Schlichting method for Shallow Water L.

Granowitz

Critical Depth
From J. Winters: “When a fast-moving hull encounters shallow water, the waves created by the hull
shorten and grow steeper. This causes an increase in resistance well known to paddlers who have
paddled abruptly from deep to shallow water."

The well known formula for the critical depth is:

V= g ⋅ D where D = the water depth, V = the velocity and g = the acceleration due to gravity.

The Schlichting method provides a way to estimate speed loss in shallow water (see
http://www.hydrocompinc.com/knowledge/whitepapers/HC124-ShallowWater.pdf or
http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/4000130000.pdf). Define the Depth Froude Number
(DFN) as

V
DFN = . The Schlichting method says that when,
g⋅D

DFN < 0.4 there is no speed loss

DFN = 0.6 there is a 1% speed loss
DFN = 0.8 there is a 4% speed loss
DFN = 1.0 there is a 14% speed loss

We can solve for D as a function of V and DFN getting

( .447 ⋅ V) 2
D( V , DFN) := 3.28 ⋅ Note: .447 is to change mph to meter/sec and 3.28 is to change
DFN 2 ⋅ g meters to feet.

g := 9.8 gravity acceleration

V := 4 , 4.1 .. 7 Range of velocity values

On the next page we plot D(V,DFN)

Schlichting method for Shallow Water L. Granowitz

Slowdown vs. Speed and water depth

22
20.467
20
18
16
D ( V , 1)
14
Water Depth

D ( V , .8)
12
D ( V , .6)
10
D ( V , .4)
8
6
4
2
1.069
0
4 4.25 4.5 4.75 5 5.25 5.5 5.75 6 6.25 6.5 6.75 7
4 V 7

Speed in MPH
14% Slowdown
4% Slowdown
1% Slowdown
No Slowdown

Between the pink and red curves, the shallow-water slowdown ranges between 0% and 14%. For example,
at a speed of 5.75 mph, there is no slowdown at a water depth of about 14 feet and a 14% slowdown at a
water depth of about 2 feet.