ABE 160– HYDROMETEOROLOGY

Laboratory Exercise # 2
HYDROLOGIC BUDGET

OBJECTIVES:
After performing the exercise, the students are expected to:
1. be aware of the common units of measurement for hydro meteorological data,
2. be able to demonstrate understanding of the hydrologic budget equation,
3. describe some applications of hydro meteorology in the field of
agricultural engineering

ACTIVITIES:

A. Write the hydrologic budget equation and define all the terms involved in the
equation.

B. Solve the following problems, centering on the application of the hydrologic budget equation,
including the common units of measurement applied to hydro meteorological data.
1. The storage in a river reach at a given time is 16 acre- ft. At the same instant, the inflow is
500 cfs and the outflow is 700 cfs. One hour later the inflow rate is 700 cfs and the outflow
is 740 cfs. Determine the change in storage in the reach that occurred during the hour. Is the
storage at the end of the hour greater or less than the original value?

2. The storage in a reach of river is 16 acre- ft at a given time. Determine the storage (acre- ft)
1 hour later if the average rates of inflow and outflow during the hour are 720 and 600 cfs,
respectively.

3. Twelve inches of water evaporated from a 500 acre vertical- walled reservoir during 24 hrs.
storm water was added to the reservoir at a constant rate of 1008 cfs during the period.
Determine the volume (acre- ft) of water released during the day (through the bottom of the
reservoir) if the water level in the reservoir was the same at the beginning and end of the day.

4. The annual evaporation from a lake (with a surface area of 3650 acres) is 120 inc.
Determine the average daily evaporation rate (acre- ft/ day) during the year.

5. The evaporation rate from the surface of a 3650- acre lake is 100 acre- ft per day.
Determine the depth change (ft) in the lake during 365-day year if the inflow to the lake is
25.2 cfs. Is the change in lake depth an increase or a decrease?
 6. One and one- half inches of runoff are equivalent to how many acre- ft if the drainage area
is 25 (1 acre= 43,560 )?

7. One- half inch of rain per day is equivalent to an average rate of how many cubic feet per
second if the area is 500 acres?
8. A flow of 12 cfs enters a 600- acre reservoir. By first converting to inches per hour,
determine the time (in hours) required to raise the water level 6 in.

9. Rain falls at an average intensity of 0.4 in./hr over a 600- acre for 3 days (a) Determine the
average rate of rainfall in cfs; (b) determine the 3- day volume of rainfall in acre- ft; and (c)
determine the 3- day volume of rainfall in inches of equivalent depth over the 600- acre area.

10. Three inches of runoff volume from area are equivalent to how many acre- feet?

11. Twelve cubic feet of water per second are added to a vertical- walled reservoir with a
surface area of 600 acres. How many hours will it take to raise the water level in the reservoir
1 ft.

C. Prepare a matrix, or a table, to present a list of agricultural engineering activities/ practices/

operation. Give the hydrometeorological data/ information they corresponding need and the
justification/ purpose of the identified data requirements. Include figures to illustrate these
identified activities.