Watershed Hydrology

Runoff

Dr.rer.nat Doni Prakasa E Putra

Run-Off Generation
 Rainfall – Run Off
oRainfall that is neither
retained on the land
surface nor infiltrated
into the soil

oDirect runoff = observed

streamflow - baseflow
 Methods to Predict Runoff
oScientific (dynamic) hydrology
– Based on physical principles
– Mechanistic description
– Difficult given all the local details
oEngineering (empirical) hydrology
– “Rational formula”
– Soil-cover complex method
– Many others
 Estimation of Run Off

Current meter
Direct Staff gauge
Methods

Crest stage gauge

 Estimation of Run Off
CN (SCS) Rational

Indirect Methods

Manning’s Formula Unit Hydrograph

 “Rational Formula”

Qp = CiA

Where;
QP = peak runoff (cfs)
C is a dimensionless
coefficient
i = rainfall intensity (in./hr)
A = drainage area [ac]
“Rational Formula”
 Rational Method
Runoff Coefficients for the Rational Method
Runoff Coefficient,
Type Of Drainage Area
C
Steep, bare rock 0.90
Rock, steep but wooded 0.80
Plateaus lightly covered, ordinary ground bare 0.70
Densely built up areas of cities with metal led roads & paths 0.70-0.90
Residential areas not densely built up, with metal led roads 0.50-0.70
Residential areas not densely built up, with unmetalled roads 0.20-0.50
Clayey soils, stiff and bare 0.60
Clayey soils lightly covered 0.50
Loam, lightly cultivated or covered 0.40
Loam, lightly, largely cultivated 0.30
Suburbs with gardens, lawns and macadamized roads 0.30
Sandy soil, light growth 0.20
Example-1
Example 2
• Suppose it rains 0.25” in 30 minutes on Fall Creek
watershed and runoff coefficient is 0.25. What is the
peak flow?
Q p  CIA
 0.25in 1 ft 1 min 
Q p  0.25 126mi 2 5280 ft 2


 mi 2 
 30 min 12in 60 sec 
Q p  40,650cfs  1150m3 / s

• Peak flow in record was 450 m3/s. What is wrong?

Method not valid for storms with duration less than tc.
 Q p = CiA

“Rational Method” Limitations

oReasonable for small watersheds < 80 ha
oThe runoff coefficient is not constant during a storm
oNo ability to predict flow as a function of time (only
peak flow)
oOnly applicable for storms with duration longer than
the time of concentration (tC)
oRainfall intensity is the same over the entire drainage
area
 “Rational Formula” –
Time of Concentration (Tc)
oTime required (after start of rainfall event) for
most distant point in basin to begin
contributing runoff to basin outlet
oTc affects the shape of the outflow hydrograph
(flow record as a function of time)
 “Rational Formula”
• Intensity = f(storm duration)
• Expectation of stream flow vs Time during storm
of constant intensity
Q
Qp

Outflow
t
Watershed point tc
divide Classic Watershed
 Time of Concentration (Tc): Kirpich

Tc = time of concentration [min]

L = “stream” or “flow path” length [ft]
h = elevation difference between basin ends [ft]

0.385
 3.35 x 10 6
L 
3
tc   

 h 
Watch those units!
 Time of Concentration (Tc): Hatheway

Tc = time of concentration [min]

L = “stream” or “flow path” length [ft]
S = mean slope of the basin
N = Manning’s roughness coefficient (0.02 smooth to 0.8 grass overland)

0.47
 2nL 
tc   
3 S 
 
Watch those units!
 SCS method
oSoil conser vation ser vice (SCS) method is an
experimentally derived method to determine rainfall
excess using information about soils, vegetative cover,
hydrologic condition and antecedent moisture
conditions

oThe method is based on the simple relationship that

P e = P - Fa – I a
P  Pe  I a  Fa

Precipitation
Pe

Ia Fa

tp Time
Ex.Hydrologic Soil Group in Brushy Creek

Water
Land Cover

Interpreted from remote sensing

CN Table
 SCS Method

Ro Runoff (L/T)
P Rainfall (L/T)
S’ Infiltration (L/T)

Hudson, 1981
 Estimation of Runoff
Department of Agriculture, India (1990) – small watershed

Where:
Ro Surface runoff (cm/year)
P Rainfall (cm/year)
Tm Annual mean temperature (oC)
A Watershed (km2)
THANK YOU