Unit 5 Runoff

CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5
Runoff
What is Runoff ?
Runoff is that portion of precipitation, which is not
lost in interception, surface detention, evaporation,
transpiration and infiltration
CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5 CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5
Runoff Runoff
Characteristics of Runoff Peak Discharge
 The peak discharge (peak flow) is the maximum flow a
 Peak Discharge
given point as a result of a storm.
 Total Volume of Runoff  For a given storm, the resulting peak flow determines the
size of the drainage structures.
 Frequency of Runoff - Statistics
 Peak flows depend on rainfall characteristics, and
 Time Variation of Runoff - Hydrograph watershed size and other features.
 Stage versus Discharge for Stream Channels
 Return Period
3-1
Runoff Runoff
Total Volume of Runoff Frequency of runoff

 The total runoff volume is equal to the area under
the hydrograph.  Similar to storm events, the excedance probability of peak
flows is the probability that, in any one year, a peak of
given magnitude will be equaled or exceeded.
 The volume is used in design of storage facilities
which may be related to highway design.  The return period is calculated as one over the probability.
 Peak flows depend on rainfall characteristics, and

watershed size and other features.
Runoff Runoff
Time variation of runoff Stage versus discharge curves
 Hydrograph shows variation of run off with time. • Simultaneous measurements of stage and discharge provide a
calibration graph known as stage-discharge relations or rating
curve.
• Stage: Height of stream level measured from an arbitrary

datum.
• Depth: Measured from the bottom of the channel.
The datum can also be the mean sea level. A plot of stage Vs
discharge is made to obtain a rating curve.
3-2
Runoff Runoff
Stage versus discharge curves
Stage
depth
stage
Rating Curve Factors affecting
runoff
Datum
Discharge
CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5 CE09 L15 : SURFACE HYDROLOGY AND WATER POWER Unit 4
Runoff Runoff
Climatic Factors Physiographic Factors
Forms of precipitation Type of soil
Intensity of precipitation Land use

Area of basin
Duration of precipitation
Rainfall distribution over
Shape of the catchment Estimation of runoff
catchment Slope of the catchment
Direction of storm Orientation of catchment
movement
Natural Drainage
Antecedent
precipitation index Artificial drainage works
Meteorological factors Storage characteristics of the
basin
3-3
CE09 L15 : SURFACE HYDROLOGY AND WATER POWER Unit 4 CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5
Estimation of Runoff Estimation of Runoff
The runoff can be estimated by the following methods I. EMPIRICAL METHODS
1. Empirical Methods i. Inglis and De Souza’s Formula

2. Curves and Tables Method
= 0.85 − 30.5 ∶ ℎ
3. Runoff Coefficient Method.
− 17.8
4. Infiltration Capacity Curve Method. = ∶
254
5. Hydrographs Method
ii. Lacey’s Formula • F is the monsoon
6. Rational Method. duration factor
7. Rainfall-Runoff correlation method. =
304.8 • S is the catchment
1+
8. Watershed Simulation Method. factor
I. EMPIRICAL METHODS II. CURVES AND TABLES METHODS
ii. Stranges Tables and Curves
iii. Khosla’s Formula Runoff percentage and yield
Daily
Tm is the mean annual Rainfall
Dry catchment Damp Catchment Wet catchment
= − 0.48
Temperature (cm) Runoff Yield Runoff Yield Runoff Yield
Percentage (cm) Percentage (cm) Percentage (cm)
II. CURVES AND TABLES METHODS 0.625 -- -- -- -- 8 0.050
1.250 -- -- 6 0.075 12 0.150
i. Binnies percentages 1.875 -- -- 8 0.150 16 0.300
2.500 3 0.075 11 0.275 18 0.450
Mean annual 3.125 5 0.156 14 0.438 22 0.688
50 60 70 80 90 100 110
rainfall (cm)
3.750 6 0.225 16 0.600 25 0.938
Runoff
15 21 25 29 34 38 40 4.375 8 0.350 19 0.831 30 1.310
Percentage
5.000 10 0.500 22 1.100 34 1.700
3-4
II. CURVES AND TABLES METHODS III. Runoff Coefficient Method
iii. Barlow’s Table The runoff and rainfall can be correlated as
R = kP k : Runoff Coefficient
Class of Description of Catchment Percentage
Catchment Runoff Sl. No Type of Catchment Runoff
Coefficient
A Flat, Cultivated, Absorbent Soil 10
1 Heavy forest 0.1 – 0.2
B Flat, partly cultivated, stiff soil 15
2 Sandy soil 0.2 – 0.3
C Average Catchment 20
3 Cultivated absorbed soil 0.3 – 0.4
D Hills and Plains with little 35
cultivation 4 Cultivated or covered with vegetation 0.4 – 0.6
E Very hilly and steep with little or 45 5 Slightly permeable bare land 0.6 – 0.8
no cultivation 6 Rocky and impermeable areas 0.8 – 1.0
7 Urban areas 0.3 – 0.5
8 Commercial areas, asphalt or concrete 0.85 – 0.90
pavement
IV. Infiltration Method V. Hydrograph Method
Horton’s infiltration capacity Curve fp = fc+(f0-fc)e-kt
Runoff
3-5
VI. Rational Method VII. Rainfall Runoff correlation Method
1. The drainage area is divided into a number of

sub areas.
2. The discharge from each area is calculated as

Q= 2.78 CIA
Runoff
C : Runoff coefficient
I : Intensity of rainfall
Estimation of Runoff
VIII. Watershed stimulation method
1. Mathematical relationship which describe the inter-

dependence of various parameters in the system are
first developed.
2. The model is then calibrated by feeding the known

rainfall – runoff records of the watershed and
numerical values of various coefficient are found.
3. The model is then tested by feeding another set of

rainfall data for which runoff are known.
4. The model is now ready for the determination of the

runoff from any rainfall on that catchment.
3-6
Hydrograph Analysis Hydrograph Analysis
Hydrograph is a graph showing discharge from a drainage

basin against time
2 hr 1 hr
3 hr
CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

Unit 5
2 hr 1 hr 2 hr 1 hr
3 hr 3 hr
Q (t)
Q (t)
Q (t)
Q (t)
1 hr 2 hr 1 hr 2 hr 3 hr
Time (t) Time (t) Time (t) Time (t)
3-7
Hydrograph is a graph showing discharge from a drainage basin against time
Base Flow :
2 1
3 hr
hr Sub surface runoff which
hr
ultimately join the stream is
called baseflow.
Direct Runoff Ordinate =
Total Runoff Ordinate –

Q (t)
Q (t)
Base Flow Ordinate
DRO=TRO–BFO
The various components of a
1 hr 2 hr 3 hr hydrograph is shown in the diagram
Time (t) Time (t)
Hydrograph Separation Hydrograph Separation

Separating the base flow from the Total runoff Separation by recession curve approach
Step 1 :
Separation by recession curve approach
The hydrograph is plotted on
semi logarithmic paper with log
Two approaches
of discharge values on the y axis
and corresponding time on x axis
Separation by Arbitrary approach
N = 0.8 A0.2 days, where A is the drainage area in square kilometers
3-8

Separation by recession curve approach Separation by recession curve approach
Step 2 : Step 3 :
The tail part of the hydrograph The point O is then joined to

is extended back from F by a point B at the beginning of the
straight line under the runoff
hydrograph to a point O
The area below the line BOF
directly below the point of approximates the baseflow
inflection E on the recession
limb
The Ordinates above the line are plotted as DRH
CE 09 L15 : SURFACE HYDROLOGY AND WATER POWER Unit 4 CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

Separation by arbitrary approach Separation by arbitrary approach
Method 1 : Method 2 :
Join the beginning of the direct  Extend the recession curve

before the storm to point B
runoff (Point A) to the end of beneath the peak
direct run off (Point E ) by a
 Connect point B to point D
straight line. by a straight line.
Point D on the hydrograph represents N days after the
If point B is not well defined, draw a horizontal line peak, given by the formula N = K. A 0.2
from point A A = Drainage Area
K = 0.8 when A is in square kilometers
= 1 when A is in square miles
3-9
Exercise 5.1
Hydrograph Separation
The flood at the Pampanga River at San Anton, Philippines during October 4 – 10,
Separation by arbitrary approach 1964 is given in table 1. Plot the total runoff hydrograph, separate base flow and
Method 3 : mark the direct run off
 Extend the recession curve

backward to point C , below Table 1 : Daily runoff data of Pampanga River
the inflection point
 Connect point A to point C by C

a straight line Date : October
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1964
Stream flow
325
364
502
452
470
465
240
The portion below the line A C E will represent the (Cumecs)
baseflow. Base flow
325
315
290
277
263
252
240
(Cumecs)
Unit Hydrograph Derivation of Unit Hydrograph
The unit hydrograph is defined as the hydrograph of storm runoff 1. Select a flood hydrograph which has resulted from a unit storm
resulting from an isolated rainfall of some unit duration occurring 2. Separate the base flow from the total runoff
uniformly over the entire area of the catchment producing a unit runoff. 3. From the ordinates of the total hydrograph deduct the corresponding
ordinates of base flow to obtain the ordinates of direct runoff
4. Find the total volume of run off by multiplying the sum of the
ordinates by the corresponding time unit.
5. Divide the total volume of runoff by the area of the drainage basin to
get the net precipitation depth over the basin.
6. Divide each of the ordinates of the direct runoff by the net
precipitation depth over the basin to get the ordinates of U H G
3 - 10
Exercise 5.2
Elements of Unit Hydrograph
The ordinates of a hydrograph at a section of a stream having a drainage
Base Width (T) : The period of direct surface runoff of the unit hydrograph area of 250 km2 are given below. Prepare the direct runoff hydrograph
after separating the base flow . Determine the equivalent depth of runoff
Unit storm : The storm of unit duration regardless of its intensity is
called unit storm Time
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
(hr)
Unit period : The time duration of the unit storm is called unit period Flow
1.37 1.25 1.12 5.00 12.00 15.60 17.15 14.40 12.50 10.70
(m3/s)
Lag time : The time from the centre of a unit storm to the peak
discharge of the corresponding unit hydrograph is called lag
Time
time 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
(hr)
Recession The duration of the direct surface runoff after the end of Flow
8.80 6.80 5.50 4.10 2.75 2.00 1.20 0.65 0.60 0.56
excess rainfall is called recession time (m3/s)
time :
Changing the Unit Hydrograph Duration Changing the Unit Hydrograph Duration
1. Lagging Method ( When the duration has to be converted to a longer
duration which is a multiple of the original duration) Exercise 5.4: Home Work
Given below is a 2 – hour unit hydrograph. Derive an 8 – hour unit hydrograph by
Exercise 5.3
the lagging method
Given below is a 2 – hour unit hydrograph. Derive an 12 – hour unit hydrograph by
the lagging method
Time
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(hr)
Time Flow
0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 0 100 200 400 300 200 100 50 0
(hr) (cfs)
Flow
0 1.5 4.5 8.6 12 9.4 4.6 2.3 0.8
(cfs)
3 - 11
2. S-Curve Method ( to convert to any duration of shorter or longer time Example : Suppose we have a 4 hour ( tr) unit hydrograph, and it is
period ) required to develop a 1 – hour ( tr’ )unit hydrograph
The S – Curve results when the unit rate of excess rainfall The 6-hour unit hydrograph is continually lagged by 4 hours and the
continues indefinitely ordinates are added to get the S – hydrograph.
Note : If T is the time base of the unit

hydrograph, summation of T / tr unit
The S-curve method involves continually lagging a unit hydrographs will produce the S - curve
flow
hydrograph by its duration and adding the ordinates.
tr tr tr tr tr Time
The tr-duration S curve is lagged by the desired revised
duration t’r.
Cm/hr
1/tr
t’r
The difference between the

two S curves will be a tr’
flow
hour Direct Runoff

Hydrograph producing a
runoff of tr’/tr
t’r
Time
3 - 12
Developing t’r hour unit hydrograph from tr hour unit
hydrograph Exercise 5.5
Given below is a 12 – hour unit hydrograph. Derive a 6 – hour unit hydrograph
1. Draw the given S curve
2. Draw another S curve lagged by tr’
Time
3. Determine the difference in ordinates of the two S (hr)
0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72
curves. Flow
0 1 4 8 16 19 15 12 8 5 3 2 1
(cfs)
4. Multiply the difference in ordinates by tr/tr’ to obtain
the required unit hydrograph of duration tr’
Changing the Unit Hydrograph Duration Simplified method for developing S curve
Exercise 5.6 : Home work

Given below is a 2 – hour unit hydrograph. Derive an 8 – hour unit hydrograph by S
curve method
If tr = t r’ ut = St – St-tr
Time
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(hr)
Flow St = ut + St-tr
0 100 200 400 300 200 100 50 0
(cfs)
3 - 13
Estimation of Streamflow from Unit Hydrograph Estimation of Streamflow from Unit Hydrograph
 Consider that a storm consists of a series of rainfall excess i1, i2, ……..in,
each of duration d
 To formulate the storm hydrograph, a unit hydrograph of d duration is

Unit Hydrograph can be used to develop storm runoff (DRH) and developed for the basin.
the stream flow (By adding the base flow) from a series of rainfall  The ordinates of unit hydrograph will be multiplied by i1.
of varying intensity.  Shifting the base by time d, the ordinates of unit hydrograph is multiplied
by i2,… and so on ……
 Each of these hydrographs represents the DRH for individual rainfall excess
 Their sum gives the DRH for the entire storm.
 The estimated base flow added to this will provide the stream flow hydrograph
Exercise 5.7
50
The base flow in a stream
Basic proposition of Unit Hydrograph
45
and 3 – hour unit 35
 Time invariance : The direct Runoff hydrograph does not depend
hydrograph for the basin Total 25 mm
upon the time when the storm occurs
23
are given below. Determine
the total flow hydrograph Excess 10.5 mm  Linearity of response : It means that the relation between the
for a storm pattern direct runoff discharge and the effective rainfall is linear. Therefore
indicated. the principle of superposition can be applied.
0 3 6 9 12 (hr)
Time  Fixed base period: The base period of the direct runoff hydrograph
12 15 18 21 24 03 06 09 12 15 18
(hr) remains the same, what ever may be magnitude of the effective
UHG rainfall.
0 4.7 7.5 5.7 4.3 3.1 2.4 1.4 0.8 0.2 0
(m3/s)
Base
Flow 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13
(m3/s)
Same base flow continues
3 - 14
Limitations of Unit Hydrograph

Applications of Unit Hydrograph
 Unit hydrograph theory can not be used for catchment areas greater
 Once a unit hydrograph for a duration has been developed for a than about 5000 km2. Because for larger areas, the rainfall is not
basin, the storm hydrograph for that basin for any other storm of uniformly distributed over the area and it does not remain constant.
different intensity and duration can be easily developed.
 The unit hydrograph theory can not be applied for very small
 The unit hydrograph may be used for the development of the catchments also.
maximum flood hydrograph from the maximum rainfall for the design
of spillways and other hydraulic structures.  The principle of linearity of response is not strictly correct. The unit
hydrograph derived from very light rainfall has generally lower peaks
 The available stream flow records can be extended using the rainfall than those derived from very heavy rainfall.
records which are generally available for longer periods.
 The direct runoff hydrograph of a drainage basin due to a given
 The unit hydrograph can be used for flood forecasting and flood pattern of rainfall does not remain constant. It changes due to
warning based on the observed rainfall in the basin. variations in the basin characteristics with seasons and man made
features.
CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

Hydrograph Analysis
Limitations of Unit Hydrograph

 The base period of the direct runoff is not exactly the same for all
storms of the same duration, but different intensities.
 The unit hydrograph theory can not be applied when a major portion
of the precipitation is in the form of snow.
 The unit hydrograph theory is not very accurate.
 A large number of unit hydrograph is required for a catchment,

because as the unit duration changes, the unit hydrograph also
changes.
 Streamflow data for the catchment must be available for deriving the
unit hydrograph.
3 - 15

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CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

 Stage versus Discharge for Stream Channels

Total Volume of Runoff Frequency of runoff

 Peak flows depend on rainfall characteristics, and

Time variation of runoff Stage versus discharge curves

• Stage: Height of stream level measured from an arbitrary

• Depth: Measured from the bottom of the channel.

Stage versus discharge curves

Climatic Factors Physiographic Factors

Forms of precipitation Type of soil

Intensity of precipitation Land use

1. Empirical Methods i. Inglis and De Souza’s Formula

Horton’s infiltration capacity Curve fp = fc+(f0-fc)e-kt

1. The drainage area is divided into a number of

2. The discharge from each area is calculated as

1. Mathematical relationship which describe the inter-

2. The model is then calibrated by feeding the known

3. The model is then tested by feeding another set of

4. The model is now ready for the determination of the

Hydrograph is a graph showing discharge from a drainage

CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

Hydrograph is a graph showing discharge from a drainage basin against time

Direct Runoff Ordinate =

Total Runoff Ordinate –

Hydrograph Separation Hydrograph Separation

Separation by Arbitrary approach

N = 0.8 A0.2 days, where A is the drainage area in square kilometers

Hydrograph Separation Hydrograph Separation

The tail part of the hydrograph The point O is then joined to

Hydrograph Separation Hydrograph Separation

Join the beginning of the direct  Extend the recession curve

Method 3 : mark the direct run off

 Extend the recession curve

 Connect point A to point C by C

Unit Hydrograph Derivation of Unit Hydrograph

Note : If T is the time base of the unit

The difference between the

hour Direct Runoff

Exercise 5.6 : Home work

 To formulate the storm hydrograph, a unit hydrograph of d duration is

 Their sum gives the DRH for the entire storm.

Same base flow continues

Limitations of Unit Hydrograph

CE 309 : WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING Unit 5

Limitations of Unit Hydrograph

 The unit hydrograph theory is not very accurate.

 A large number of unit hydrograph is required for a catchment,

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