CE 374 K
Hydrology
Runoff Processes
Daene C. McKinney
Watershed
Watershed
Area draining to a
stream
Streamflow generated
by water entering
surface channels
Affected by
Physical, vegetative,
and climatic features
Geologic considerations
Stream Patterns
Dry periods
[Link]
Flow sustained from
groundwater (baseflow)
Streamflow
Atmospheric Moisture
Atmospheric
Water
Subsurface
Water
Evapotranspir
ation
Precipitation
Infiltration
Groundwater
Surface
Water
Snow
Rain
Evaporation
Interception
Energy
Throughfall and
Stem Flow
Snowpack
Snowmelt
Pervious Surface
Watershed
Boundary
Impervious
Infiltration
Soil Moisture
Percolation
Groundwater
Evapotranspiration
Overland
Flow
Groundwater Flow
Streams and Lakes
Channel Flow
Runoff
Evaporation
Streamflow Hydrograph
Basin Lag
Centroid of
Precipitation
Lim
Risi
ng
n
sio
b
Discharge, Q
Time
of Rise
s
ce
Re
Lim
b
Peak
Inflection
Point
Baseflow
Recession
Baseflow
Recession
Beginning of
Direct Runoff
Time
End of
Direct Runoff
Baseflow Separation
No inflow added to
groundwater depletion
(recession) curve
dS
Continuity
I (t ) Q (t )
dt
equation
dS Q0 e
( t t0 ) / k
dt
Q (t ) Q0 e (t t0 ) / k
Discharge, Q
Baseflow
Recession
S (t ) kQ(t )
Q(t ) flow at time t
Q0 flow at time t 0
k decay constant [T ]
Time
Baseflow Separation
Techniques
Straight line
method
Draw a horizontal
line segment (A-B)
from beginning of
runoff to
intersection with
recession curve
Discharge, Q
Direct Runoff
B
A
Baseflow
Time
Baseflow Separation
Techniques
Fixed Base Method
Draw line segment
(A C) from
baseflow recession
to a point directly
below the
hydrograph peak
Draw line segment
(C-D) connecting a
point N time periods
after the peak
N A0.2
Discharge, Q
Direct Runoff D
A
C
Baseflow
Time
Baseflow Separation
Techniques
Variable Slope
Method
Draw line segment (AC) forward from
baseflow recession to a
point directly below
the hydrograph peak
Draw line segment (BE) backward from
baseflow recession to a
point directly below
the inflection point
Draw line segment (CE)
Discharge, Q
Direct Runoff
E
C
Baseflow
Time
Abstraction (Losses)
Estimation
Phi Index Method
Excess (effective)
rainfall
Abstraction (losses)
Rainfall that is not
retained or infiltrated
Becomes direct runoff
Excess rainfall hyetograph
(excess rainfall vs time)
Difference between total
and excess rainfall
hyetographs
Phi Index
Constant rate of
abstraction yielding excess
rainfall hyetograph with
depth equal to depth of
direct runoff
rd Rm t
m 1
rd depth of direct runoff
Rm observed rainfall
Phi index
M # intervals of rainfall
contributing to driect runoff
t time interval
Example
Time
Have precipitation and streamflow data, need to estim
Observed
Rain
Flow
in
cfs
8:30
203
9:00
0.15
246
9:30
0.26
283
10:00
1.33
828
10:30
2.2
2323
11:00
0.2
5697
11:30
0.09
9531
12:00
11025
12:30
8234
1:00
4321
1:30
2246
2:00
1802
2:30
1230
3:00
713
3:30
394
4:00
354
4:30
303
No direct runoff until after 9:30
And little precip after 11:00
Basin area A = 7.03 mi2
Example (Cont.)
Estimate baseflow (straight line
method)
Constant = 400 cfs
baseflow
Example (Cont.)
Calculate Direct
Runoff Hydrograph
Subtract 400 cfs
Total = 43,550 cfs
Example (Cont.)
Compute volume of direct runoff
11
11
n 1
n 1
Vd Qn t t Qn
3600 s/hr * 0.5 hr * 43,550 ft 3 /s
7.839 *10 7 ft 3
Compute depth of direct runoff
rd
Vd
A
7.839 *10 7 ft 3
7.03 mi * 5280 2 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
M
the 1.5
hour period from 10:00
11:30
r 4.80 in
rd Rm t
m 1
4.80 (1.33 2.20 2.08 * 3 * 0.5)
0.54 in
t 0.27 in
Example (Cont.)
t=0.27
SCS Curve Number
Method
Soil Conservation Service(SCS) Curve Number (CN)
model estimates precipitation excess as a function of
cumulative precipitation, soil cover, land use, and
antecedent moisture
SCS developed the method for small basins (< 400 sq.
mi.) to "before" and "after" hydrologic response from
events.
Classify soils (60 or 70 types) into four hydrologic soil
groups
Method is simple enough to be used by people that have
little experience with hydrology.
Converts basin storage into something simpler and
more manageable (a curve number CN)
Abstractions SCS
Method
In general
After runoff begins
Fa S
Potential runoff
Precipitation
Pe P
P Pe I a Fa
Pe
P Ia
SCS Assumption
Fa
Pe
S
P Ia
Solve for Rainfall
Excess
2
Pe
P Ia
P Ia S
Ia
Fa
tp
Time
P Total Rainfall
Pe Rainfall Excess
I a Initial Abstraction
Fa Continuing Abstraction
S Potential Maximum Storage
SCS Method (Cont.)
Experiments
I a 0.2 S
showed
P 0.2 S 2
So
Pe
P 0.8S
1000
10
CN
( American Units; 0 CN 100)
S
25400
254CN
CN
(SI Units; 30 CN 100)
S
Surface
Impervious: CN = 100
Natural: CN < 100
SCS Method (Cont.)
S and CN depend on antecedent
rainfall conditions
Normal conditions, AMC(II)4.2CN ( II )
CN ( I )
Dry conditions, AMC(I) 10 0.058CN ( II )
23CN ( II )
CN ( III )
AMC(III) 10 0.13CN ( II )
Wet conditions, AMC(III)
5-day antecedent rainfall
(in)
AMC Group
Dormant
season
Growing
season
< 0.50
< 1.4
II
0.5 -- 1.1
1.4 2.1
III
> 1.1
> 2.1
SCS Method (Cont.)
SCS Curve Numbers depend on soil
conditions
Group
Minimum
Infiltration Rate
(in/hr)
Soil type
0.3 0.45
High infiltration rates. Deep,
well drained sands and gravels
0.15 0.30
Moderate infiltration rates.
Moderately deep, moderately
well drained soils with
moderately coarse textures
0.05 0.15
Slow infiltration rates. Soils
with layers, or soils with
moderately fine textures
0.00 0.05
Very slow infiltration rates.
Clayey soils, high water table,
Example - SCS Method 1
Rainfall: 5 in.
Area: 1000-ac
Soils:
Class B: 50%
Class C: 50%
Antecedent moisture: AMC(II)
Land use
Residential
Paved roads: 18% with curbs and storm
sewers
Open land: 16%
40% with 30% impervious cover
12% with 65% impervious cover
50% fair grass cover
50% good grass cover
Parking lots, etc.: 14%
Example (SCS Method
1, Cont.)
Hydrologic Soil Group
B
Land use
CN
Product
CN
Product
Residential (30% imp
cover)
20
72
14.40
20
81
16.20
Residential (65% imp
cover)
85
5.10
90
5.40
Roads
98
8.82
98
8.82
Open land: good cover
61
2.44
74
2.96
Open land: Fair cover
69
2.76
79
3.16
Parking lots, etc
98
6.86
98
6.86
40.38
50
Total
50
CN 40.38 43.40 83.8
43.40
Example (SCS Method 1
Cont.)
Average AMCCN 83.8
S
1000
10 1.93 in
83.8
Pe
P 0.2S 2 5 0.2 *1.93 2
P 0 .8 S
Wet AMC
CN ( III )
1000
10
CN
5 0.8 *1.93
3.25 in
23CN ( II )
23 * 83.8
92.3
10 0.13CN ( II ) 10 0.13 * 83.8
1000
10 0.83 in
92.3
Pe
P 0.2S 2 5 0.2 * 0.83 2
P 0 .8 S
5 0.8 * 0.83
4.13 in
Example (SCS Method
2)
Given P, CN = 80, AMC(II)
Find: Cumulative abstractions and excess rainfall
hyetograph
Time Cumulat
(hr)
ive
Rainfall
(in)
P
0
0.2
0.9
1.27
2.31
4.65
5.29
5.36
Cumulative
Abstractions
(in)
Ia
Fa
Cumulative
Excess Rainfall
(in)
Pe
Excess Rainfall
Hyetograph (in)
Example (SCS Method 2)
1000
1000
Calculate storage
S
10
10 2.50 in
CN
80
Calculate initial abstraction
I a 0.2S 0.2 * 2.5 0.5 in
Initial abstraction removes
0.2 in. in 1st period (all the
precip)
0.3 in. in the 2nd period (only
part of the precip)
Calculate continuing
abstraction
Pe
Fa S
S (P I a )
2.5( P 0.5)
P Ia
Fa
(P I a S )
( P 2.0)
P Pe I a Fa
2.5(0.9 0.5)
Fa (2 hr)
0.34 in
(0.9 2.0)
Time
(hr)
Cumulative
Rainfall
(in)
P
0.2
0.9
1.27
2.31
4.65
5.29
5.36
Example (SCS method
2)
Cumulative abstractions can now be calculated
Time Cumulat
(hr)
ive
Rainfall
(in)
Cumulative
Abstractions
(in)
Ia
Fa
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.5
0.34
1.27
0.5
0.59
2.31
0.5
1.05
4.65
0.5
1.56
5.29
0.5
1.64
5.36
0.5
1.65
2.5( P 0.5)
Fa
( P 2.0)
Example (SCS method
2)
Pe P I a Fa
Cumulative excess rainfall can now be calculated
Excess Rainfall Hyetograph can be calculated
Time
(hr)
Cumulati
ve
Rainfall
(in)
Cumulative
Abstractions (in)
Cumulative
Excess Rainfall
(in)
Excess Rainfall
Hyetograph (in)
Ia
Fa
Pe
0.2
0.2
0.9
0.5
0.34
0.06
0.06
1.27
0.5
0.59
0.18
0.12
2.31
0.5
1.05
0.76
0.58
4.65
0.5
1.56
2.59
1.83
5.29
0.5
1.64
3.15
0.56
5.36
0.5
1.65
3.21
0.06
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 watershed