CHAPTER 7

FLOOD ROUTING
 INTRODUCTION

 Routing : Process to determine spatial & temporal

distribution of flow rate & flow depth.
 Flood routing : Process  determine outflow hydrograph
 a point (eg: reservoir)  known inflow hydrograph.

The peak flow is

decreased
Flow

Flow
Hydraulic
System

Time Time

Inflow hydrograph Storage effect Outflow hydrograph

Figure 7.1: Flood routing process

 INTRODUCTION
... Cont ‘

Figure 7.2: Reservoir concept

 INTRODUCTION
... Cont ‘

 Three elements of routing process (continuity equation) :-

S
IO
t …. 7.1

Where :-
I = Inflow
O = Outflow
S = Change in storage
t = Change in time
 INTRODUCTION
... Cont ‘
 Routing models :-

 Hydrologic routing Will be focused in

this course
 Hydraulic routing

HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

 Simple.

 Involve balancing of inflow, outflow & volume of

storage  continuity equation.
 Required relation between outflow & storage 
second equation.
 INTRODUCTION
... Cont ‘
HYDROLOGIC ROUTING
 Usage :-
 Flood prediction
 Flood control measures
 Reservoir design & operation

 2 situations :-

 River / Streamflow routing

 Reservoir routing

HYDRAULIC ROUTING Not discussed !!

 More complex & accurate.

 Based on simultaneous solution  (continuity eq &

momentum equation).
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

STREAMFLOW / RIVER ROUTING

MUSKINGUM METHOD

 Formula used :-

O 2  Co I 2  C1I1  C 2O1 …. 7.2

With ; 0.5t  Kx
CO 
K 1  x   0.5t …. 7.3
0.5t  Kx
C1 
K 1  x   0.5t …. 7.4

K 1  x   0.5t
C2 
K 1  x   0.5t …. 7.5
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

STREAMFLOW / RIVER ROUTING

... Cont ‘

MUSKINGUM METHOD

Where :-
O2 = Current outflow
O1 = Previous outflow
I2 = Current inflow
I1 = Previous inflow
t = Time interval
K = Travel time constant
x = Weighting factor ( 0  0.5 )

Note : t & K MUST have same units

For checking  Co + C1 + C2 = 1
EXAMPLE 7.1

Route the inflow hydrograph tabulated in

the following table through a river reach for
which x = 0.2 and K = 20 hours. Use a
routing period t = 12 hours and assume
that inflow equals outflow for the first day.

Given :-
x = 0.2
K = 20 hours
t = 12 hours
Find outflow ???
EXAMPLE 7.1
... Cont ‘

Table 7.1 : Inflow hydrograph of a river

Time
12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120
(hour)

I, inflow
100 300 680 500 400 310 230 180 100 50
(ft3/s)
SOLUTION

From formula :-

O 2  Co I 2  C1I1  C 2O1 … (i)

Find the coefficients of Co , C1 and C2 for the reach :-

K (1  x )  0.5t  ( 20)(1  0.2)  (0.5)(12)

K (1  x )  0.5t  22
SOLUTION .... Con’t
0.5t  Kx
CO 
K 1  x   0.5t

0.5  12  20  0.2

CO   0.091
22

0.5t  Kx
C1 
K 1  x   0.5t

0.5  12  20  0.2

C1   0.455
22

K 1  x   0.5t
C2 
K 1  x   0.5t

201  0.2  0.5  12

C2   0.455
22
 SOLUTION .... Con’t

For checking, the sum of Co , C1 & C2 = 1

Co  C1  C 2  0.091  0.455  0.455  1.0 OK !

Substitute Co = 0.091 , C1 = 0.455 & C2 = 0.455 into (i) :-

O 2  0.091I 2  0.455I1  0.455O1

For easy calculation, perform the table …

 SOLUTION .... Con’t

Time Inflow C o I2 C1I1 C 2O 1 Outflow

(hour) (ft3/s) 0.091I2 0.455I1 0.455O1 (ft3/s)
1
12 100 - - - 100
2 24 300 27.3 45.5 45.5 118.3
3
36 680 61.9 136.5 53.8 252.2
4
48 500 45.5 309.4 114.8 469.7
5
60 400 36.4 227.5 213.7 477.6
6
72 310 28.2 182.0 217.3 427.5
7
84 230 20.9 141.1 194.5 356.5
8
96 180 16.4 104.7 162.2 283.3
9
108 100 9.1 81.9 128.9 219.9
10
120 50 4.6 45.5 100.1 150.2
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

STREAMFLOW / RIVER ROUTING

... Cont ‘

MUSKINGUM METHOD

Determination of Routing Constants

 If both inflow & outflow hydrograph available.

 What we do ???  estimates better K and x through
graphical methods.
 Storage is calculated using the following formula :

I  I O  O2 
S 2  S1   t  1 2  1 
 2 2 …. 7.6
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

STREAMFLOW / RIVER ROUTING

... Cont ‘

MUSKINGUM METHOD

Determination of Routing Constants … con’t

How it is done ???

Find S from Calculate weighted discharge

formula xI + (1-x)O for several x

Select the most linear Plot S vs xI +(1-x)O

single-valued curve

Find K from linear single

slope
EXAMPLE 7.2

The values listed in the following table for inflow

and outflow were measured for a particular reach of
a river. Determine the coefficients K and x for use
in the Muskingum routing equations for this reach.
EXAMPLE 7.2
... Cont ‘

Table 7.2 : Inflow and outflow hydrograph of a river

Time
12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120
(hour)

I, inflow
100 300 680 500 400 310 230 180 100 50
(ft3/s)

O, outflow
100 118 252 470 478 428 357 283 220 150
(ft3/s)
SOLUTION

Determine storage from the following

formula :-

 I 1  I 2 O1  O 2 
S 2  S1   t   
 2 2

Determine weighted discharge from the following formula :-

xI  (1  x )O

For easy calculation, perform the table …

 SOLUTION .... Con’t
   
Time Inflow Outflow Storage x = 0.1 x = 0.2 x = 0.25
(hour) (ft3/s) (ft3/s) (ft3/s.hr) 0.1I + 0.9O 0.2I + 0.8O 0.25I + 0.75O

12 100 100 0 100.0 100.0 100.0

24 300 118 1092 136.2 154.4 163.5
36 680 252 4752 294.8 337.6 359.0
48 500 470 7500 473.0 476.0 477.5
60 400 478 7212 470.2 462.4 458.5
72 310 428 6036 416.2 404.4 398.5
84 230 357 4566 344.3 331.6 325.3
96 180 283 3186 272.7 262.4 257.3
108 100 220 1848 208.0 196.0 190.0
120 50 150 528 140.0 130.0 125.0
 SOLUTION .... Con’t

Plot storage, S versus weighted discharge , xI + (1 – x)O for

each x = 0.1 , x = 0.2 & x = 0.25

K = 20 hr and x = 0.10
8000.0

7000.0

6000.0

5000.0
S (cfs-hr)

4000.0

3000.0

2000.0

1000.0

0.0
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0

0.1I
x1 + -0.9O
+ (1 x)O2 (cfs)

x = 0.1
 SOLUTION .... Con’t

K = 20 hr and x = 0.20
8000.0

7000.0

6000.0

5000.0
S (cfs-hr)

4000.0

3000.0

2000.0

1000.0

0.0
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 550.0

x10.2I
+ (1 +
- x)O2 (cfs)
0.8O

x = 0.2
 SOLUTION .... Con’t

K = 20 hr and x = 0.25
9000.0

8000.0 Plot for x =0.25 is

the straightest line
7000.0

6000.0
K
S (cfs-hr)

5000.0

4000.0 1

3000.0

2000.0

1000.0

0.0
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 550.0

x1 0.25I + 0.75O
+ (1 - x)O 2 (cfs)

x = 0.25
 SOLUTION .... Con’t

From graph ;

x = 0.25

K value is obtained as the slope of the line ;

7500  0
K
477.5  100

K  19.9 hours
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

RESERVOIR ROUTING

THE PULSE METHOD

 Formula used :-

 2S1   2S 2 
I1  I 2     O1     O2 
 t   t  …. 7.7

( LHS ) ( RHS )
 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

RESERVOIR ROUTING
... Cont ‘
THE PULSE METHOD

Crest spillway

H H
Crest spillway
Outflow
Inflow
Storage L
Dam

Figure 7.3: Spillway of dam

 HYDROLOGIC ROUTING

RESERVOIR ROUTING
... Cont ‘
THE PULSE METHOD

 Storage expressed as a function of water surface

elevation.

 How ???  multiplying area with water depth.

 Outflow depends on the flow depth over spillway.

 Need spillway rating curve (relation between discharge &

water surface elevation).
EXAMPLE 7.3

Route the inflow hydrograph indicated below through a

reservoir. The storage data (water surface elevation versus
storage volume) for the reservoir are given below. The
spillway discharge is Q = 3LH3/2. The crest height of the
spillway is 50 ft and the length of the spillway is 35 ft.

Given :-
H = 50 ft
L = 35 ft
Q = 3LH3/2
EXAMPLE 7.3
... Con’t
Table 1 : Inflow hydrograph
Time
(days) 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

Flow
(ft3/s) 0 70 185 360 480 300 165 80 0

Table 2 : Storage data

Elevation
50.0 50.5 51.0 51.5 52.0 52.5 53.0 53.5
(ft)
Storage
231 247 277 313 353 400 452 509
(acre - ft)
 SOLUTION
H = Col (1) – Crest level
Crest level = 50 m
STEP :-
Acre  ft2
i) Construct reservoir routing curves (  43500 )

   
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
Water
Storage, S Outflow, O
Surface Head, H (2S/t+O)
(Given) (Formula)
Elevation
(ft) (ft) (Acre-ft) (ft3/s-day) (ft3/s) (ft3/s)
50.0 0.0 231 116.4 0.0 465.6
50.5 0.5 247 124.8 37.1 536.4
51.0 1.0 277 139.9 105.0 664.4
51.5 1.5 313 158.1 192.9 825.3
52.0 2.0 353 178.1 297.0 1009.4
52.5 2.5 400 202.3 415.0 1224.3
53.0 3.0 452 228.5 545.6 1459.5
53.5 3.5 509 257.1 687.5 1715.7

Q = 105H3/2
 SOLUTION .... Con’t
2S/t + O (ft3/s)
400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
54.0

53.5

53.0
Elevation (ft)

52.5

52.0

51.5

Discharge vs. elevation (curve b)

51.0
(2S/Dt+O) vs. elevation (curve c)
50.45
50.5 Storage vs. elevation (curve a)
124.5

50.0
110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250
Storage (ft3/s-days)
0.0 35 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Outflow (ft /s) 3

GUMBEL’S METHOD
GUMBEL’S METHOD
GUMBEL’S METHOD
GUMBEL’S METHOD
GUMBEL’S METHOD
GUMBEL’S METHOD