ENVE 382Hydrology and Open Channel Flow

Units: 0.50
Faculty: Engineering
Subject: Environmental Engineering
Cross-listed: CIVE 382

When it runs

Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Introduction to the water cycle, flood frequency analysis, design storms. Analysis of hydrographs and rainfall-runoff response mechanisms in urban and natural systems. Mass continuity and water budgets at the watershed scale. Impact of land use change on hydrologic response. Quantification of open channel flow; subcritical and supercritical flow regimes. Dynamic forces on submerged structures and low/scour beneath bridges.

Prerequisites

Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
  - CIVE105 - Mechanics 2 (0.50)
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
  - ENVE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
  - GEOE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
  - ENVE280 - Fluid Mechanics (0.50)
  - GEOE280 - Fluid Mechanics (0.50)
- Complete 1 of the following
  - Complete all of the following
    - Students must be in level 2B or higher
    - Enrolled in H-Environmental Engineering
  - Complete all of the following
    - Students must be in level 3B or higher
    - Enrolled in H-Geological Engineering

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
Section	Class	Enrolled	Meets
LEC 001	5146	66 / 70	TTh 11:30–12:50
LAB 101	5147	66 / 70	MW 12:30–14:20
TUT 201	5222	66 / 70	Th 13:30–14:20

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
Section	Class	Enrolled	Meets
LEC 001	4853	0 / 15	MW 13:00–14:20
LEC 701	1963	14 / 9999	Online or by arrangement
LAB 101	4854	0 / 4	F 08:30–10:20
LAB 102	4855	0 / 4	F 10:30–12:20
LAB 103	4856	0 / 4	F 12:30–14:20
LAB 104	4857	0 / 3	F 14:30–16:20
TUT 201	4858	0 / 15	T 14:30–15:50

Reviewed on UW Flow

63% liked it67% easy58% useful

From 8 ratings and 2 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

Lot of plug and chug. The labs are challenging to understand due to the length of the document (sometimes up to 40 pages), and I don't feel like I have learnt much of substance. What am I to learn when the assignment is just copying numbers and equations from the questions into my calculator.

Nov 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW Flow Remove this
This course uses a fairly straightforward set of hydrology equations but they were presented to us in just about the most confusing way possible. We also had one lab dedicated to learning GIS software which is used by many employers. The lab was completely useless and left us to figure it out by ourselves. I'm disappointed that I was not able to add GIS to my resume after taking this class because it wasn't taught properly at all. That would have been the one useful take away.

Mar 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW Flow Remove this

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them