Engineering

HYDROLOGY

Runoff from catchments

Okedi John
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Stream order classification2
FACTORS AFFECTING RUNOFF FROM CATCHMENTS

 Topography

 Soil moisture

 Shape and Size Catchment

 Land development – urbanisation

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TOPOGRAPHICAL FACTORS
Catchment slope: steep slopes - faster drainage

Stream patterns

Soil type and geology

Vegetation

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SOIL MOISTURE/INITIAL CONDITIONS
SHAPE AND SIZE OF CATCHMENT
Effects on shape and peak of runoff hydrograph

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Guidance to catchment delineation
• Identify water course direction based on contours – typically identified by a
V looking in the direction of flow
• Identify catchment. Key to this is understanding that overland flow is always
at right-angles to the contours – and downhill (decreasing contour heights).
• Identify catchment discharge point i.e. point of interest on water-course
• Delineate catchment draining to discharge point by drawing a line with
certainty that all overland flow goes to the discharge point. The ‘dividing
line’ will usually have to be drawn perpendicular to the contours linking the
discharge point with the nearest watersheds on both sides.
• Estimate the area of catchment using the ‘method of squares’ with provided
grid over the catchment. Multiply this by the known area of each square.
• Identify longest watercourse, average slope etc. follows naturally.
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