Muskingum Method

• This method was developed by the Corps of Engineers based on studies in the Muskingum Basin, Ohio
• It is one of the widely-used flood routing methods
• It is still a lumped routing procedure
• Applies where the backwater effects are important
• Do not assume the water surface is parallel to channel bottom
- prism (rectangular) storage plus
- wedge (triangular) storage along a river reach

WEDGE

I Q

PRISM

• Muskingum method assumes a functional relationship of Q,I, and S as a function of time

• If we assume that area of flow is propotional to flow rate, then;
-Prism storage kQ
- Wedge storage kX (I - Q)
• Continuity equation;
ds
= I−Q
dt
Total storage = prism storage + wedge storage
S = kQ + kX (I − Q )
= k [xI + (1 − x )Q] ← Muskingum Storage Func
where
k = ave travel time in reach (unit of time)
x = relative influence of I and Q on S (dimensionless)
[parameter related to channel shape]

Note: 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5
x = 0 as in linear reservoir
Natural channel → smaller x (eg. 0.1 to 0.2)
Improved channel → larger x (eg. 0.2 to 0.4)

Lead to less attenuation

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• Substitute Muskingum Storage Function into finite diff. form

S = k [xI + (1 − x )Q] →A
S j + 1 − S j I j +1 + I j Q j + 1 + Q j
= − →B
Δt 2 2

Substitute A into B
kxI j +1 + k (1 − x )Q j +1 − kxI j − k (1 − x )Q j = 0.5ΔtI j +1
+ 0.5ΔtI j − 0.5ΔtQ j +1 − 0.5ΔtQ j

Bring unknowns to LHS

Q j +1 [k − kx + 0.5Δt ] = [− kx + 0.5Δt ]I j+1 + [kx + 0.5Δt ]I j + [k − kx − 0.5Δt ]Q j

Q j +1 = C 0 I j +1 + C1I j + C 2 Q j
− kx + 0.5Δt
C0 =
C3
kx + 0.5Δt
C1 =
C3
k − kx − 0.5Δt
C2 =
C3
C 3 = k − kx + 0.5Δt

C 0 + C1 + C 2 = 1 Useful Computational Check!!

This equation means the outflow from a reach is a linear combination of inflow and outflow at old time step
plus inflow at a new time step

Disadvantage: All constants C0, C1, C2 depend on Δt

• Computational of this method is relatively simple if k and x are known.

• Most common method to estimate k and x is to plot s vs xI + (1-x)Q
• choose a value of x [0 ≤ x ≤ 1]
usually x ≤ 0.5 (due to stability requirement of the method)
Δt ≤ k for stability [Huber]
• Graph s vs xI + (1-x)Q
• Construct

ki

xi

xI + (1-x) Q

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 • Choose the loop that closest to a straight line → select x
• The k is the slope of that best fitted line
• In order to ensure the positivity of C0, the following restriction applies:
0.5Δt
x< <1− x
k
which implies Δt > 2kx

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