Engineering and arid-land hydrology
Maddock graduated in civil engineering from the University of Arizona in 1928, worked on pipelines and canals, and joined the Soil Conservation Service in 1935. He supervised Leopold during rainfall, runoff and watershed investigations in the Southwest from 1938 to 1942. Their collaboration resumed after the war.
References: [1]
Relationships in channel form
Their 1953 study examined relationships among channel width, depth, velocity, discharge and suspended-sediment load. It distinguished changes at a single cross-section from downstream comparisons made at equal discharge frequency, summarizing their coordinated variation with power functions.
References: [2]
Reclamation and the Geological Survey
Maddock worked on sediment and irrigation problems at the Bureau of Reclamation before joining the USGS in 1957. He headed its General Hydrology Branch in 1961–1962, then moved to Tucson as a research hydrologist.
References: [1]
Developing hydrological education
During the early development of hydrology and water-resources teaching at Arizona, Maddock and other USGS scientists helped develop curricula, teach classes and advise students. This partnership brought government experience in measurement and research into a dedicated university training programme.
References: [3]