river engineering, from the past to the future (evaluation of approaches and outlooks)

rivers are among the most important surface water resources which have always been of significance throughout the history of mankind. this significance is due to human dependence on water for answering his needs such as agriculture, water transfer, flood control and water transportation. in the past, it was assumed that basic measures such as exploiting rivers or managing floods were only limited to the river engineering whereas they fell into the river management and reclamation domain. however, in the modern sense of the word, river engineering is not much older than 50 to 60 years and it is considered a relatively new branch of water civil engineering in our country. this one-dimensional view of river engineering should be lifted. before engaging in the advance levels of this science, experts require sufficient practical knowledge of hydrology, geology and environment. each river is unique and it is never wise to generalize the results of a scientific observation or experiment to other rivers. the present research refers to the experiences and guidelines of united states army corps of engineers (usace) for educating competent river engineers in the future and expanding the knowledge of the experts who are engaged in this field.