Runoff

Prof. M.M.M. Najim

• At the end of this section, students will be
able to
– Explain different types of runoff
– Explain the factors affecting runoff
– Apply rational method to estimate peak rate of
runoff
– Estimate the runoff coefficient for a
heterogeneous watershed
– Estimate time of concentration for a watershed
• Runoff is the portion of rainfall which flows
through the rivers, streams etc.
Total
Precipitation

Precipitation
Infiltration Abstractions
Excess

Surface Subsurface Deep

Runoff Runoff Percolation

Groundwater
Prompt SSR Delayed SSR
Runoff

Direct Runoff Base flow

Total Runoff
 Types of Runoff
• Surface runoff
– Portion of rainfall (after all losses such as interception,
infiltration, depression storage etc. are met) that
enters streams immediately after occurring rainfall
– After laps of few time, overland flow joins streams
– Sometime termed prompt runoff (as very quickly
enters streams)
• Subsurface runoff
– Amount of rainfall first enter into soil and then flows
laterally towards stream without joining water table
– Also take little time to reach stream
• Base flow
– Delayed flow
– Water that meets the groundwater table and join
the stream or ocean
– Very slow movement and take months or years to
reach streams
 Factors affecting runoff
• Climatic factors
– Type of precipitation
• Rain and snow fall
– Rainfall intensity
• High intensity rainfall causes more rainfall
– Duration of rainfall
• When duration increases, infiltration capacity
decreases resulting more runoff
– Rainfall distribution
• Distribution of rainfall in a catchment may vary and
runoff also vary
• More rainfalls closer to the outlet, peak flow occurs
quickly
• Direction of prevailing wind
– If the wind direction is towards the flow direction,
peak flow will occur quickly
• Other climatic factors
– Temperature, wind velocity, relative humidity,
annual rainfall etc. affect initial loss of
precipitation and thereby affecting runoff
• Physiographic factors
– Physiographic characteristics of watershed and
channel both

– Size of watershed
• Larger the watershed, longer time needed to deliver
runoff to the outlet
• Small watersheds dominated by overland flow and
larger watersheds by runoff
– Shape of watershed
• Fan shaped, fan shaped (elongated) and broad shaped
 • Fan shaped – runoff from the nearest tributaries
drained out before the floods of farthest tributaries.
Peak runoff is less
• Broad shaped – all tributaries contribute runoff almost
at the same time so that peak flow is more
– Orientation of watershed
• Windward side of mountains get more rainfall than
leeward side
– Landuse
• Forest – thick layer of organic matter and undercover –
huge amounts absorbed to soil – less runoff and high
resistance to flow
• barren lands – high runoff
– Soil moisture
• Runoff generated depend on soil moisture – more
moisture means less infiltration and more runoff
• Dry soil – more water absorbed to soil and less runoff
– Soil type
• Light soil (sandy) – large pores and more infiltration
• Heavy textured soils – less infiltration and more runoff
– Topographic characteristics
• Higher the slope, faster the runoff
• Channel characters such as length, shape, slope,
roughness, storage, density of channel influence runoff
– Drainage density
Total channel length
Drainage density 
Total area of watershed

• More the drainage density, runoff yield is more

 Runoff Computation
• Computation of runoff depend on several
factors
• Several methods available
– Rational method
– Cook’s method
– Curve number method
– Hydrograph method
– Many more
 Rational Method
• Computes peak rate of runoff
• Peak runoff should be known to design hydraulic
structures that must carry it.
CIA
QPeak 
360
QPeak = Peak runoff rate (m3/s)
C = runoff coefficient
I = rainfall intensity (mm/h) for the duration equal
to the time of concentration
A = Area of watershed (ha)
• Runoff coefficient
– Ratio of peak runoff rate to the rainfall intensity
– No units, 0 to 1
– Depend on landuse and soil type
– When watershed has many land uses and soil
types, weighted average runoff coefficient is
calculated C a C a C a
Cw  1 1 2 2 3 3
a1  a2  a3
n

C a
i 1
i i

Cw 
A
Runoff coefficient for Rational Method
• Time of concentration (Tc)
– Time required to reach the surface runoff from
remotest point of watershed to its outlet
– At Tc all the parts of watershed contribute to the
runoff at outlet
– Have to compute the rainfall intensity for the
duration equal to time of concentration
– Several methods to calculate Tc
– Kirpich equation
 0.385
Tc  0.02 L 0.77
S
Tc = time of concentration (min)
L = Length of channel reach (m)
S = Average channel slope (m/m)

• Computation of rainfall intensity for the

duration of Tc
Rainfall Depth cm or mm
I 
Tc h
• Assumptions of Rational Method
– Rainfall occur with uniform intensity at least to the
Tc
– Rainfall intensity is uniform throughout catchment

• Limitations of Rational Method

– Uniform rainfall throughout the watershed never
satisfied
– Initial losses (interception, depression storage,
etc). are not considered
 Cook’s Method
• Computes runoff based on 4 characteristics
(relief, infiltration rate, vegetal cover and
surface depression)
• Numerical values are assigned to each

Steps in calculation
• Step 1
– Evaluate degree of watershed characteristics by
comparing with similar conditions
Numerical
values for
Cook’s
Method
• Step 2
– Assign numerical value (W) to each of the
characteristics
• Step 3
– Find sum of numerical values assigned

W  R  I  V  D
ΣW = total numerical value
R, I, V, and D are marks given to relief character,
initial infiltration, vegetal cover and surface
depression respectively
• Step 4
– Determine runoff rate against ΣW using runoff
curve (valid for specified geographical region and
10 year recurrence interval)
• Step 5
– Compute adjusted runoff rate for desired
recurrence interval and watershed location

QPeak  P.R.F .S
QPeak = Peak runoff for specified geographical
location and recurrence interval (m3/s)
P = Uncorrected runoff obtained from step 4
R = Geographic rainfall factor (Figures for Sri
Lanka)
F = Recurrence interval factor (Figures for Sri
Lanka)
S = Shape factor
 Shape factor for Cook’s method
• Table 5.4 Suresh
Rainfall Factor
Frequency Factor
 Curve Number Method
• Calculates runoff on the retention capacity of
soil, which is predicted by wetness status
(Antecedent Moisture Conditions [AMC]) and
physical features of watershed
• AMC - relative wetness or dryness of
a watershed, preceding wetness conditions
• This method assumes that initial losses are
satisfied before runoff is generated
( P  0 .2 S ) 2
2540
Q CN 
( P  0 .8 S ) (25.4  S )
Q = Direct runoff
P = Rainfall depth
S = Retention capacity of soil
CN = Curve Number

• CN depends on landuse pattern, soil

conservation type, hydrologic condition,
hydrologic soil group
• Curve
Numbers
Procedure
• Step 1
– Find value of CN using table
– Calculate S using equation
– Use equation and calculate Q (AMC II)
– Use correction factor if necessary to convert to
other AMCs)

• Three AMC conditions

Factors for converting AMC II to AMC I
or AMR III
CN – AMC II Conversion Factor
AMC I AMC III
10 0.40 2.22
20 0.45 1.85
30 0.50 1.67
40 0.55 1.50
50 0.62 1.40
60 0.67 1.30
70 0.73 1.21
80 0.79 1.14
90 0.87 1.07
100 1.00 1.00
• AMC I – Lowest runoff generating potential – dry soil
• AMC II – Average moisture status
• AMC III – Highest runoff generating potential –
saturated soil

• Soil A – low runoff generating potential, sand or gravel

soils with high infiltration rates
• Soil B – Moderate infiltration rate, moderately fine to
moderately coarse particles
• Soil C – Low infiltration rate, thin hard layer prevents
downward water movement, moderately fine to fine
particles
• Soil D – High runoff potential due to very low
infiltration rate, clay soils
 Classification of Streams
• Based on flow duration, streams are classified
into
– Perennial
• Streams carry flow throughout the year
• Appreciable groundwater contribution throughout the year
– Intermittent
• Limited groundwater contribution
• In rainy season, groundwater table rises above stream bed
• Dry season stream get dried
– Ephemeral
• In arid areas
• Flow due to rainwater only
• No base flow contribution
 Flow Duration Curve
• Gives the variability of stream flow in a year
– Arrange stream flow data in descending order
– Assign rank number
– Calculate plotting position (Probability)
 m 
P 100
 n 1
– Plot plotting position and discharge
 1
Average Stream Flow (m3/s)
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 20 40 60 80 100

Probability (%)
• Characteristics of flow duration curve
– Steep slope – highly variable flow
– Flat slope – little variation in the flow
– Flat portion at top of curve – stream has large
flood plain
– Flat portion at lower end – considerable baseflow
• Uses of flow duration curve
– Discharge for any probability can be known
– Variation of flow within a year can be known
– Plan water resources projects
– Design of drainage structures
– Decide on flood control structures to be used
– Evaluate hydropower potential
– Determine sediment load carried by stream