Excess Rainfall

Reading for today’s material:

Sections 5.3-5.7

Quote for today (contributed by Tyler Jantzen)

"How many times it thundered before
Franklin took the hint! Nature is always
hinting at us. It hints over and over again.
And suddenly we take the hint.“

Robert Frost

Slides prepared by V.M. Merwade

 Excess rainfall
• Rainfall that is neither retained on the land
surface nor infiltrated into the soil
• Graph of excess rainfall versus time is
called excess rainfall hyetograph
• Direct runoff = observed streamflow -
baseflow
• Excess rainfall = observed rainfall -
abstractions
• Abstractions/losses – difference between
total rainfall hyetograph and excess rainfall
hyetograph
 f-index
 f-index: Constant rate of abstraction
yielding excess rainfall hyetograph with
depth equal to depth of direct runoff
• Used to compute excess rainfall
hyetograph when observed rainfall and
streamflow data are available
 f-index method
• Goal: pick t, and
adjust value of M to M
satisfy the equation rd   Rm  ft 
m 1
• Steps
1. Estimate baseflow rd  depth of direct runoff
2. DRH = streamflow Rm  observed rainfall
hydrograph – baseflow f  Phi index
3. Compute rd, rd = M  # intervals of rainfall
Vd/watershed area contributing to driect runoff
4. Adjust M until you get a t  time interval
satisfactory value of f
5. ERH = Rm - ft
 Example
Time Observed Have precipitation and streamflow data, need to estimate losses
Rain Flow
in cfs 12000 0

8:30 203 0.5

9:00 0.15 246 1

10000
9:30 0.26 283 1.5

2
10:00 1.33 828
8000

Streamflow (cfs)
2.5
10:30 2.2 2323
11:00 0.2 5697
6000
11:30 0.09 9531
12:00 11025
4000
12:30 8234
1:00 4321
2000
1:30 2246
2:00 1802
0
2:30 1230 7:30 PM 9:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:00 AM 1:30 AM 3:00 AM 4:30 AM 6:00 AM

3:00 713 Time

3:30 394
4:00 354 No direct runoff until after 9:30
4:30 303
And little precip after 11:00
Basin area A = 7.03 mi2
 Example (Cont.)
• Estimate baseflow (straight line method)
– Constant = 400 cfs
12000

10000

8000
Streamflow (cfs)

6000

4000

2000

0
7:30 PM 9:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:00 AM 1:30 AM 3:00 AM 4:30 AM 6:00 AM

Time baseflow
 Example (Cont.)
Direct

• Calculate Direct
Time Observed Runoff
Rain Flow
in cfs cfs
Runoff Hydrograph 8:30 0.15 203
9:00 0.26 246
– Subtract 400 cfs 9:30 1.33 283
10:00 2.2 828 428
10:30 2.08 2323 1923
11:00 0.2 5697 5297
11:30 0.09 9531 9131
12:00 11025 10625
12:30 8234 7834
1:00 4321 3921
1:30 2246 1846
2:00 1802 1402
2:30 1230 830
3:00 713 313
3:30 394
4:00 354 43550
4:30 303

Total = 43,550 cfs

 Example (Cont.)
• Compute volume of direct runoff
11 11
Vd   Qn t  t  Qn
n 1 n 1
 3600s/hr * 0.5 hr * 43,550 ft 3 /s
 7.839*107 ft 3

• Compute depth of direct runoff

V
rd  d
A
7.839*107 ft 3

7.03 mi * 52802 ft 2
 0.4 ft
 4.80 in
 Example (Cont.)
• Neglect all precipitation intervals that occur
before the onset of direct runoff (before 9:30)
• Select Rm as the precipitation values in the 1.5
hour period from 10:00 – 11:30
M
rd   Rm  ft  rd  4.80 in
m 1
4.80  (1.33  2.20  2.08  f * 3 * 0.5)

f  0.54 in

ft  0.27 in
 Example (Cont.)
Direct Excess
Time Observed Runoff Rainfall
Rain Flow
in cfs cfs in
0

ft=0.27
12000
8:30 0.15 203
9:00 0.26 246 0.5

9:30 1.33 283 1

10000
10:00 2.2 828 428 1.06
1.5
10:30 2.08 2323 1923 1.93
11:00 0.2 5697 5297 1.81 2
8000

Streamflow (cfs)
11:30 0.09 9531 9131 2.5
12:00 11025 10625
12:30 8234 7834
6000
1:00 4321 3921
1:30 2246 1846
2:00 1802 1402
4000
2:30 1230 830
3:00 713 313
3:30 394
2000
4:00 354 43550
4:30 303
0
7:30 PM 9:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:00 AM 1:30 AM 3:00 AM 4:30 AM 6:00 AM

Time
 SCS method
• Soil conservation service (SCS) method is an
experimentally derived method to determine
rainfall excess using information about soils,
vegetative cover, hydrologic condition and
antecedent moisture conditions
• The method is based on the simple relationship
that Pe = P - Fa – Ia
P  Pe  I a  Fa

Precipitation
Pe is runoff volume, P is
precipitation volume, Fa is Pe
continuing abstraction, and Ia is
the sum of initial losses
(depression storage, Ia Fa
interception, ET)
Time
tp
 Abstractions – SCS Method
• In general
Pe  P
• After runoff begins
P  Pe  I a  Fa
Fa  S

Precipitation
• Potential runoff Pe
P  Ia
• SCS Assumption Ia Fa
Fa Pe

P  Ia
Time
S tp

• Combining SCS P  Total Rainfall

assumption with Pe  Rainfall Excess
P=Pe+Ia+Fa I a  Initial Abstraction
P  I a 2 Fa  Continuing Abstraction
Pe 
P  Ia  S S  Potential Maximum Storage
 SCS Method (Cont.)
•
• Experiments showed Surface
– Impervious: CN =
I a  0.2S 100
– Natural: CN < 100
• So 12
100

P  0.2S 2
11 90
Pe  10 80
Cumulative Direct Runoff, Pe, in
P  0.8S 9 70
8 60
7 40
1000
S  10 6 20
CN 5
10

(American Units; 0  CN  100) 4

3
25400
S  254CN
2

CN 1

(SI Units; 30  CN  100)

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Cumulative Rainfall, P, in
 SCS Method (Cont.)
• S and CN depend on antecedent rainfall
conditions
• Normal conditions, AMC(II)
4.2CN ( II )
• Dry conditions, AMC(I) CN ( I ) 
10  0.058CN ( II )

23CN ( II )
• Wet conditions, AMC(III) CN ( III ) 
10  0.13CN ( II )
 SCS Method (Cont.)
• SCS Curve Numbers depend on soil conditions
Group Minimum Infiltration Soil type
Rate (in/hr)
A 0.3 – 0.45 High infiltration rates. Deep, well
drained sands and gravels
B 0.15 – 0.30 Moderate infiltration rates. Moderately
deep, moderately well drained soils
with moderately coarse textures (silt,
silt loam)
C 0.05 – 0.15 Slow infiltration rates. Soils with layers,
or soils with moderately fine textures
(clay loams)
D 0.00 – 0.05 Very slow infiltration rates. Clayey
soils, high water table, or shallow
impervious layer
 Example - SCS Method - 1
• Rainfall: 5 in.
• Area: 1000-ac
• Soils:
– Class B: 50%
– Class C: 50%
• Antecedent moisture: AMC(II)
• Land use
– Residential
• 40% with 30% impervious cover
• 12% with 65% impervious cover
– Paved roads: 18% with curbs and storm sewers
– Open land: 16%
• 50% fair grass cover
• 50% good grass cover
– Parking lots, etc.: 14%
 Example (SCS Method – 1,
Cont.)
Hydrologic Soil Group

B C

Land use % CN Product % CN Product

Residential (30% imp 20 72 14.40 20 81 16.20

cover)
Residential (65% imp 6 85 5.10 6 90 5.40
cover)
Roads 9 98 8.82 9 98 8.82

Open land: good cover 4 61 2.44 4 74 2.96

Open land: Fair cover 4 69 2.76 4 79 3.16

Parking lots, etc 7 98 6.86 7 98 6.86

Total 50 40.38 50 43.40

CN  40.38  43.40  83.8

CN values come from Table 5.5.2
 Example (SCS Method – 1
Cont.)
1000
• Average AMC CN  83.8 S  10
CN
1000
S  10  1.93 in
83.8
P  0.2S 2 5  0.2 *1.932
Pe    3.25 in
P  0.8S 5  0.8 *1.93

• Wet AMC
23CN ( II ) 23 * 83.8
CN ( III )    92.3
10  0.13CN ( II ) 10  0.13 * 83.8

1000
S  10  0.83in
92.3
P  0.2S 2 5  0.2 * 0.832
Pe    4.13 in
P  0.8S 5  0.8 * 0.83
 Example (SCS Method – 2)
• Given P, CN = 80, AMC(II)
• Find: Cumulative abstractions and excess rainfall hyetograph

Time Cumulativ Cumulative Cumulative Excess Rainfall

(hr) e Abstractions (in) Excess Rainfall Hyetograph (in)
Rainfall (in)
(in)
P Ia Fa Pe
0 0
1 0.2
2 0.9
3 1.27
4 2.31
5 4.65
6 5.29
7 5.36
Example (SCS Method – 2)
• Calculate storage 1000 1000
S  10   10  2.50 in
• Calculate initial abstraction CN 80
• Initial abstraction removes I a  0.2S  0.2 * 2.5  0.5 in
– 0.2 in. in 1st period (all the precip)
Time Cumulative
– 0.3 in. in the 2nd period (only part (hr) Rainfall (in)
of the precip) P

• Calculate continuing abstraction 0 0

1 0.2
2 0.9
Pe
Fa  S S (P  I a ) 2.5( P  0.5)
3 1.27
P  Ia Fa   4 2.31
(P  I a  S ) ( P  2.0) 5 4.65
P  Pe  I a  Fa
2.5(0.9  0.5) 6 5.29
Fa (2 hr)   0.34 in 7 5.36
(0.9  2.0)
 Example (SCS method – 2)
• Cumulative abstractions can now be calculated
Time Cumulati Cumulative
2.5( P  0.5)
(hr) ve Abstractions (in) Fa 
Rainfall ( P  2.0)
(in)
P Ia Fa
0 0 0 -
1 0.2 0.2 -
2 0.9 0.5 0.34
3 1.27 0.5 0.59
4 2.31 0.5 1.05
5 4.65 0.5 1.56
6 5.29 0.5 1.64
7 5.36 0.5 1.65
 Example (SCS method – 2)
• Cumulative excess rainfall can now be calculated Pe  P  I a  Fa
• Excess Rainfall Hyetograph can be calculated

Time Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative Excess Rainfall

(hr) Rainfall Abstractions (in) Excess Rainfall (in) Hyetograph (in)
(in)
P Ia Fa Pe
0 0 0 - 0 0
1 0.2 0.2 - 0 0
2 0.9 0.5 0.34 0.06 0.06
3 1.27 0.5 0.59 0.18 0.12
4 2.31 0.5 1.05 0.76 0.58
5 4.65 0.5 1.56 2.59 1.83
6 5.29 0.5 1.64 3.15 0.56
7 5.36 0.5 1.65 3.21 0.06
 Example (SCS method – 2)
• Cumulative excess rainfall can now be calculated Pe  P  I a  Fa
• Excess Rainfall Hyetograph can be calculated
R a i nf a l l ( i n)
R a i nf a l l H y e t ogr a phs
Time Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative Excess Rainfall
(hr) Rainfall
2. 5
Abstractions (in) Excess Rainfall (in) Hyetograph (in)
(in)
2
P Ia Fa Pe
0 0 1. 5
0 - 0 0
1 0.2 0.2 - 0 0
2 0.9 1 0.5 0.34 0.06 0.06
3 1.27 0.5 0.59 0.18 0.12
0. 5
4 2.31 0.5 1.05 0.76 0.58
5 4.65 0 0.5 1.56 2.59 1.83
0 R a i nf a l l
1
6 5.29 0.5 1.64 2 3
3.15 0.56 E x c e s s R a i nf a l l
4
5
7 5.36 0.5 1.65T i m e ( hour ) 3.21 6
0.067
 Time of Concentration
• Different areas of a
watershed contribute to
runoff at different times after
precipitation begins
• Time of concentration
– Time at which all parts of
the watershed begin
contributing to the runoff
from the basin
– Time of flow from the
farthest point in the Isochrones: boundaries of
watershed contributing areas with equal time of
flow to the watershed outlet
 Stream ordering
• Quantitative way of studying
streams. Developed by Horton
and then modified by Strahler.
• Each headwater stream is
designated as first order stream
• When two first order stream
combine, they produce second
order stream
• Only when two streams of the
same order combine, the stream
order increases by one
• When a lower order stream
combines with a higher order
stream, the higher order is
retained in the combined stream