In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the critical role of hydrology in the understanding of Earth's natural systems, especially with changing climate patterns and increasing pressure on water resources. Hydrologists work hand-in-hand with meteorologists to communicate messaging and provide important impact-based decision support services to emergency managers and decision makers when it comes to water-related disasters.  This emphasizes the importance of having operational hydrologists within all levels of government to help inform decisions around water management and reduce risks.

Hydrologists come from diverse backgrounds in geosciences and engineering, yet there is a lack of knowledge, especially for students, that hydrology is an application of meteorology and can be a career path. This session aims to create awareness of operational hydrology at the federal, state, and local levels through panel discussions and informative talks from those in the field.