Hydrology and Water Management

Dr. Mujahid Khan, UET Peshawar

 Course Outline
• Hydrologic Cycle and its Processes
• Water Balance Approach
• Estimation and Analysis of Precipitation Data
• Infiltration and Runoff Phenomena
• Application of TR55 model for Runoff Estimation
• Measurement of Stream Flow and Stage Discharge
Relationships

• Unit Hydrograph Theory and its Application

• Flood Flow Routing and its Application
• Frequency Analysis
• Application of HEC-HMS model 2
 HYDROLOGY
The study of water, including rain, snow and water
on the earth’s surface, covering its properties,
distribution, utilisation, etc.
(Chambers Science and Technology Dictionary)

The study of water in all its forms, and from its

origins to all its destinations on the earth.
(Bras, 1990)

The science dealing with the waters of the earth, their

occurrence, distribution and circulation, their
chemical and physical properties, and their interaction
with the environment.
(Ward & Robinson, 1999)
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 Main Branches
HYDROLOGY

Surface Water Ground Water

Hydrology Hydrology
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 Scope of Hydrology
Water is one of the most valuable natural resources essential for human
and animal life, industry and agriculture.

The study of hydrology helps us to know

(i) The maximum probable flood that may occur at a given site and
its frequency; this is required for the safe design of drains and
culverts, dams and reservoirs, channels and other flood control
structures.
(ii) The water yield from a basin—its occurrence, quantity and
frequency, etc. this is necessary for the design of dams, municipal
water supply, water power, river navigation, etc.
(iii)The ground water development for which a knowledge of the
hydrogeology of the area, i.e., of the formation soil, recharge
facilities like streams and reservoirs, rainfall pattern, climate, cropping
pattern, etc. are required.
(iv)The maximum intensity of storm and its frequency for the design of
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a drainage project in the area.
 Engineering Hydrology

• It uses hydrologic principles in the solution of engineering

problems arising from human exploitation of water
resources of the earth.

• The engineering Hydrologist, or water resources engineer,

is involved in the planning, analysis, design, construction
and operation of projects for the control, utilization and
management of water resources.

• Hydrologic calculations are estimates because mostly the

empirical and approximate nature of methods are used to
describe various hydrological processes.

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 Problems Related to Hydrology
Quantity of water available from a catchment ?

Quality of water in a catchment eg. sediment & phosphate content ?

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Peak discharge expected in a stream during a storm ?

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The design of hydraulic structures eg. dams/ reservoirs, bridges
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Damage caused by peak floods

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 Uses of Engineering Hydrology
Engineering Hydrology seeks to answer questions of the following types:

• What is the maximum probable flood at a proposed dam site?

• How does a catchment’s water yield vary from season to season and from year to
year?

• What is the relationship between a catchment’s surface water and groundwater

resources?

• What flood flows can be expected over a spillway, at a highway culvert, or in an

urban storm drainage system?

• What reservoir capacity is required to assure adequate water for irrigation or

municipal water supply in droughts condition?

• What hydrologic hardware (e.g. rain gauges, stream gauges etc) and software
(computer models) are needed for real-time flood forecasting?
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 Hydrologic Measurement and Analysis

• In seeking answers to these questions, Engineering

Hydrology uses various Measurement and Analysis
techniques.

collection of data (rainfall,

• Hydrological Measurements flow etc)
Deals with the measurement of water in the different phases
of hydrological cycle such as rainfall and stream gauging.

conversion of rain data into flow

• Hydrological Analysis data and flood analysis
Aims to develop a methodology to quantify a certain phase
or phases of hydrologic cycle – for instance, precipitation,
infiltration, or surface runoff.
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 HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
• The hydrologic cycle describes the continues re-circulating
transport of the waters of the earth, linking atmosphere, land and
oceans.

• To explain it briefly, water evaporates from the ocean surface,

driven by energy from the Sun, and joins the atmosphere,
moving inland as clouds. Once inland, atmospheric conditions
act to condense and precipitate water onto the land surface,
where, driven by gravitational forces, it returns to the ocean
through river and streams.

• The process is quite complex, containing many sub-cycles.

• Engineering Hydrology takes a quantitative view of the

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hydrologic cycle.
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Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil
Percolation is the process by which water moves downward through the soil under
gravitational forces.
Interflow – the relativelyHydrological Cycle
rapid movement of water
beneath the soil surface to
the stream channel.
Infiltration rate –
the amount of
`water able
to enter the soil in
a specified time.

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 Hydrologic Cycle

• The quantification of the hydrologic cycle which is an

open system, can be represented by a mass balance
equation, where inputs minus outputs are equal to the
change in storage. rainfall runoff infiltration
I - O = DS
evaporation

It is a basic Hydrologic Principle or equation that may be

applied either on global or regional scale.hydrologic equation
or mass balance equ
• The water holding elements of the hydrological cycle are:
1. Atmosphere 2. Vegetation
3. Snow packs 4. Land surface
5. Soil 6. Streams, lakes and rivers
7. Aquifers 8 Oceans
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 Hydrological Processes

• Precipitation
• Interception
• Evaporation
• Transpiration
• Infiltration
• Overland flow
• Sub Surface flow (P-96)
• Groundwater outflow
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18
 Moi s tu re ove r lan39
d

Pre ci pitati on
Pre ci pitati on on oce an
on l an d 385
100
Evapotran s piration
from l an d
61

In fi ltrati on Evaporati on
Sur face from ocean
flow
424
S u rface ou tfl ow
38
Grou n dwate r fl ow
Grou n dwate r
ou tfl ow
1

Global Water Balance of

The hydrological cycle
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 Global Water Balance
In the atmosphere:
Precipitation (P) = Evapotranspiration (ET)
100+385 = 61+424

On land:
P = Evapotranspiration (ET) + Surface runoff (R) +
Groundwater outflow
100 = 61 + 38 + 1

Over oceans and seas:

Ocean precipitation + Surface runoff + Groundwater
outflow = Evaporation (E)
385 + 38 + 1 = 424

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 Table 1. Estimated Distribution of World's Water.

Component Volume 1000 km3 % of Total Water

Atmospheric water 13 0.001

Surface Water
Salt Water in Oceans 1320000 97.2
Salt water in lakes & inland seas 104 0.008
Fresh water in lakes 125 0.009
Fresh water in stream channels 1.25 0.0001
Fresh water in glaciers and icecaps 29000 2.15
Water in the biomass 50 0.004

Subsurface water
Vadose water 67 0.005
G/W within depth of 0.8 km 4200 0.31
G/W between 0.8 and 4 km depth 4200 0.31

Total (rounded) 1360000 100

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 Hydrologic Systems
• Chow, Maidment, and Mays (1988) defined a hydrologic system as a
structure or volume in space, surrounded by a boundary, that accepts
water and other inputs, operates on them internally, and produces them
as outputs.
• The structure (for surface or subsurface flow) or volume in space (for
atmospheric moisture flow) is the totality of the flow paths through
which the water may pass as throughout from the point it enters the
system to the point it leaves.
• The boundary is a continuous surface defined in three dimensions
enclosing the volume or structure.
• A working medium enters the system as input, interacts with the
structure and other media, and leaves as output.
• Physical, chemical and biological processes operate on the working
media within the system; the most common working media involved in
hydrologic analysis are water, air and heat energy.
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 Mass Balance in Hydrologic Systems

• General form:
Rate of accumulation of mass in system =
Input rate - output rate ± reaction

• Hydrologists:
Change in storage = Inflow – Outflow

• Assumptions:
– no reaction
– volume, pressure, temperature do not change
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 Water Balance Components
Inflow:
1. Precipitation
2. Import defined as water channeled into a given area.
3. Groundwater inflow from adjoining areas.

Outflow:
1. Surface runoff outflow
2. Export defined as water channeled out of the same area.
3. Evaporation
4. Transpiration
5. Interception

Change in Storage: This occurs as change in:

1. Groundwater
2. Soil moisture
3. Surface reservoir water and depression storage
4. Detention Storage

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 Global Hydrologic Cycle

• The global hydrologic cycle can be represented as a system

containing three subsystems:
the atmospheric water system,
the surface water system, and
the subsurface water system.

• Block-diagram (flow chart) representation of GHC is shown

in Figure#1.

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 Precipitation Evaporation
Atmospheric Water

Interception 

Transpiration

Runoff to streams
Surface
Water

Overland flow Surface runoff and ocean


Subsurface Water

Infiltration Subsurface flow

Groundwater Groundwater
recharge flow

Block-diagram representation of the global hydrologic system (Chow et al. 1988).

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 Regional Water Balance (Water Budget)
Precipitation (P) Evapotranspiration (ET)

Surface
runoff (R)

Infiltration (F)

A mass balance over time from t = 0 to T, i.e.

Inputs - Outputs = Change in Storage
P - (R+ET+F) = ΔS

All terms in the hydrologic equation should be in the same units.

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Schematic representation of the mass balance equation

Precipitation (P) Evapotranspiration (ET)

Time t = T
Time t = 0
Change in storage (DS) Surface runoff (R)

Storage (S)

Infiltration (F)

DS = P - (R + F + ET)
DS = +ve if P > (R + F + ET)
DS = -ve if P < (R + F + ET)
DS = 0 if P = (R + F + ET)
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 Catchment and Basin
• A catchment is a portion of the earth’s surface that
collects runoff and concentrates it at its furthest
downstream point, referred to as the catchment outlet.

• The runoff concentrated by a catchment flows either into

a larger catchment or into the ocean.

• The place where a stream enters a larger stream or body

of water is referred to as the mouth.

• The terms watershed and basin are commonly used to

refer to catchments. Generally, watershed is used to
describe a small catchment (stream watershed), whereas
basin is reserved for large catchments (river basins).
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 Watershed and Stream

• The watershed or basin is defined by the surrounding

topography, the perimeter of which is called a divide.

• It is the highest elevation surrounding the watershed.

• All of the water that falls on the inside of the divide has the
potential to be shed into the streams of the basin encompassed
by the divide. Water falling outside of the divide is shed to
another basin.

• The water flowing in streams is called stream flow.

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 Stream Order

• Horton suggested a classification of stream order as a

measure of the amount of branching within a basin.

• A first order stream is a small, unbranched tributary.

• A second order stream has only first order tributaries.

• A third order stream has first and second order tributaries and
so on.

• When a channel of lower order joins a channel of higher order,

the channel downstream retains the higher of the two orders.

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 Divide
1 1 1
1 1 1
2 2 1
1 2
2
3 2
1
3
1
3 2 1
1 1
4
1
2
4

Figure 1. Stream Orders of a Watershed.

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 Watershed Characteristics
Divide

 Size
 Slope Reservoir

 Shape Natural
stream

 Soil type
Urban

 Storage capacity Concrete

channel

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 HYDROLOGICAL DATA
For the analysis and design of any hydrologic project adequate data and length of records are
necessary. A hydrologist is often posed with lack of adequate data. The basic hydrological data
required are:
(i) Climatological data
(ii) Hydrometeorological data like temperature, wind velocity, humidity, etc.
(iii) Precipitation records
(iv) Stream-flow records
(v) Seasonal fluctuation of ground water table or piezometric heads
(vi) Evaporation data
(vii) Cropping pattern, crops and their consumptive use
(viii) Water quality data of surface streams and ground water
(ix) Geomorphologic studies of the basin, like area, shape and slope of the basin, mean and median
elevation, mean temperature (as well as highest and lowest temperature recorded) and other
physiographic characteristics of the basin; stream density and drainage density; tanks and reservoirs
(x) Hydrometeorological characteristics of basin:
i. (Depth-area-duration (DAD) curves for critical storms (station equipped with self-recording
raingauges).
ii. Isohyetal maps—Isohyets may be drawn for long-term average, annual and monthly precipitation
for individual years and months
iii. Cropping pattern—crops and their seasons
iv. Daily, monthly and annual evaporation from water surfaces in the basin
v. Water balance studies of the basin
vi. Soil conservation and methods of flood control 34
Problem #1 catchment area
area of land from where the water is expected to come at point of interest

command area
area to which water is supplied for irrigation
In a given year, a catchment with an area of 2500 km2 received
1.3 m of precipitation. The average rate of flow measured in a
river draining the catchment was 30 m3s-1.

(i). How much total river runoff occurred in the year (in m3)?
volume

(ii). What is the runoff coefficient?

(iii).How much water is lost due to the combined effects of

evaporation, transpiration, and infiltration. (Express in m).

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 Problem #1

Solution

(i). Total runoff volume

= number of seconds in a year  average flow rate
= 31 536 000  30
= 9.4608108 m3

(ii). Runoff coefficient

= runoff volume/ precipitation volume
= (9.4608108) / (1.3  2500  106)
= 0.29 (29 %)

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 Problem #1
(iii). The water balance equation can be arranged to produce:

ET+F= P - R - ΔS
where:
P = (1.3  2500106)
= 3.25109 m3

R = 9.4608108 m3 (from [i])

ΔS = 0 (i.e. no change in storage)

So,
ET + F = 3.25109 - 9.4608108
= 2.30392109 m3

= (2.30392109) / (2500106)
= 0.92 m 37
Problem #2
In a given year, a catchment with an area of 1750 km2 received 1250
mm of precipitation. The average rate of flow measured in a river
draining the catchment was 25 m3s-1.

(i). Calculate how much total river runoff occurred in the year
(in m3).

(ii).Calculate the runoff coefficient. What is the percentage

runoff ?
Area of the catchment = 1750 km2 = 1750 x 10^6 m2
Flow rate in the river = 25 m3/s
Precipitation received = 1250 mm = 1.25 m

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 Problem #2
Solution:

Total runoff volume = 31 536 000 x 25

= 788.4 x 10^6 m3

Total annual precipitation = (1.25) x (1750 x 10^6)

= 2187.5 x 10^6 m3

Flow rate during the year = 2187.5 x 10^6 / (365 x 24 x 60 x 60)

= 69.36 m3/s

Runoff Coefficient = Actual flow in river / Total

precipitation occurred
= 25 / 69.36
= 0.36

Percentage of flow = 0.36 x 100 = 36% 39

Problem #3

A lake has a surface area of 708,000 m2. In May, the River A

flows into the lake at an average rate of 1.5 m3/s. River B
flows out of lake at an average rate of 1.25 m3/s. The
evaporation rate was measured as 14.0 cm/month. A total of
22.5 cm of precipitation fell in May. Seepage losses are
negligible. The average depth in the lake on May 1 was 19 m.
What was the average depth on May 30th?

• Surface area of lake = A = 708,000 m2

• Average depth on May 1 = 19 m

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 Problem #3

• Inputs to the lake

Average inflow = I = 1.5 m3/s = 3,888,000 m3/mo
Precipitation = P = 22.5 cm/month = 159,300 m3/mo
• Outputs to the lake
Average outflow = O = 1.25 m3/s = 3,240,000 m3/mo
Evaporation = E = 14.0 cm/month = 99,300 m3/mo
Seepage = 0

Mass Balance equation:

Change in volume of water in the lake during this month =
DS = change in storage =
Inflow - Outflow + Precipitation - Evaporation
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 Problem #3

• DS = I – O + P – E =
= 3,888,000 m3/mo – 3,240,000 m3/mo
+ 159,300 m3/mo – 99,300 m3/mo
• DS = 708,000 m3/mo

• Since DS = 708,000 m3/mo and the average surface area

is 708,000 m2, the change in depth during the month
= (708,000 m3/mo)/708,000 m2 = 1 m or about 3.25 ft.

• Note DS is positive, this means that the volume increases

and therefore the depth increases. The new average depth
on May 30th would be 20 m.
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