Watershed Characteristics

Channel Geomorphology
Channel Length
g
• Two computational schemes are used to
compute the channel length:
• 1. The distance measured along the main
channel from the watershed outlet to the end of
the
h channel
h l as indicated
i di d on a map, which
hi h is
i
denoted as Lc.
• 2.
2 The distance measured along the main
channel between two points located 10 and 85%
of the distance along the channel from the
outlet,
l which
hi h is
i denoted
d d as L10-85.
Channel Length
g
• These definitions
along with the
watershed length
are illustrated in
Figure
Channel Slope
p
• The channel slope can be described with any one
of a number of computational schemes. The
most common is

• in which ΔEc is the difference in elevation (ft)

between the points defining the upper and lower
ends of the channel,, and Lc is the length
g of the
channel (ft) between the same two points.
Channel Slope
p
• The 10-85 slope can also be used

• in which ΔE10-85 is the difference in elevation (ft)

between the points defining the channel length
L10-85
Drainage
g Density
y
• The drainage density (D) is the ratio of the total
length of streams within a watershed to the total
area of the watershed; thus D has units of the
reciprocal of length.
• A high value of the drainage density would
indicate a relatively high density of streams and
thus a rapid storm response.
Drainage
g Density
y (Horton's
( Laws))
• Horton developed a set of "laws" that are
indicators of the g
geomorphological
p g
characteristics of watersheds.
• The stream order is a measure of the degree of
stream branching within a watershed.
• Each length of stream is indicated by its order
(f example,
(for l first-order,
fi t d second-order
d d etc.).
t )
Drainage
g Density
y (Horton's
( Laws))
• A first-order stream is an unbranched tributary,
and a second-order stream is a tributaryy formed
by two or more first-order streams.
• A third-order stream is formed by two or more
second-order streams, and in general, an nth
order stream is a tributary formed by two or
more streams of order (n-1)
(n 1) streams of lower
order.
Bifurcation Ratio
• The bifurcation ratio (Rb) is defined as the ratio
of the number of streams of any order to the
number of streams of the next higher order.
Values of Rb typically range from 2 to 4.
• First Order
Streams = 177

• Second Order
Streams = 6

• Third Order
St ea s = 2
Streams

• Fourth Order
Streams = 1
Channel Cross Sections
• Many types of design problems require cross-
section information,
information including the cross-
cross
sectional area.
• The wetted perimeter, slope, roughness, and
average velocity are other important
characteristics.
Channel Cross Sections
Channel Cross Sections
• The calculations of water surface profiles are
usually performed using hydraulic computations
in computer programs such as the Corps of
Engineers' HEC
Engineers HEC-2/HEC-RAS
2/HEC RAS or the Soil
Conservation Service WSP-2 by using the
channel cross sections as major input data.
Channel Roughness
g
• The roughness of a surface affects the
characteristics of runoff,
runoff whether the water is on
the surface of the watershed or in the channel.
• With respect to the hydrologic cycle, the
roughness of the surface retards the flow.
Channel Roughness
g
• Manning's roughness coefficient (n) is required
for a number of hydraulic computations.
computations
• It is a necessary input in floodplain delineation.

• Note: The Manning’s n value can be estimated

by certain ggiven methods and Tables
b in the
literature.
TRAVEL TIME
• Most hydrologic designs involve some measure
of a flood discharge.
discharge
• Discharges have units of volume per time (L3/T)
such as ft3/sec, m3/sec, or acre
acre-ft/day.
ft/day.
TRAVEL TIME
• As the dimensions of discharge indicate, time is
an important element in hydrologic design.
design
• A given volume of water may or may not present
a flood hazard.
• The hazard will depend on the time distribution
of the flood runoff.
TRAVEL TIME
• The most frequently used time parameters are
the time of concentration,
concentration the lag time,
time the time
to peak, the time to equilibrium, and the time-
area curve.
• Time parameters are usually defined in terms of
either the physical characteristics of a watershed
or the distribution of rainfall excess and direct
runoff.
Empirical
p Formulas
• There are certain empirical formulas that have
been developed in order to define the Travel
Time or Lag time.
The Carter lag equation for partially
sewered watersheds
• Using data from the Washington, D.C., area, Carter
(1961) calibrated an equation for predicting the
watershed lag for watersheds that have natural channels
and partially sewered land use.
• The
Th length
l th (Lm ini miles)
il ) andd slope
l (Sm in
i ft/mile)
ft/ il )
variables in the equation should be measured from the
longest channel. Here tc is the time of concentration
(min).
The Eagleson
g lag
g model
• Eagleson (1962) presented an equation for
predicting the time between the center of gravity
of the rainfall excess and the peak of direct
runoff

• in which Lf is the hydraulic length (ft),

(ft) R is the
hydraulic radius (ft), Sf is the slope of the
principal flow path (ft/ft), and tc is the time of
concentration (min).
The Espey-Winslow equation
• Espey and Winslow calibrated an equation for
predicting the time to peak using data measured
in Houston from 1964
9 4 to 1967.
9 7
• The value of Ф is the sum of two parts, one
indicating the amount of channel vegetation and
the other indicating the degree of channel
improvement.

• LC is the channel length (ft), Sc is the channel

slope (ft/ft),
(ft/ft) I is the percent imperviousness and
tc is the time of concentration (min).
Federal Aviation Agency
g y equation
q
• Equation was developed from airfield drainage
data (FAA,
(FAA 1970)

• C is the Rational Formula runoff coefficient, L is

the flow length
g ((ft),
), S is the slope
p ((ft/ft),
/ ), and tc is
the time of concentration (min).
Kerby-Hathaway
y y formula
• Kerby (1959) calibrated the Equation as for
computing the time of concentration on very
small watersheds in which surface flow
dominates

• L is the flow length (ft), Sc is the slope (ft/ft), and

tc is the time of concentration (min).
Kirpich's
p methods
• Kirpich (1940) calibrated two equations for
computing the time of concentration (min) for
small watersheds in Pennsylvania

• and Tennessee

• The length (ft) and slope (ft/ft) parameters in

the equations are for the channel
The SCS lag
g formula
• The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) provided an
equation for estimating the watershed lag,
lag which
was defined as the time in hours from the center
of mass of the excess rainfall to the peak
discharge.
• Thus, tc in min is
The SCS lag
g formula

• in which L is the watershed length (ft) and S is

the watershed slope (ft/ft)
The Runoff Curve Numbers
The Runoff Curve Numbers
• The SCS runoff curve number (CN) was
developed as an index that represents the
combination of a hydrologic soil group and a
land use and treatment class.
• Empirical analyses suggested that the CN was a
function of three factors:
• soil group,
• the cover complex, and
• antecedent moisture conditions.
Soil Group
p Classification
• The soil scientists of the U.S. Soil Conservation
Service (SCS) classified more than 4000 soils on
the basis of their runoff potential and grouped
them into four hydrologic soil groups that are
identified by the letters A, B, C, and D.
Soil Group
p Classification
• Soil characteristics that are associated with each
group are given in Table 3.17.
3 17
Soil Group
p Classification
• The SCS soil group can be identified at a site
using one of three ways:
• 1. Soil characteristics
• 2.
2 County soil surveys
• 3. Minimum infiltration rate
Soil Group
p Classification
• The soil characteristics associated with each
group are given in Table 3-17
3 17 and provide one
means of identifying the SCS soil group and are
discussed in County soil surveys, which are
available from Soil Conservation Districts that
give detailed descriptions of the soils at locations
within a county; these surveys are usually the
best means of identifying the soil group.
Soil Group
p Classification
• As a third method, soil sampling and analysis
can also be used to estimate the minimum
infiltration rates, which can be used to classify
the soil using the following values:
Soil Group
p Classification
Cover Complex
p Classification
• The SCS cover complex classification consists of
three factors: land use,
use treatment or practice,
practice
and hydrologic condition.
• The hydrologic condition reflects the level of
land management.
• It is separated
p into three classes:
• poor,
• fair, and
• good.
Hydrologic
y g Condition
• The type of vegetation or ground cover on a watershed,
and the qqualityy or densityy of that cover, have a major
j
impact on the infiltration capacity of a given soil.
• Further refinement in the cover type is provided by the
definition of cover q
qualityy as follows:
• Poor: Heavily grazed or regularly burned areas. Less
than 50% of the ground surface is protected by plant
cover or brush and tree canopy.
canopy
• Fair: Moderate cover with 50 to 75% of the ground
surface protected by vegetation.
• Good: Heavy or dense cover with more than 75% of the
ground surface protected by vegetation.
Curve Number Tables
• Table 3-18 shows the CN values for the different
land uses,
uses treatment,
treatment and hydrologic condition;
separate values are given for each soil group.
Curve Number Tables
Curve Number Tables
Curve Number Tables
Antecedent Soil Moisture Condition
• Antecedent soil moisture is known to have a
significant effect on both the volume and rate of
runoff.
• Recognizing that it is a significant factor, SCS
developed three antecedent soil moisture
conditions, which were labeled I, II, and III
Antecedent Soil Moisture Condition
• The soil condition for each is as follows
• Condition I: Soils are dry but not to wilting
point; satisfactory cultivation has taken place
• Condition II: Average conditions
• Condition III: Heavy rainfall, or light rainfall
and low temperatures
p have occurred within the
last five days; saturated soil
Estimation of CN Values for Urban
Land Uses
• Th
The CN table
bl (Table
(T bl 3-1 8) provides
id CN values
l f a number
for b off
urban land uses.
• For each of these, the CN is based on a specific percent of
imperviousness.
• For example, the CN values for commercial land use are based
on an imperviousness
p of 85%.
5 For urban land uses with
percentages of imperviousness different than those shown in
Table 3-18, curve numbers can be computed using a weighted
CN approach, with a CN of 98 used for the impervious areas
and the CN for open space (good condition) used for the
pervious portion of the area.
Estimation of CN Values for Urban
Land Uses
• These are the same CN values for pasture in
good condition.
condition The following equation can be
used to compute a weighted CN (CNw):
Estimation of CN Values for Urban
Land Uses
• In the equation ‘f’ is the fraction (not
percentage) of imperviousness and CNp is the
curve number for the pervious portion (39,61,74,
or 80).
Estimation of CN Values for Urban
Land Uses
• Equation 3-58 can be placed in graphical form (see
Figure 3-21a).
• By entering with the percentage of imperviousness
on the vertical axis at the center of the figure and
moving horizontally to the pervious area CN, the
weighted
i h d CN can be b read. d
• The examples given for commercial land use can
be used to illustrate the use of Figure
g 3-21a for an
85% imperviousness.
• For a commercial land area with 60%
imperviousness
p on a B soil,, the composite
p CN would
be
Estimation of CN Values for Urban
Land Uses
• The same value can be obtained from Figure 3-
21a.
21a