Chapter I.

Introduction
Critical Creek is a steep river comprised of one reach entitled "Upper Reach."

Problem Statement
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the procedure for performing a basic flow analysis on
a single river reach.
Additionally, the example will demonstrate the need for additional cross sections for a more
accurate estimate of the energy losses and water surface elevations.
 Chapter II. Review of Literature

Chapter III. Methodology

The first step is to collect data including topographic maps, flood flow data (if a gaging station is
nearby), rainfall data (if flood flow data are not available), surveyed cross-sections and channel
roughness estimates at a number of points along the river.
Once the flood discharge for the desired return period has been determined, the next step is to
determine water surface elevation along the channel. The analysis can be carried out using HEC-
RAS one-dimensional model.

Using HEC-RAS
Step 1. From the main HEC-RAS window, select File and then New Project. Then, go to the
directory in which you will install your HEC-RAS data sets.
To perform the analysis, the geometric data will be entered first. The geometric data consists of
the river system schematic, the cross-section geometry, placement of the cross sections, and the
culvert information.
Step 2. From the main program window, select Edit and then Geometric Data. This will activate
the Geometric Data Editor and display the river system schematic.
Step 3. The cross-section data will be entered in the Cross-Section Data Editor, which is
activated by selecting the Cross-Section icon on the Geometric Data Editor.
Step 4. To enter the steady flow data, from the main program window Edit and then Steady Flow
Data will be selected. This activated the Steady Flow Data Editor.
Step 5. To perform the steady flow analysis, from the main program window Run and then
Steady Flow Analysis were selected. This activated the Steady Flow Analysis Window.
 Chapter IV. Results and Discussion
Reach
The reach was defined with 12 cross sections numbered 12 to 1, with cross section 12 being the
most upstream cross section. These cross-section identifiers are only used by the program for
placement of the cross sections in a numerical order, with the highest number being the most
upstream section.

Cross-Section
Most of the 12 cross sections contain at least 50 pairs of X-Y coordinates, so the cross-section
data will not be shown here for brevity.

Flow Data and Flow Change Location

For this steady flow analysis, the one percent chance flow profile was analyzed. A flow of 9000
cfs was used at the upstream end of the reach at section 12 and a flow change to 9500 cfs was
used at section 8 to account for a tributary inflow into the main river reach.
This flow change location was entered by selecting the river, reach, river station, and then
pressing the Add A Flow Change Location button.

Mixed Flow Analysis

Upon reviewing the profile plot and the summary of errors, warnings, and notes from the
subcritical flow analysis, it was determined that additional cross-section information was
required. Additionally, since the program defaulted to critical depth at various locations along
the river reach and could not provide a subcritical answer at several locations, a subsequent
analysis in the mixed flow regime was performed. A mixed flow analysis will provide results in
both the subcritical and supercritical flow regimes.

Modification of Existing Geometry

Before performing the mixed flow regime analysis, the existing geometry was modified by
adding additional cross sections. To obtain the additional cross-section information, the modeler
should use surveyed cross section data whenever possible. If this data are not available, then the
cross- section interpolation method within the HEC-RAS program can be used. However, this
method is not intended to be a replacement for actual field data. The modeler should review all
interpolated cross sections because they are based on a linear transition between the input
sections. Whenever possible, use topographic maps for assistance in evaluating whether or not
the interpolated cross sections are adequate. The modeler is referred to the discussions in Chapter
6 of the User’s Manual and Chapter 4 of the Hydraulic Reference Manual for additional
information on cross section interpolation.
To obtain additional cross sections for this example, the interpolation routines were used. From
the Geometric Data Editor, Tools and then XS Interpolation was selected. The initial type of
interpolation was Within a Reach. The interpolation was started at cross section 12 and ended at
cross section 1. The maximum distance was set to be 150 feet (This value can be changed later
by the modeler to develop any number of cross sections desired.). Finally, Interpolate XS’s was
selected. When the computations were completed, the window was closed. At this point, the
modeler can view each cross-section individually or the interpolated sections can be viewed
between the original sections. The latter option is accomplished by selecting Tools, XS
Interpolation, and then Between 2 Xs’s. The up and down arrows are used to toggle up and down
the river reach, while viewing the interpolated cross sections. When the upper river station is
selected to be 11 (the lower station will automatically be 10), the interpolation shown in Figure
1.9 should appear.

Figure 1-9: Cross Section Interpolation Based on Default Master Cords

As shown in Figure 1.9, the interpolation was adequate for the right overbank and the main
channel. However, the interpolation in the left overbank failed to connect the two existing high
ground areas. These two high ground areas could be representing a levee or some natural existing
feature. Therefore, Del Interp was selected to delete the interpolation. (This only deleted the
interpolation between cross sections 11 and 10.) Then, the two high points and the low points of
the high ground areas were connected with user supplied master cords. This was accomplished
by selecting the Master Cord button and connecting the points where the master cords should be
located. Finally, a maximum distance of 150 feet was entered between cross sections and
Interpolate was selected. The final interpolation appeared as is shown in Figure 1.10.
The modeler should now go through all of the interpolated cross sections and determine that the
interpolation procedure adequately produced cross sections that depict the actual geometry.
When completed, the geometric data was saved as the new file name "Base Geometry +
Interpolated." This allowed the original data to be unaltered and available for future reference.

Flow Data
At this point, with the additional cross sections, the modeler can perform a flow analysis with
subcritical flow as was performed previously and compare the results with the previously
obtained data. However, for the purposes of this example, an upstream boundary condition was
added and then a mixed flow regime analysis was performed.
Since a mixed flow analysis (subcritical and supercritical flow possibilities) was selected, an
upstream boundary condition was required. From the main program window, Edit and then
Steady Flow Data were selected. Then the Boundary Conditions button was chosen and a normal
depth boundary condition was entered at the upstream end of the reach. A slope of 0.01 ft/ft as
the approximate slope of the channel at section 12 was used. Finally, the flow data was saved as
a

new file name. This will allow the modeler to recall the original data when necessary. For this
example, the new flow data file was called "100 YR Profile - Up and Down Bndry." that includes
the changes previously mentioned.

Mixed Flow Analysis

To perform the mixed flow analysis, from the main program window Run and Steady Flow
Analysis were selected. The flow regime was selected to be "Mixed," the geometry file was
chosen as "Base Geometry + Interpolated," and the steady flow file as "100 YR Profile - Up and
Down Bndry." The Short ID was entered as "Modified Geo," and then File and Save Plan As
were selected and a new name for this plan was entered as "Modified Geometry Conditions".
This plan will then associate the geometry, flow data, and output file for the changes that were
made. Finally, COMPUTE was selected to perform the steady flow analysis.

Review of Mixed Flow Output

As before, the modeler needs to review all of the output, which includes the profile as well as the
channel cross sections both graphically and in tabular form. Also, the list of errors, warning, and
notes should be reviewed. The modeler then needs to determine whether additional action needs
to be taken to perform a subsequent analysis. For example, additional cross sections may still
need to be provided between sections in the reach. The modeler may also consider to use
additional flow profiles during the next analysis. The modeler should review all of the output
data and make changes where they are deemed appropriate.
For this analysis, the resulting profile plot is shown in Figure 1.11. From this figure, it can be
seen that the flow depths occur in both the subcritical and supercritical flow regimes. (The user
can use the zoom feature under the Options menu in the program. This can imply that the
geometry of the river reach and the selected flows are producing subcritical and supercritical
flow results for the reach.
To investigate this further, the results will be viewed in tabular form. From the main program
window, View, Profile Summary Tables, Std. Tables, and then Standard Table 1 were selected.
This table for the mixed flow analysis is shown as Figure 1.12. The table columns show the
default settings of river, reach, river station, total flow, minimum channel elevation, water
surface elevation, etc. The meanings of the headings are described in a box at the bottom of the
table. By selecting a cell in any column, the definition of the heading will appear in the box for
that column.
From the Standard Table 1, the water surface elevations and critical water surface elevations can
be compared. The values at river station 11.2* show that the flow is supercritical at this cross
section since the water surface is at an elevation of 1811.29 ft and the critical water surface
elevation is 1811.46 ft. Additionally, it can be seen that the flow at river station 11.0 is
subcritical. (Note: the asterisks (*) denote that the cross sections were interpolated.) By selecting
the Cross Section type table (as performed for Figure 1.6), and toggling to river station 11.0, a
note appears at the bottom of the table indicating that a hydraulic jump occurred between this
cross section and the previous upstream cross section. These results are showing that the flow is
both subcritical and supercritical in this reach. The user can continue this process of reviewing
the warnings, notes, profile plot, profile tables, and cross section tables to determine if additional
cross sections are required.

Figure 1-12: Standard Table 1 for Mixed Flow Analysis – Critical Creek
 Chapter V. Conclusion
Initially, the river reach was analyzed using the existing geometric data and a subcritical flow
regime. Upon analysis of the results, it was determined that additional cross-section data were
needed and that there might be supercritical flow within the reach.
Additional cross sections were then added by interpolation and the reach was subsequently
analyzed using the mixed flow regime method. Review of the mixed flow analysis output
showed the existence of both subcritical and supercritical flow within the reach.
This exhibits that the river reach is set on a slope that will produce a water surface around the
critical depth for the given flow and cross section data. Therefore, a completely subcritical or
supercritical profile is not possible.
References
Appendices