RIVER ENGINEERING

04. River Hydraulics and the Channel

 Continuity Equation

3a
Inflow 3 A
Change in Storage
3b

Outflow
1 A 2
Section AA
Inflow – Outflow = Change in
Storage
 General Flow Equation

Q = va
Area of the
cross-section
Avg. velocity (ft2) or (m2)
Flow rate (cfs) of flow at a
or (m3/s) cross-section
(ft/s) or (m/s)
 Role of Flow Velocity in the Continuity Relation
´ Flow Resistance
´As shear stress increases in a river, so does the flow velocity
´The principal source of flow resistance for most rivers is the frictional
resistance that the water encounters as it moves across the
channel boundary
´ Sources of flow resistance
• Viscous resistance
• Turbulent resistance
• Internal distortion resistance
• Spill resistance
• Boundary (skin) resistance (grain roughness and form roughness)
 Viscous resistance
´ It is sometimes termed molecular viscosity because it simply reflects the molecular
structure of the fluid and is essentially fixed for each kind of fluid although it does
vary significantly with temperature. Because it is a fixed property of each fluid,
viscosity tends to be ignored or taken as a given in discussions of flow resistance in
rivers.

Turbulent resistance
´ refers to the dampening of the mean flow by the presence of the small scale
chaotic motions of water particlesà eddy viscosity
´ Eddies are generated at the bed of a river as the water flows over the boundary but
they are convected into the flow where they are carried along and slowly diffuse as
they lose their rotational energy to viscous resistance
 Internal distortion resistance
´ refers to the energy lost to still larger flow structures such as the energy
lost to the mean flow that is bled off to drive the secondary circulation
in bends
´ Whenever there are sudden changes in bank alignment causing
abrupt changes in channel width or depth, the flow encounters
internal distortion resistance

Spill resistance
´ encountered where there are such severe changes in channel
morphology (from narrow to wide)
´ The most extreme example of spill resistance is a waterfall where the
flow plunges into a pool.
Resistance (velocity) Equations

§Manning’s Equation
§Darcy-Weisbach Equation
 The Nature of Channel Roughness
´ what is channel roughness?
´it consists of two parts: grain roughness and form roughness
´ Grain roughness is taken to be that component of roughness that relates directly to
the size (grain diameter) of particles constituting the boundary materials.
 The Nature of Channel Roughness
´ Form Roughness is that component of roughness that relates to aggregates of grains in the
form of bedforms and bars
Velocity Distribution In A Channel

Depth-averaged velocity is above the

bed at about 0.4 times the depth
 Manning’s Equation
´ In 1889 Irish Engineer, Robert Manning presented the formula:

1.49 2 3 1 2
v= R S
n
ü v is the flow velocity (ft/s)
ü n is known as Manning’s n and is a coefficient of roughness
üR is the hydraulic radius (a/P) where P is the wetted perimeter (ft)
üS is the channel bed slope as a fraction
ü1.49 is a unit conversion factor. Approximated as 1.5 in the book.
Use 1 if SI (metric) units are used.
 Estimating flow resistance

Estimating Manning n from grain size is also based on an empirical

correlation, in this case known as the Strickler equation:

• n = 0.0151D50^1/6 where D50 is in mm

• n = 0.0478D50^1/6 where D50is in metres
Estimating Manning n from descriptive tables and photographs
Manning’s n Roughness Coefficient
Type of Channel and Description Minimum Normal Maximum

Streams
Streams on plain

Clean, straight, full stage, no rifts or deep pools 0.025 0.03 0.033
Clean, winding, some pools, shoals, weeds & stones 0.033 0.045 0.05
Same as above, lower stages and more stones 0.045 0.05 0.06

Sluggish reaches, weedy, deep pools 0.05 0.07 0.07

Very weedy reaches, deep pools, or floodways 0.075 0.1 0.15

with heavy stand of timber and underbrush

Mountain streams, no vegetation in channel, banks steep, trees &
brush along banks submerged at high stages

Bottom: gravels, cobbles, and few boulders 0.03 0.04 0.05

Bottom: cobbles with large boulders 0.04 0.05 0.07
 Coarse Gravel 0.027

Degree of irregularity Smooth n1 0.000

Minor 0.005

Moderate 0.010

Severe 0.020

Variations of Channel Cross Section Gradual n2 0.000

Alternating Occasionally 0.005

Alternating Frequently 0.010-0.015

Relative Effect of Obstructions Negligible n3 0.000

Minor 0.010-0.015

Appreciable 0.020-0.030

Severe 0.040-0.060

Vegetation Low n4 0.005-0.010

Medium 0.010-0.025

High 0.025-0.050
 Values for the computation of the roughness coefficient (Chow, 1959)
Channel Conditions Values
Material Involved Earth n0 0.025
Rock Cut 0.025
Fine Gravel 0.024
Coarse Gravel 0.027
Degree of irregularity Smooth n1 0.000
Minor 0.005
Moderate 0.010
Severe 0.020
Variations of Channel Cross
Gradual n2 0.000
Section
Alternating Occasionally 0.005
Alternating Frequently 0.010-0.015
Relative Effect of Obstructions Negligible n3 0.000
Minor 0.010-0.015
Appreciable 0.020-0.030
Severe 0.040-0.060
Vegetation Low n4 0.005-0.010
Medium 0.010-0.025
High 0.025-0.050
Very High 0.050-0.100
Degree of Meandering Minor m5 1.000
Appreciable 1.150
Severe 1.300

The Cowan Method n = (n0 + n1 + n2 + n3 + n4 ) m5

 Example Problem
Velocity & Discharge
ü Channel geometry known
ü Depth of flow known
ü Determine the flow velocity and discharge

20 ft

1.5 ft

ü Bed slope of 0.002 ft/ft

ü Manning’s n of 0.04
 Solution
´ q = va
´ v =(1.5/n) R2/3 S1/2
´ R= a/P
´ a = width x depth = 20 x 1.5 ft = 30 ft2
´ P= 20 + 1.5 + 1.5 ft = 23 ft.
´ R= 30/23 = 1.3 ft
´ S = 0.002 ft/ft (given) and n = 0.04 (given)
´ v = (1.5/0.04)(1.3)2/3(0.002)1/2 = 2 ft/s
´ q = va=2x30= 60 ft3/s or 60 cfs

Answer: the velocity is 2 ft/s and the discharge is 60 cfs

 Example Problem
Velocity & Discharge
ü Discharge known
ü Channel geometry known
ü Determine the depth of flow

35 ft

? ft

ü Discharge is 200 cfs

ü Bed slope of 0.005 ft/ft
ü Stream on a plain, clean, winding, some pools and stones
 Manning’s n Roughness Coefficient
Type of Channel and Description Minimum Normal Maximum
Streams
Streams on plain
Clean, straight, full stage, no rifts or deep pools 0.025 0.03 0.033
Clean, winding, some pools, shoals, weeds & stones 0.033 0.045 0.05
Same as above, lower stages and more stones 0.045 0.05 0.06
Sluggish reaches, weedy, deep pools 0.05 0.07 0.07
Very weedy reaches, deep pools, or floodways 0.075 0.1 0.15
with heavy stand of timber and underbrush
Mountain streams, no vegetation in channel, banks
steep, trees & brush along banks submerged at
high stages
Bottom: gravels, cobbles, and few boulders 0.03 0.04 0.05
Bottom: cobbles with large boulders 0.04 0.05 0.07
 Solution
´ q = va
´ v =(1.5/n) R2/3 S1/2
´ R= a/P
´ Guess a depth! Lets try 2 ft
´ a = width x depth = 35 x 2 ft = 70 ft2
´ P= 35 + 2 + 2 ft = 39 ft.
´ R= 70/39 = 1.8 ft
´ S = 0.005 ft/ft (given)
´ n = 0.033 to 0.05. Consider deepest depth
´ v = (1.5/0.05)(1.8)2/3(0.005)1/2 = 3.1 ft/s
´ q = va=3.1 x 70= 217 ft3/s or 217 cfs
´ If the answer is <10% different from the target
stop!

Answer: The flow depth is about 2 ft for a discharge of 200 cfs

 Darcy-Weisbach Equation
´ Hey’s version of the equation:

8 gRS
2
v =
f

f is the Darcy-Weisbach resistance factor

and all dimensions are in SI units.
 Hey (1979) Estimate Of
“f”
´ Hey’s version of the equation:

- 0.5 æ aR ö
f = 2.03çç ÷
÷
è 3.5D84 ø

a is a function of the cross-section

and all dimensions are in SI units.
 Bathurst (1982) Estimate Of “a”

-0.314
é R ù
a = 11.1ê ú
ëdm û

dm is the maximum depth at the cross-section

provided the width to depth ratio is greater than 2.
 Flow in Compound Channels
nMost flow occurs in main channel; however during
flood events overbank flows may occur.
nIn this case the channel is broken into cross-sectional
parts and the sum of the flow is calculated for the
various parts.
Flow in Compound Channels

´ Natural channels often have a main channel and an overbank section.

Overbank Section

Main Channel
Flow in Compound Channels
23
1.49 1/ 2 æ A i ö
Vi = S çç ÷÷
ni è Pi ø
n
Q = å Vi A i
i =1

In determining R only that part of the wetted

perimeter in contact with an actual channel
boundary is used.
Channel and Floodplain Subdivision
Variation in Manning’s “n”
Section Plan
Shallow Overbank Flow
Deep Overbank Flow
 Problem set
Problem 1: A straight and rectangular channel has a smooth bed of
fine to medium gravel. Calculate the discharge if the bed slope is
0.0005, flow depth is 2.00 m and the channel width is 150 m.

Problem 2. A river channel with a rectangular cross-section has 3.00

m-high banks, is 200.00 m wide, and has a slope of 0.0001. Will a
discharge of 1000.0 m3/s cause flooding if Mannings n = 0.03?
 What’s Next

•basic concepts of open-channel fluid mechanics and how they can

be used to determine the size of a river channel

• So, what controls the shape of a river channel?