Runoff and Streamflow

Hydrology
FHYDLOY_CIV161
Roldan Q. Pineda

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Surface Runoff

- water which travels over the ground surface to a channel.

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Streamflow

• What is a Stream? What are

its boundaries? Where does
it begin? Where does it end?

A stream is a current of
water or other fluid. It is
anything flowing out of
a source; river, rivulet or
brook.

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Streamflow
• Streams are like the capillaries and blood vessels that connect to the major
arteries, the rivers. But unlike our body's circulation system, the smaller
channels deliver most of the water and food to the bigger ones. Without
feeder streams, our rivers would not exist.
• You could say a stream begins at its headwaters, often in the mountains, fed
by an underground spring or the runoff from rain and snow melt. Rivulets of
water flow downhill, merging together to become a stream which
continues, mixing with other tributaries, until they all become a river
flowing to the sea. The mouth of a river usually opens into the ocean in a
broad bay where fresh water and salt water mix, called an estuary. The
length of a stream may be only a few feet from where it emerges until it
joins another stream, or it may traverse hundreds of miles, from the
mountains to the sea. Some streams flow year-round, others only after a
storm or when snow melts in the spring.
• What could be more dynamic than a stream? It is constantly changing its
flow, its depth, even its bed, as anyone knows who has observed a stream in
different seasons or at different places along its course. It scours, shifts
channels, meanders, floods, erodes, carries and deposits silt. Squeeze a
stream in one place, and like a water balloon, it bulges in another. Where it
is restricted, the stream speeds up to compensate, eroding downstream
banks or spreading out to flood adjacent property.
• Many factors shape the character of a stream as it progresses from its
headwaters to its mouth: the slope and current, the amount of water being
transported, its temperature and water chemistry. These, in turn, influence
the vegetation, the animals, the bottom sediments, and the shape of the
channel at any point along the stream's journey.

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Streamflow

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Streamflow
• What exactly is a Streamflow?
Stream flow is a measure of the water volume transported by a stream. It is measured by
determining the volume of water that moves by a point in a set period of time (e.g.,
cubic feet per second or gallons per hour). Flow is affected by weather and groundwater
interactions: it increases during wet seasons and decreases during dry seasons.

Stream flow or discharge is the volume of water that moves through a specific point in a
stream during a given period of time. Discharge is usually measured in units of cubic
feet per second (cfs). To determine discharge, a cross-sectional area of the stream or
river is measured. Then, the velocity of the stream is measured using a Flow Rate Sensor.
The discharge can then be calculated by multiplying the cross-sectional area by the flow
velocity.

Stream flow is an important factor in the stream ecosystem and is responsible for many
of the physical characteristics of a stream. Stream flow can also modify the chemical and
biological aspects of a stream. Aquatic plants and animals depend upon stream flow to
bring vital food and nutrients from upstream, or remove wastes downstream.

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Streamflow

• Streamflow has two components. The first is flow velocity, and

the second is the volume of water in the stream.
Flow velocity is influenced by the slope of the surrounding terrain, the depth of the
stream, the width of the stream, and the roughness of the substrate or stream bottom. If
the surrounding terrain is steep, then rain water and snow melt will have less time to soak
into the ground and runoff will be greater. In an area with level terrain, such as farm land,
the rain water has plenty of time to soak into the ground and there is less runoff.

The flow velocity will also vary as the width or depth of a stream changes. For instance, if
you squeeze a water hose with your hand, the flow velocity of the water increases. This is
because you have reduced the area that the water must flow through, while the volume of
water passing through the hose remained constant. The same thing happens in a stream
when the stream channel changes in its width or depth.

The substrate of the stream bottom also affects the flow velocity since water moves faster
over a smooth surface than a rough surface. Flow velocity is greater when the stream
bottom is comprised of sand and clay and lower when it is cobble, rock, and boulders.

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Streamflow

• Water velocity (how fast a stream flows) and depth of a stream determine the kinds
of organisms that will live in it. Aquatic organisms are adapted to live in specific
areas within streams; some prefer fast-flowing, turbulent water while others need
deep, still pools.
• Velocity and depth of water also affect the amount of silt and sediment carried and
deposited by streams. The velocity of the stream provides the energy to move
bottom sediment, rocks, and large woody debris and to erode stream banks. In
swifter streams, larger sediment is carried farther and remains suspended longer in
the water. In slow-moving streams, sediment falls to the bottom and remains in
place until the water flows fast enough to carry it farther downstream.

The volume of water in the stream is affected by the climate of the region. Areas with more
rain and snow will have more water draining into surrounding streams and rivers. Seasonal
changes affect stream volume as well. In the summer there will be less water in the stream
compared to the winter. The number of tributaries that merge with a stream or river
contribute more water to the system, increasing the stream volume. Humans are also
responsible for altering the volume of water in streams. Water is removed for consumption,
industry, and irrigation. Roads and parking lots cover vast areas, preventing rain-water from
soaking into the ground. Instead, the water is forced to run off into surrounding streams and
rivers
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Streamflow

• Factors Influencing Flow • Factors Influencing

Velocity Stream Volume
· Depth of stream channel · Weather or climate
· Width of stream channel · Seasonal changes
· Roughness of stream · Merging tributaries
bottom · Human impact
· Slope or incline of
surrounding terrain

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Streamflow
• Measuring Streamflow

The amount of water flowing in a river is called the discharge. Specifically, discharge is
the volume of water that flows past a point during a specific time. Discharge is usually
reported as the number of cubic feet of water passing a point each second, abbreviated
as cfs (cubic feet per second).

Across the country, discharge is measured in many ways. On some rivers, devices called
stilling wells are installed. The height of water in the well is proportional to the
discharge.

Discharge can also be measured using weirs, small "walls" built across rivers to force
the flow through a V-notch at the top. The height of the water level in the notch
indicates the amount of discharge.

Current meters can be used to measure river velocity. The measured velocity must be
multiplied by the river's cross section to calculate discharge.

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Streamflow

Stilling well used to measure streamflow Schematic of a stilling well and shelter at
a stream-gauging station.

The height of water passing through Current meter and weight suspended from
the notch in the weir can be used to a bridge crane.
measure discharge.
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Streamflow

Typical Streamflow Gaging Station

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Streamflow
Water Level is Measured and Recorded

The gage height (or stage) of a river is most commonly measured through the use of a stilling well or a bubble
system.
Stilling well gages are used when a gage can be built immediately adjacent to a river. The well is connected to the
stream with pipes such that when the water level changes in the stream, the level simultaneously changes in the well.
A float in the well is then connected to a recorder or data collection platform.
A bubble system can be used when construction of a well immediately next to a river is not feasible . The bubble
system requires a long open-ended pipe extending from the river to the gaging station. One end of the pipe is
attached securely to a pier below the water surface. Pressurized gas (usually nitrogen or air) is forced through the
pipe from inside the gage and out a submerged opening called an orifice. Because the pressure in the pipe is
determined by how deep the water is over the orifice, a change in the height of the river produces a corresponding
change in pressure in the pipe. This change is then converted to an electronic signal by a transducer inside the gage
house. Data from the transducer is fed to a recorder, or data collection platform, which records the corresponding
river height .
An outside reference gage, typically a horizontal graduated ruler called a staff gage or inclined staff gage , is
read periodically to verify that the recorded gage heights from the stilling well or bubbler systems are the same as the
water level in the stream.

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Streamflow Rate

wi
Water Surface i 1 in
Height 60%
above Depth
bed Averaged di
40% Velocity

Velocity

Velocity profile in stream Discharge at a cross-section

 
Q  V  dA n
Q   Vi * d i * wi
A i 1

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Streamflow Rate

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Streamflow Rate

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Streamflow Rate

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Streamflow Rate

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Runoff

Peak Runoff Estimation by Rational Method

• Relates peak runoff to rainfall intensity
• Assumes entire catchment contributing, rainfall distributed evenly, all
losses are in coefficient
Qp = C i A
C is runoff coefficient, i is rainfall intensity (m/s), A is watershed area (m2)
and Qp is peak runoff (cms)
• Note that peak runoff is important for sizing storm water conveyance
structures such as sewer pipes and culverts
• Limitations of Rational Method
• Runoff coefficient is not likely dependent of rainfall rate and antecedent moisture
conditions
• Rainfall is not likely uniform over the catchment area so should limit application to areas
smaller than 80 has. (ASCE)
• Higher coefficients should be used for less frequent storms given smaller percentage of
rainfall abstraction

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No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
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