CHAPTER-4

Flood Routing
 Definition

• Flood Routing is the technique of determining the flood

hydrograph (time and magnitude) at a section of a river by
utilizing the data of flood flow at one or more upstream sections.
4.1) Types of Flood Routing

1. Reservoir routing
2. Channel routing
 General Routing Eqn
 The continuity equation states that the difference between the
inflow and outflow is equal to the rate of change of storage.
 It is applicable to both reservoir and channel flows.
 1. Reservoir Routing
• Reservoir routing is the process of determining the
reservoir stage, storage volume of the outflow
hydrograph corresponding to a known hydrograph of
inflow into the reservoir.

Such routing is essential:

 For the design of the capacity of spillways and other reservoir
outlet structures
 In the location and sizing of the capacity of reservoirs to meet
specific requirements
 Example

Contour Elevation Area within Cont. elev.

(h) (A)
278 0
280 0.12
282 0.43
284 1.06
286 1.70
288 2.55
290 3.17
292 3.83
294 4.91
 Solution
Using Stage-Storage Relationship

Contour Area Average Contour Depth Change in Cumulative

Elevation within area (Aavg) interval(ΔH) (H) storage storage
Cont. elev. (Aavg*ΔH)

278 0 0 0 0 0 0
280 0.12 0.060 2 2 0.12 0.12
282 0.43 0.275 2 4 0.55 0.67
284 1.06 0.745 2 6 1.49 2.16
286 1.70 1.380 2 8 2.76 4.92
288 2.55 2.125 2 10 4.25 9.17
290 3.17 2.860 2 12 5.72 14.89
292 3.83 3.500 2 14 7.00 21.89
294 4.91 4.37 2 16 8.74 30.63
 Exercise

• The crest of the spillway which has a length of 20m and discharge
coefficient of C=0.7 is located at an elevation of 288m. If the
center of the pipe is found at the elevation of 282m and its
diameter is 3m, assume Cd=0.6.
Determine Elevation-Outflow relationship for the reservoir.
 2. Channel Routing
(Muskingum method)
• In channel routing, the changes in the shape of a
hydrograph as it travels down a channel is
studied.
→The storage is a function of both outflow and
inflow discharge S=f(I,O).
→The flow in river during a flood belongs to the
category of gradually varied unsteady flow
→The storage volume of flooding in a river channel
by a combination of wedge and prism storage.
 Advancing I
Q
Flood Wave
I>Q
I Q

Q Wedge storage Q
Prism storage

→ During the advance of a flood wave, inflow exceeds outflow producing a wedge of storage: = f(I-Q)
 Prism of storage which is formed by a volume of constant x-section along the length of prismatic
channel(well defined channel): = f(Q)
 From the above, the total storage in the reach becomes:
S = = f2(Q)+ f1(I-Q)

• Muskingum assumed that both f1 and f2 are linear functions of the type: f1(Q) =
KQ and f2(I-Q) = b(I-Q)

If
is known as Muskingum channel routing eqn.
Where:
• K = proportionality factor of the travel time of a flood wave through the reach (hr)
• x = dimensionless weighting factor with 0 x0.5. When x = 0, a very simple (linear) storage routing model is
obtained, whereas for x = 0.5 , the both inflow and outflow are equally important to determine storage:
 𝑸 𝒊+𝟏=𝑪𝟏 𝑰 𝒊+𝟏 +𝑪 𝟐 𝑰 𝒊+ 𝑪𝟑 𝑸 𝒊
t  2 Kx
C1 
t  2 K  2 Kx

t  2 Kx
C2 
t  2 K  2 Kx

2 K  2 Kx  t
C3 
t  2 K  2 Kx
Note that
• ΣC=1
• The best results will be obtained when routing interval should be so
chosen that
• If the coefficient C1 will be negative, and avoidable

If I(t), K and X are known, Q(t) can be calculated

using above eqn:
Example
Chapter – 5
RESERVOIR CAPACITY
DETERMINATON
 5.1 Introduction
• Its determination is performed using historical inflow records in the stream flow at the
proposed dam site.
• Then, the storage capacity of a reservoir is the maximum difference between the
cumulative supply and demand during the period of driest year of the available records.

Types of Reservoir

→Based on the purpose they built, it classified as:

a) Storage or conservation reservoir: Retaining excess supplies during peak flows period, and can
release gradually for water resources project.

b) Flood control reservoir: Stores a portion of flood flows to minimize the flood peaks at areas to protect
d/s community by releasing gradually to recover the storage to next flood

c) Multi-purpose reservoir: Designed to protect the downstream areas from floods and to conserve water
for water supply, irrigation, industrial needs, hydroelectric purposes…etc.

d) Distribution reservoir: Is a small storage reservoir constructed within a city water supply system,
and can be filled by pumping water at certain rate.
 5.2 Methods to Determine Reservoir Capacity
1) Sequent-Peak algorithm

2) Mass-Curve (ripple) method

3) Use of flow duration curve (FDC)

1. Sequent Peak Algorithm

• Is simple and straight forward analytical procedure for computing

reservoir capacity.

• The difference between first sequent peak and first trough peak
represents normal reservoir capacity.

• The maximum difference between any sequent peak and just the
following trough represents maximum reservoir capacity.

N.B: While calculating reservoir capacity, Seepage loss,

evaporation loss and downstream release has to considered.
  Normal and maximum storage through sequent peak
algorithm is calculated as follows:
1. Convert the monthly inflows into the volume units for the period of available
data

2. Estimate the monthly volumes of all the outflows from the reservoir. This
should include the losses from evaporation, seepage and other losses.

3. Compute the cumulative values of ∑(𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑜w − 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑓𝑙𝑜w) from the reservoir

4. Plot a graph by taking months as abscissa (𝑋 − 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠) and ∑ (𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑜w − 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑓𝑙𝑜w) of step
3 as ordinate (𝑌 − 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠) on ordinary graph paper.

5. Finally, the maximum reservoir storage capacity is taken as the maximum

difference between any sequent peak and the just following trough of the
graph.
Example-2: Monthly inflows at a proposed
reservoir site for a drought period of 15 months
are given along with demands. Compute the
storage required by the sequent peak algorithm.

Solution:
• Calculations are carried out in the table given
Months Inflow Demand Cum. Inflow Cum. Demand ∑Inflow -
(Mm3) (Mm3) (Mm3) (Mm3) ∑Demand
June 250 150 250 150 100
July 350 150 600 300 300
Aug 400 200 1000 500 500

Storage=500+300=800 Mm3
Sep 200 250 1200 750 450
Oct 150 350 1350 1100 250
Nov 150 400 1500 1500 0
Dec 100 250 1600 1750 -150
Jan 50 200 1650 1950 -300
Feb 150 150 1800 2100 -300
Mar 300 150 2100 2250 -150
Apr 400 100 2500 2350 150
May 450 250 2950 2600 350
Jun 150 350 3100 2950 150
Jul 200 300 3300 3250 50
Aug 450 100 3750 3350 400
 5.3 Reservoir Sedimentation
• Sediment deposit in the reservoir is comes from
catchment by flowing water due to decreasing of flow
velocity on the bed

• Therefore, this sediments will decrease its storage

volume of reservoir.

• In the design of dam, it is important to assess the

magnitude of sediment deposition in the reservoir.

1. How much sediments enter into the reservoir? (amount of

sediment)
2. What is the trap efficiency of the reservoir? (loc./conc./grain
size of sediment)
  Sediment Load Prediction
• Often the sediment yield in the area is known from
neighboring catchments.

• The land use, slope and size of the catchment are

important factors.

• To compute sediment load that will enter the reservoir in

its entire life time, the following things should at least
known:
• Rate of silting
• Relation between stream flow and suspended sediment load
• Total sediment transport in the catchment
• Bed load or suspended sediment load volume etc.
  Control of Reservoir Sedimentation
The methods adopted to control the deposition of
sediment in reservoir are:
• Selection of dam site: putting the dam in less erodible catchment
• Construction of check dams: building check dams across the
river stream contributing much sediment load.

• Construction of under sluice in the dam: providing with

openings in its bed to remove the more silted water on downstream side.

• Erosion control in the catchments: applying soil conservation,

forestation, controlling of grazing, and provision of control bunds

• Physical removal of deposited sediment: deposited sediments

can be removed by hydraulic of mechanical means. But, it may pose
environment and damages entire operation for large reservoir but it feasible
CHAPTER
END