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Time Area Method

This document discusses components of streamflow, methods for measuring streamflow, and factors affecting watershed runoff. It describes the main components of streamflow as direct runoff, interflow, baseflow, and precipitation into channels. Methods for measuring streamflow include manual approaches using meters and floats, as well as acoustic Doppler methods. Factors affecting watershed runoff and the resulting hydrograph include rainfall intensity and duration, watershed size and shape, slope, soil conditions, and storage in the watershed. The document also provides an example of applying the Rational Method to compute peak outflow and an example of using a time-area relationship to compute a runoff hydrograph.

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5K views

Time Area Method

This document discusses components of streamflow, methods for measuring streamflow, and factors affecting watershed runoff. It describes the main components of streamflow as direct runoff, interflow, baseflow, and precipitation into channels. Methods for measuring streamflow include manual approaches using meters and floats, as well as acoustic Doppler methods. Factors affecting watershed runoff and the resulting hydrograph include rainfall intensity and duration, watershed size and shape, slope, soil conditions, and storage in the watershed. The document also provides an example of applying the Rational Method to compute peak outflow and an example of using a time-area relationship to compute a runoff hydrograph.

Uploaded by

pp hsu
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Watershed Hydrology &

Streamflow
CE 3620
March 21, 2007

Components of Streamflow
• Direct runoff (over land)
• Interflow (through near surface soil layers)
• Baseflow (from groundwater)
• Precipitation onto channel
– Small contribution

1
Baseflow

Measuring Streamflow
• Manual approaches (Example 2.6, p. 88)
– Hand-held meters
– Orange peel?
• Float gage, bubbler
– Requires rating curve developed through
another method
• Acoustic (Doppler) methods

2
USGS Manual Method
• Divide the cross-section of the stream into 20-30 partial sections based on
edge of water on each side of stream. No one section contains more than
5% of the flow.
• Person wading in stream measures water depth at each vertical, using
wading rod, to the nearest one-hundredth of a foot, if possible.
• If the water is more than 2.5 feet deep, measurements should be made at
20% and 80% of the water column height. For water columns less than 2.5
feet deep, a single measurement of velocity at 40% of the water column
height will suffice.
• Person should not stand directly behind the meter but either to the left or
right so as not to influence velocity readings.
• Repeat procedure at each vertical.

Factors Affecting Runoff


Hydrograph
• For a given rainfall depth, shape of hydrograph and
volume of runoff depend on:
– Intensity of rainfall, duration, and temporal pattern
– Areal distribution of rainfall over the watershed
– Size and shape of drainage area
– Nature of stream network
– Slope of land and channel
– Storage detention in watershed
– Soil conditions, land use (infiltration)
• Hydrologic losses such as infiltration, depression
storage, and detention storage must first be satisfied
before direct runoff occurs.

3
Rainfall – Runoff Analysis
• Consider one of the simplest models:

• Rational Method:
Q = CIA
– C = runoff coefficient (dependent on soils, land use)
– I = design rainfall intensity for a duration equal to tc
– tc = time of concentration; time for rainfall at the most remote portion of
the basin to travel to the outlet
– A = area of watershed

• Assumes uniform rainfall over the watershed.

• Time-Area methods developed to address non-uniform rainfall


(larger areas).

Time-Area Method

Q1 = P1A1
Q2 = P1A2 + P2A1
Q3 = P1A3 + P2A2 + P3A1
etc.

+ =

4
Hydrograph Fun
• Match the watershed with its unit hydrograph.

1 a Q

2 b Q

c Q
3

4 d Q

Example Problem 1
A 10-acre parking lot in
Houston, TX is found to
have a time of concentration
(tc) of 5 minutes. With a
runoff coefficient (C) of 0.98,
and the rainfall IDF curves
given, use the Rational
Method to compute the
peak outflow corresponding
to the 25-year rainfall event.

5
Example Problem 1
Solution:
Q = CIA
I = 9.0 in/hr
A = 10 acres
Q = (0.98)(9.0)(10) = 88.2 ft3/s
Units?

Example Problem 2
• Compute the runoff hydrograph for a watershed with the
following time-area relationship. Assume 1.0 inch of
rainfall excess occurs evenly over the watershed over a
3-hour period (0.33 in/hr).

6
Example Problem 2
Solution:
Q1 = P1A1 = (0.333)(100) = 33.3
Q2 = P1A2 + P2A1 = (0.333)(200) + (0.333)(100) = 100
Q3 = P1A3 + P2A2 + P3A1= (0.333)(300) + (0.333)(200) + (0.333)(100) = 200
Q4 = P1A4 + P2A3 + P3A2+ P4A1
= (0.333)(100) + (0.333)(300) + (0.333)(200) + (0)(100) = 200
etc.
250

200

150

Q (cfs)
100

50

0
0 2 4 6 8
Time (hr)

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