The following blog post is a curated collection of YouTube videos tailored specifically for water resources engineers. In today’s digital age, video content has become an invaluable resource for those who are seeking to expand their knowledge base, learn new techniques/methods, and keep up with the latest trends in the industry. Whether you are an experienced water resources engineer or someone who is just starting in the industry, these videos are valuable because they cover a diverse range of topics related to hydrology and hydraulics, environmental sustainability, and water management practices.
The following list is comprised of YouTube channels that I have found valuable in my career. These YouTube channels and podcasts are not listed in any particular order.
Australian Water School
Link: www.youtube.com/@AustralianWaterSchool
The Australian Water School is a business unit of Water Research Australia. Although the name of this channel is the Australian Water School, the content is relevant to hydraulic engineers in general. The channel contains over 190 videos about various water-related topics such as groundwater, GIS, hydrology, HEC-RAS modeling, climate change, sediment transport modeling, and so much more. The Australian Water School also has great webinars for water resources professionals who want to sharpen their Python coding skills.
RAS Solution
Link: www.youtube.com/@TheRASSolution
The RAS Solution is a YouTube channel that contains a ton of tutorials and informational videos about HEC-RAS and hydraulic modeling. This channel also contains the Full Momentum Vodcast, which is hosted by Chris Goodell (author of the RAS Solution blog). If you are someone who is seeking to sharpen your HEC-RAS/hydraulic modeling skills, I strongly recommend this channel. The information presented in this channel is better than what you will learn in an expensive multi-day training session.
Engineering Management Institute (EMI)
Link: www.youtube.com/@EngineeringManagement
The Engineering Management Institute (EMI) is a company that produces a lot of content. They have a YouTube channel, several podcasts, and a blog. EMI is focused on the project management (PM) and business side of the civil engineering industry. The YouTube channel and podcasts consists of long-form interviews where industry professionals share their expertise and experience in the industry.
Tom Haws YouTube Channel and Blog
Link: www.youtube.com/@TomHaws
Tom Haws, a civil engineer based in Arizona, has a blog and YouTube channel that shares AutoCAD Civil 3D tips and insights about HEC-RAS modeling. Tom has also created a tool called Construction Notes Manager (CNM) for generating bubble notes. He has published YouTube how-to videos and written tutorials to help CNM users. Finally, Tom has shared some insights about owning a civil engineering firm on his blog. If you use AutoCAD Civil 3D regularly, I recommend checking out Tom’s YouTube channel.
Civil Engineering Academy Podcast
Link: https://civilengineeringacademy.com/podcast/
The Civil Engineering Academy offers review courses and practice exams to help engineers prepare for the PE exam. Civil Engineering Academy Podcast consists of interviews with civil engineers to discuss their experiences in the industry.
Stanford Gibson
Link: www.youtube.com/@stanfordgibson
Stanford Gibson is a civil engineer who works for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to sediment transport modeling and HEC-RAS modeling. This channel is very technical, but it is a fantastic resource for civil engineers who want to learn more about sediment transport modeling in HEC-RAS. Gibson also has a podcast channel called the RSM River Mechanics Podcast where he interviews sediment transport and hydraulic engineering professionals.
Practical Engineering
Link: www.youtube.com/@PracticalEngineeringChannel
The Practical Engineering channel is run by Grady Hillhouse, a civil engineer from Texas. Practical Engineering is probably the largest engineering-related channel on YouTube. Grady explains various engineering concepts in a simple way that is easy to understand. I like his videos because the content helps me understand the work of other civil engineering disciplines more fully.
ATG
Link: www.youtube.com/@Atgusa
ATG is a YouTube channel that contains tips and tricks to improve your AutoCAD skills. Although CAD is not unique to water resources engineers, solid drafting skills are important to ensure that your plans are effective and communicate what needs to be constructed.
River Geeks
Link: www.youtube.com/@RiverGeeks
The River Geeks YouTube Channel is one of the lesser-known YouTube channels on this channel. I think this is because this channel has only uploaded 20 videos. Unfortunately, it looks like the creators have stopped uploading videos as of early 2024. I like this channel because it includes some videos that describe how to use QGIS with HEC-RAS. One of the most unique videos I have seen on this channel is a video that describes how to create velocity animations within QGIS. Although ArcGIS is the default GIS software in the water resources industry, QGIS is a powerful, freely available option. If you are somebody who only uses GIS software to process HEC-RAS output data, it is worth watching these videos and learning about QGIS.
Brad Lancaster’s YouTube Channel
Link: www.youtube.com/@HarvestingRainwater
Brad Lancaster is the author of the book Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond. He has a unique perspective when it comes to water management and site design. If you work in the world of stormwater management or low-impact development (LID) design, I recommend checking out his channel. His work has certainly morphed my perspective about land and water management.
The Water Zone
Link: https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-pkum5-3510f8
The Water Zone is a podcast sponsored by the Toro Company, a landscape irrigation company. The podcast hosts are experienced irrigation professionals. At the beginning of every episode, Chris Austen, the founder and publisher of Maven’s Notebook discusses the latest news in California water politics. I would highly recommend this podcast to any civil/water resources engineer living in California or the western United States.