2: Given below are the ordinates of 6h unit hydrograph for a catchment.

Calculate the
ordinates of direct runoff hydrograph due to a rainfall excess of 3.5cm occurring in 6-h.

Time in 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 69
hr
Unit 0 25 50 85 125 160 185 160 110 60 36 25 116 8 0
ordinate
m3/s
Solution:

The desired ordinates of the direct runoff ordinate are obtained by multiplying the ordinates of
the unit hydrograph by a factor of 3.5 to the unit ordinate shown in table.

Time in hr Ordinate of 6-h Ordinate of 3.5 cm

3
Unit hydrograph (m /s) DRH (m3/s)
0 0 0
3 25 87.5
6 50 175
9 85 297.5
12 125 437.5
15 160 560
18 185 647.5
24 160 560
30 110 385
36 60 210
42 36 126
48 25 87.5
54 16 56
60 8 28
69 0 0
 3. Rainfall of magnitude 3.8cm and 2.8cm occurring on two consecutive 4-h
durations on a catchment of area 27km2 produced the following hydrograph of
flow at the outlet of the catchment. Estimate the rainfall excess and ∅- index

Solutions:

The hydrograph is plotted to scale. It is seen that the storm hydrograph has a base- flow
component. For using the simple straight line method of base flow separation ,by

N= 0.83 x 270.2 = 1.6 days = 38.5h

However, by inspection, DRH starts at t=0, has the peak at t=12h and ends at t=48h (which
gives a value of N=48-12=36h. As N= 36h appears to be more satisfactory than N= 38.5, in
the present
case DRH is assumed to exist from t= 0 to 48h. A straight line base flow separation gives a
constant value of 5 m3/s for the base flow.

Area of DRH = 6x60x60( ½ (8) + ½ (8+21) + ½ (21+16) + ½(16+11)+ ½(11+7) + ½

(7+4)
+½(4+2)+ ½(2))

= 1.4904x 106 m3

= Total direct runoff due to storm

Runoff depth = Runoff volume/ catchment

area= 1.4904x 106 m3/ 27x106 =

0.0552 m

= 5.52cm = rainfall

excess Total rainfall = 3.8+2.8 =

6.6cm Duration = 8h

∅- index = (6.6 – 5.52)/ 8 = 0.135cm/h