Undergraduate hydrogeology courses include a range of technical topics from fluid mechanics to aqueous geochemistry. But, the actual practice of hydrogeology in the “real world” focuses only on a few fundamental principles and topics that can be effectively taught in geological field camps attended by most undergraduate geology majors. This paper reviews how the author teaches his “top ten” hydrogeologic principles in two weeks of hydrogeologic activities at the University of Missouri's Branson Geology Field Camp (Wind River Range, WY).

The “Hydrogeologist's Credo” (Principle 1), “REDOX Realities” (Principle 2), and the “Plumage Principle” (Principle 3) are taught by evaluating the contamination potential of the Fremont County landfill. Students learn about “Groundwater Types and the Mark of Zorro” (Principle 4), Darcy's Law (Principle 5), “Contouring Confusion” (Principle 6), the “Perfidy of POTS” (Principle 7), and “In and Out: Surfacewater-Groundwater Interaction” (Principle 8) while studying riparian zones along Red Canyon Creek. “Bounding Boundaries” (Principle 9) is taught by calculating the water budget for Dry Lake (which never goes dry!). Finally, to cap the field season, students learn Principle 10, the “Mixing for Chemistry Mastery”, taught in the context of a spectacular karst dye tracing experiment incorporating the river that provides drinking water for the Town of Lander. Former Branson students, now employed by environmental consulting firms, report that the critical thinking skills they gained during their field experiences made them far more knowledgeable than their colleagues who were trained traditionally, sometimes with more extensive formal hydrogeologic coursework.