Best Groundwater & Flood Control Books of 2025

Harvesting Rainwater for Your Homestead in 9 Days or Less by seksok is a complete stress-free blueprint to building an above-ground, dry rainwater harvesting system in just 9 days or less. With step-by-step illustrated instructions and the amazing 7-step QuickRain Blueprint, even beginners can easily collect pure, clean rainwater with minimal time, budget, and hassle. The book offers adaptable solutions for homesteaders of all backgrounds, as well as anyone looking to create a reliable backup water supply. This book is a must-read for those who want to unlock their family's independent, clean, and off-grid water source.

"Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River" by David Owen is an eye-opening account of the Colorado River, tracing all the water from its headwaters to its parched terminus. Owen takes readers on an adventure downriver, exploring a complex man-made ecosystem of waterways, reservoirs, power plants, farms, fracking sites, ghost towns, and RV parks. The story he tells is crucial to our future, highlighting how a patchwork of engineering marvels, legal agreements, aging infrastructure, and cooperation enables life to flourish in the desert. This wonderfully written book gives readers a headache, but a good one that makes them more informed. Overall, a great, sad, terrifying, and possibly hopeful example of the permanent mark people are making on the planet."

This book provides a comprehensive guide to designing, building, and maintaining water storage systems for domestic supply, fire protection, and emergency use. It covers various types of storage options, including tanks, cisterns, aquifers, and ponds, and offers ecologically sound designs to keep costs low. The book includes instructions for building ferro-cement water tanks. The reviews praise the book for its practical design solutions, comprehensive illustrations, and thorough treatment of a topic vital to our survival. This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to manage their independent water system or prepare for disasters.

Draining New Orleans by Richard Campanella is a comprehensive account of the history of New Orleans' drainage system. The book covers the challenges and innovative solutions that were used to dewater the city's swamps and marshes for urban expansion. Campanella provides a historical background dating back two centuries earlier and examines the consequences of dewatering New Orleans. The book is not only a story about mud and machinery but also a history of people, power, and the making of place. Campanella's writing style is engaging, and he emphasizes the role of individuals who spearheaded projects to create lucrative opportunities for the community and themselves. Overall, this book is an outstanding contribution to U.S. State & Local History Books.

The Civil Engineering Reference Manual for the PE Exam, 15th Ed by Michael R. Lindeburg, PE is a well-known engineering reference book that has helped millions of engineers worldwide. However, the book is no longer up to date, and readers are advised to opt for the current edition, PE Civil Reference Manual by PPI. The book is structured in independent chapters, allowing readers to start with any topic and work through it. It contains codes, standards, and regulations that form the basis of the exam. The author's teaching experience is evident through the book's careful organization and clear explanations. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for civil engineers preparing for the PE exam.

The book "Methods in Karst Hydrogeology: IAH: International Contributions to Hydrogeology, 26" is a comprehensive guide to studying karstified aquifers, which are significant sources of drinking water. It covers various techniques such as hydraulic investigations, hydrochemistry, geophysics, isotope chemistry, and modeling, with a focus on their application in karst systems. Additionally, the book explores karst-specific techniques such as speleological exploration of aquifers and water tracing. The book's authors are experts in their respective fields, providing a thorough review of karst methods. This book is unique in its emphasis on karst systems and will be of great interest to hydrogeologists and students of karst hydrogeology.

The Laboratory Manual for Groundwater, Wells, and Pumps is a comprehensive guide to managing sustainable groundwater development programs. It covers practical guidance on measuring groundwater flow, aquifer properties, soil properties, well design, and the latest information on pumps and groundwater modeling. This book is a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, professionals, and administrators involved in managing water resources, exploring groundwater, designing, and formulating strategies for sustainable management and development. The author, Dr. Rohitashw Kumar, provides a multi-disciplinary overview of groundwater that is both informative and accessible.

The second edition of "Applied Groundwater Modeling: Simulation of Flow and Advective Transport" is a comprehensive reference for environmental consultants and scientists/engineers in industry and governmental agencies. It provides an expanded discussion of the fundamentals of applied groundwater modeling, focusing on finite-difference and finite-element models with updated coverage of particle tracking and advances in model calibration and uncertainty analysis. The book is a "must-use" for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses and an outstanding reference book for professional groundwater scientists and engineers. Overall, it is an excellent resource for those interested in the practical application of groundwater models.

Mary Jo O'Rear's Barrier to the Bays is a fascinating account of the prehistory and history of the Texas barrier islands, exploring the complex interplay between people and economies struggling to survive in a region dominated by indifferent forces of nature. The book stresses the importance of technology in the settlement and development of the region, highlighting the centrality of navigation technology as an integral part of the barrier isle story. Overall, O'Rear's research and writing are stunning, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in the economic history of the Coastal Bend.

The Water Resources and Environmental Depth Reference Manual for the Civil PE Exam is an excellent resource for those preparing for the water resources and environmental depth section of the NCEES PE Civil Water Resources and Environmental Exam. It covers all the necessary concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, with example problems and end-of-chapter problems for practice. The comprehensive reference manual is packed with tables, figures, and appendices to help solve problems. Overall, this book is a valuable tool for anyone studying for the Civil PE exam.