CE 55

Water Resources Engineering

RESERVOIR Building Processes

 Investigations
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Engineering surveys
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Geological investigations
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Hydrological investigations
 Engineering surveys
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For dams, reservoirs and other associated work
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Topographic survey of the area and produce
contour maps
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Horizontal control provided by triangulation and
vertical control by precise levelling (Currently
done by GIS)
 Geological investigation
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Suitability of foundation for the dam
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Watertightness of the reservoir basin
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Quarry sites for construction materials
 Hydrological investigation
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Runoff pattern and storage capacity
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Determine maximum discharge at the site
 Site Selection
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Large storage capacity
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River valley should be narrow, for lesser dam
length
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Watertightness of reservoir
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Good hydrological conditions
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Deep reservoir
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Small submerged area
 Site Selection
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Low silt inflow
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No objectionable minerals
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Low cost of real estate
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Site easily accessible
Zones of Storage
 Zones of Storage
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Full Reservoir Level (FRL) – highest water level
during normal operating conditions
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Maximum Water Level (MWL) – maximum
water level at which surface will rise when the
design flood passes over the spillway
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Minimum Pool Level (MPL) – lowest level up to
which water is withdrawn from reservoir under
ordinary conditions
 Zones of Storage
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Dead Storage – volume of water held below
minimum pool level; to cater for sediment
deposition; normally equivalent to volume of
sediment expected to be deposited in the
reservoir during its design life
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Live/Useful Storage – volume of water between
FRL and MPL
 Zones of Storage
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Bank storage – developed in voids of soil cover
in the reservoir area; becomes available as
seepage when water levels drop; increases
reservoir capacity over and above that given by
elevation storage curves
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Valley storage – volume of water held by natural
river channel before the construction of a
reservoir
 Zones of Storage
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Flood/Surcharge storage – volume between
MRL and FRL; varies with spillway capacity of
dam for given design flood.
 Safe Yield
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Yield – volume of water which can be withdrawn
from a reservoir in a specified period of time
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Safe Yield – maximum quantity of water which
can be supplied from a reservoir in a specified
period of time during a critical dry year
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Secondary Yield – volume available during the
period of high flow when yield si more than safe
yield
 Safe Yield
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Average Yield – arithmetic average of firm yield
and secondary yield over a long period of time
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Design Yield – yield adopted in the design of
the reservoir; usually fixed after considering the
urgency of the water needs and the amount of
risk involved
 Reservoir Capacity
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depends upon the inflow available and demand
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if inflow in the river is greater than demand,
then there is no storage required
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if inflow in the river is small but the demand is
high, a large reservoir capacity is required
 Reservoir Capacity
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Required capacity can be determined by
– Graphical method using mass curves
– Analytical method