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Introduction
Water Resources engineering: is concerned with the analysis and design of systems to control the
quantity, quality, timing, distribution of water to meet the needs of human habitation and the
environment.

The core science of water resources engineering is Hydrology, which deals with the occurrence,
distribution, movement and properties of water on and below the surface of earth, and in the
atmosphere. Also, it consider various forms of moisture that occur, and the transformation between
the liquid, solid and gaseous states in the atmosphere and in the surface layers of landmasses

Engineering Hydrology uses hydrologic principles in the solution of engineering problems arising
from human exploitation of the earth. The engineering hydrologist, or water resources engineer, is
involved in the planning, analysis, design, construction and operation of projects for the control,
utilization and management of water resources.

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a single outlet and is separated from other neighboring
watersheds by a water divide line.It appears based on topography.

Generally, water moves downhill, and thus the watershed outlet is at the lowest point in the
watershed.

Note: Watershed = Catchment= Basin = Drainage Area

Water Divide Line or Divide: is a line (the ridgeline) that separates two adjacent watersheds, which
then drain into two different outlets.

The concentration time tc, of the water in a watershed is defined as being the maximum of duration
necessary for a water drop falling on the watershed surface to reach the outlet section of the
watershed. The concentration time may be assumed through field measurements or may be estimated
with empirical formulas.

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Figure 1 Watershed and divided line

Figure 2 divided line for watershed

Hydrological data
For the analysis and design of any hydrologic project or investigation adequate data and records of
sufficient length are necessary. The basic hydrological data required are:

1. Hydro-meteorological data like temperature, wind velocity, humidity etc.

2. Climatological data
3. Precipitation records of 50 to 100 years duration
4. Stream flow records of 50 to 100 years duration
5. Seasonal fluctuation of ground water table
6. Evaporation data.
7. Water quality data of surface and ground water
8. Geomorphologic studies of the basin, such as area, shape, and slope of the basin, stream
density, drainage density, tanks and reservoirs.

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Applications of Engineering Hydrology

1. Design and operation of hydraulic structures (Dams, bridges and culverts).
2. Water supply (providing drinking water)
3. Wastewater treatment and disposal
4. Irrigation and drainage (Agriculture)
5. Industry & hydropower generation
6. Mitigating and predicting flood, landslide and drought risk
7. Navigation
8. Erosion and sediment control
9. Determining the water balance of a region
10. Salinity control
11. Recreation use of water
12. Environmental applications

Hydrological Cycle
The cyclic movement of water from the sea to the atmosphere and thence by precipitation to the
Earth, where it collects in streams and runs back to the sea or ‘’ The hydrologic cycle describes the
continuous re-circulating transport of the waters of the earth, linking atmosphere, land and oceans’’

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Figure 3 the Hydrological cyclone

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Water is always in movement change states among:

Ice Liquid

Vapor

Water exists on the earth in all its three states, liquid, and solid, gaseous and in various degrees of
motion.

Figure 4 states of water

Water Distribution
About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all
Earth's water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in
the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you.

 1360 million km3 of water on the earth

 97.20% is saline
 2.8% is fresh, here 2.15% ice
 In addition, 0.65% is ground water, lakes, rivers and atmospheric water

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Water source Percent of total water

Oceans, Seas, 96.54
Ice caps, Permanent Snow 1.74
Groundwater 1.69
Fresh 0.76
Saline 0.93

Soil Moisture 0.001

Ground Ice & Permafrost 0.022
Lakes 0.013
Fresh 0.007
Saline 0.006

Atmosphere 0.001
Swamp Water 0.0008
Rivers 0.0002
Biological Water 0.0001
Table 1 global water distribution

 The cycle has no beginning or end.

 Engineering Hydrology takes a quantitative view of the hydrologic cycle.
 The quantification of the hydrologic cycle, which is an open system, can be represented by a mass
balance equation, where inputs minus outputs are equal to the change in storage.

Basic Equation of Hydrologic Cycle

OUTPUT 
INPUT  
Process
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
(Basin)
Rainfall Runoff

Simple Hydrologic System Model

Unsteady Flow Equation; I-Q=dS/dt
 I = Input (volume/time)
 O= Output (volume/time)
 dS/dt = Time rate of change of storage

Water balance
Change in Storage= Total Input - Total Output

ΔS= I - O
I = O + dS

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Inflow: Precipitation and Groundwater inflow

Outflow: Surface runoff, Evaporation and Transpiration
Change in Storage: This occurs as change in: Groundwater Soil moisture

Example (1)
During a 24-hour time, an average of (2510 m3/s) was discharged to a lake with a surface area of (113
km2). Over the same period, the average evaporation was 1 inch. Did the water surface of the
reservoir rise or fall? Compute the rise or fall in centimetres. The precipitation was zero in that 24-
hour.

Solution
In a period, (Δt) the water balance equation can be written as:-

Change in storage = Input volume – Output volume

(ΔS) = (Ι . Δt + P . A) – (Q . Δt + E . A)

Where, Ι = average inflow rate, Q = average outflow rate, P = precipitation

E = evaporation, A = surface area of the lake, S = storage volume

Inflow (discharge) = 2510 m3/s * 60 * 60 * 24 s

= 216 864 000 m3 / 24-hours

1 inch = 2.54 cm = 0.0254 m

Output (evaporation) = 0.0254 m in 24-hours = (0.0254 m) * (113 000 000 m2)

= 2 870 200 m3 / 24-hours

(ΔS) = (Ι . Δt + P . A) – (Q . Δt + E . A)

(ΔS) = [(216864000 m3) + (0 m3] – [(0 m3) + (2870200 m3) ]

= 213 993 800 m3 / 24-hours

The water surface of the reservoir will be raised.

Change in water elevation = ΔS / Area

= 213993800 m3 / 113000000 m2

= 1.8937 m = 189.37 cm.

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin                           
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Exercise (1)
A water supply reservoir is full to the brim and holds (10 *106 m3) of water. During the course of a
given year, the reservoir receives (5.8 * 106 m3) of water via rainfall. At the same time, a local city
uses (23 * 108) litres of water, and the evaporation is found to be (1.1 * 105 m3). What is the change in
reservoir storage for that year? If the per capita daily water consumption is 150 litres, how many
people will be served by an in storage of reservoir?

Exercise (2)
A river reach had a flood wave passing through it. At a given instant the storage of water in the reach
was estimated as 15000 m3. What would be the storage in the reach after an interval of 3 hours if the
average inflow and outflow during the period are 14.2 m3/s and 10.6 m3/s respectively.

Exercise (3)
Assume you are dealing with a vertical walled reservoir having a surface area of 500000 m2 and that
an inflow 1.0 m3/s and an outflow of 0.5 m3/s. How many hours will it take to rise the reservoir level
by 30 cm?

Exercise (4)
The surface area of the vertical walled reservoir is 2.5 *106 m2. The average inflow to the lake is 0.3
m3/s, and the average evaporation is 3000 mm for a given year. The change in elevation of water in
reservoir in millimetres this year

Hydrological Processes

 Precipitation
 Evaporation
 Transpiration
 Infiltration
 Overland flow
 Surface Runoff
 Groundwater

Engineering Hydrology        Civil Engineering 2nd stage             Lecture One (1)                     By Dara M. Hawez            University of Raparin