decision-making process and keeps the policy results
within the intersection of the social goals of the management policy and the legal constraints.

Fundamental to integrated water management is hydrologic modeling. The hydrologic

models abound in hydrologic literature (Singh, 1989), and the state of the art of hydrologic
modeling is reasonably advanced, especially when viewed in the context of practical application.
However, these models place much greater on water quantity than on water quality and have
yet to become common planning or decision-making tools. To that end, two milestones will have
to be achieved.

1.5 Classification of Hydrology

Hydrology can be classified depending upon the source of water characteristics of water,
the subject matter (or scientific content) to be included, the technique of solution to be
employed, or the area of emphasis.

1.5.1 Properties of Water

Depending upon the properties of water to be emphasized in stud hydrology can

be classified as (1) water quantity hydrology, and (2) Water-quality hydrology. Many
people equate -water-quality hydrology to environmental hydrology. Each branch
includes consideration of water of all sources.

1.5.2 Sources of Water

It is customary to classify hydrology based on the source producing water.

Accordingly, this classification consists of (1) atmospheric hydrology, (2) surface-water
hydrology, (3) unsaturated-zone (or vadose-zone) hydrology, (4) saturated-zone (or
groundwater) hydrology, (5) lake hydrology, and (6) snow and ice hydrology.
Atmospheric hydrology is sometimes referred to as hydrometeorology. Surface-water
hydrology is also called stream hydrology. Unsaturated-zone hydrology and saturated-
zone hydrology can be combined to form subsurface-water hydrology. Lake Hydrology
and snow and ice hydrology can be merged with surface-water hydrology. Each branch
of hydrology must encompass the physical, biological, and chemical aspects of water.

1.5.3 Scientific Content

Depending upon the scientific direction to be emphasized, hydrology can be

classified as (1) physical hydrology, (2) chemical hydrology, and (3) biological hydrology.
Traditionally, physical hydrology has been the area of emphasis, largely because of its
ubiquitous application to water resources engineering design. However chemical
hydrology, as well as Biological hydrology, are receiving increasing attention these days
due to heightened awareness of environmental problems.

1.5.4 Solution Technique

The techniques of solving hydrologic prob ms carp be distinguished as either

mathematical or statistical, Tine mathematical techniques can be analytical, numerical,
digital, or systemic. Similarly, statistical techniques can be empirical, probabilistic, or
stochastic. Thus, based on solution techniques, hydrology can be classified as (1)
mathematical hydrology, and (2) statistical hydrology. Mathematical hydrology can be
further classified as (i) parametric hydrology, (ii) numerical hydrology, (iii) digital
hydrology, and (iv) systems hydrology. Similarly, statistical hydrology may consist of (i)
empirical hydrology, (ii) probabilistic hydrology, and (iii) stochastic hydrology.

1.5.5 Area of Emphasis

Depending upon the particular application of hydrology to be emphasized,

hydrology can be classified as (1) agricultural hydrology, (2) atmospheric hydrology, (3)
coastal hydrology, (4) desert hydrology, (5) forest hydrology, (6) geographical hydrology,
(7) environmental hydrology, (8) ecosystems hydrology, (9) mountainous hydrology, and
(10) wetlands hydrology. Much of the emphasis in this classification is on surficial
hydrology.

1.5.6 Basin Size

A basin, terrestrial or lithologic, constitutes the spatial unit within which many of
the hydrologic processes occur and are dealt with. The evolution of these processes
varies from one basin to the other and with the basin size. Therefore, based on the basin
 size, hydrology can be classified as (1) small-basin hydrology, (2) medium basin
hydrology, and (3) large-basin hydrology

1.5.7 Basin-Type or Land Use

The soil, vegetation, and land use (SVL) complex play a fundamental role in shaping the
hydrologic behavior of a watershed. Therefore, hydrology can be distinguished, based
on basin type or land use, as (1) agricultural hydrology (2) rural hydrology (3) desert
hydrology, (4) mountainous hydrology (5) wetland hydrology (6) urban hydrology, (7)
transportation hydrology, and (8) forest hydrology.

1.6 Definition of Environmental Hydrology

In a broad sense, environmental hydrology is all inclusive-embracing all branches of

hydrology. However, in practice, environmental hydrology has a more restricted connotation It is
primarily restricted to water-quality hydrology. In this sense, it can be defined as the science
dealing with the space-time variability of water quality and its evolution in the hydrosphere, in
streams, in lakes, in soil, as well as in the lithosphere. Thus, it includes occurrence, distribution,
and variability of water quality. In surface water, vadose-zone, and groundwater. Also included
is the water quality in the atmosphere, e.g., acid precipitation. It is in this sense that
environmental hydrology is perceived in this book. It should, however, be emphasized that
quantity and quality of water are intertwined and should conjunctively be dealt with.

The emergence of environmental hydrology can be traced to some of the landmark

problems that aroused public awareness of the environmental contamination caused by both
civilian and military establishments, and of the seriousness of these problems both in terms of
human health and economic costs. This awareness led to the passage of a series of
environmental laws since 1970 in the United States.

1.7 Scope of Environmental Hydrology

Cleaning up our nation's streams, rivers, and lakes have been of growing concern. Clean
water is not only essential to human health and general well-being but also economic welfare.
Clean water is essential for drinking water supplies, agricultural use, industrial use, commercial
and residential development recreational use, and for a healthier environment.

The subject matter of environmental hydrology can be defined to include chemical as

well as the biological quality of surface, unsaturated, and saturated waters. Because of
significant pollution occurring in the atmosphere due to activities on the land, acid precipitation
is a legitimate component of environmental hydrology. Human activities are believed to be also
influencing climate and accumulated evidence points to a likely climate change that may have
far-reaching hydrological implications. Thus, a discussion of climate change also constitutes a
part of environmental hydrology. A study of Eco hydrological consequences of the damage done
and being done to the environment also lies within the realm of environmental hydrology.

To further grasp its scope, it may be worthwhile to survey a sample of environmental

problems whose solution depends on critical input of environmental hydrology: (1) Design of
waste disposal facilities such as treatment plants, lagoons, landfills, etc.; (2) quantification of
environmental pollution; (3) design of pollution abatement schemes; (4) hazardous waste
management; (5) aqua cultural production; (6) construction of wetlands; (7) wetlands
restoration; (8) lake restoration and management; (9) health-rise assessment; (10) health-
hazard mitigation; (1 1) groundwater clean up; (12) strategies for controlling encroachment of
saltwater -intrusion; (13) environmental planning, management, and restoration; (14) dynamic
interaction between components of the environmental continuum; (15) integrated approach to
physical, chemicals and biological aspects of ecosystems, etc.

1.8 Role of Environmental Hydrology

Water quantity and water quality processes constitute an integral part of the natural
hydrologic environment. These two processes are in continuous dynamic interaction so that
proper assessment, development, and management of water resources require a full
understanding of these processes. Although water quantity has historically been the primary
factor controlling the use of water resources, water quality is critical in terms of pollution control
and environmental management — a very important issue in a world increasingly aware of
environmental concerns — and is increasingly becoming critical in determining the amount of
available water that can be used to meet specific water demand.

The general trend in water quality management to date has been are permanent.
Although economic costs of this mess and its clean up are being debated, its costs in terms of
human health, plant life, or the entire ecosystem have yet to receive the attention they deserve.
Major water quality issues that need collective public and government attention include: (1)
Contamination of drinking water supplies, (2) risk to human health and cost of clean up, (3)
prevention and mitigation of environmental hazards, (5) impact of toxic and other contaminants
on the aquatic environment, (4) impact of land use on water quality, (6) chemical contamination
of fish and aquatic life, (7) impact of airborne pollutants on water quality, (8) public perception of
water quality, (9) conflicts over water quality use, (10) water quality monitoring, (11) pollution of
waters used for recreation, (12) impact of water resources projects on the aquatic ecosystems,
etc. Environmental hydrology will a critical role in addressing all of these issues.