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Rainfall-Runoff & Streamflow Analysis

The document discusses rainfall-runoff relationships and streamflow analysis. It defines direct runoff and baseflow as two categories of runoff. It also describes three categories of streams: perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral. The document then discusses hydrograph components like the rising limb, peak, and falling limb. It also covers factors that affect the hydrograph shape like basin size and slope. Finally, it discusses the flood duration curve and its importance in determining power generation yields from hydropower projects.

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Jennie
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67 views

Rainfall-Runoff & Streamflow Analysis

The document discusses rainfall-runoff relationships and streamflow analysis. It defines direct runoff and baseflow as two categories of runoff. It also describes three categories of streams: perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral. The document then discusses hydrograph components like the rising limb, peak, and falling limb. It also covers factors that affect the hydrograph shape like basin size and slope. Finally, it discusses the flood duration curve and its importance in determining power generation yields from hydropower projects.

Uploaded by

Jennie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rainfall-Runoff &

Streamflow Analysis
Rainfall-Runoff Relationship

● Runoff
○ It means the draining or flowing off of precipitation from a
catchment area through a surface channel. It represents the output
from the catchment in a given unit of time.

Two categories of runoff

1. Direct Runoff
2. Baseflow
Three Categories of streams
● Perennial
○ streams that hold water
throughout the year.
● Intermittent
○ Streams that hold water during
wet portions of the year.
● Ephemeral
○ A stream formed by water during
or immediately after
precipitation events as indicated
by an absence of forest litter and
exposure of mineral soil.
Three Categories of streams
● Perennial
○ streams that hold water
throughout the year.
● Intermittent
○ Streams that hold water during
wet portions of the year.
● Ephemeral
○ A stream formed by water during
or immediately after
precipitation events as indicated
by an absence of forest litter and
exposure of mineral soil.
Three Categories of streams
● Perennial
○ streams that hold water
throughout the year.
● Intermittent
○ Streams that hold water during
wet portions of the year.
● Ephemeral
○ A stream formed by water during
or immediately after
precipitation events as indicated
by an absence of forest litter and
exposure of mineral soil.
Streamflow Analysis:
Hydrograph
What is Hydrograph

● It is a plot of discharge in a storm plotted against time chronologically.


Depending upon the time involved, it is further classified as:

- Annual Hydrograph

- Seasonal Hydrograph

- Monthly Hydrograph
What is Hydrograph

● Design structures
○ Dam, spillway, bridges, etc
● Design Duration
○ Design life
● Maximum Discharge and Base flow

Way of displaying water level information over time. A hydrograph plot


may display stage, streamflow, and sometimes both. Hydrographs can be a
helpful way to show water level observations and forecasts visually on a single
graphic.
Components of Hydrograph
● Rising Limb
○ It is the ascending portion o f the hydrograph. Initially due to losses,
discharge rise slowly and rises rapidly at the end portion.
● Peak
○ Crest
○ Maximum discharge/flow rate
○ Peak of the hydrograp occurs when all portions of basin contribute
at the outlet simultaneously at the maximum rate
● Falling Limb
○ Descending limb
○ It represents the withdrawal of water from the storage buil up in
the basin
Components of Hydrograph
● Baseflow
○ Precipitation -> infiltration
○ The maximum flow does not move forward in the surface but it
infiltrate.
● Quickflow
○ The maximum flow from the precipitation move forwards the earth
surface.
Elements of Hydrograph
● Time Lag
○ The time interval between the rainfall hyetograph to the peak ruoff.
● Time of Concentration
○ Time taken by a drop of water to travel from the remotest part of
the outlet.
● Time Base
○ The time between starting of the runoff hydrograph to the end of
direct runoff due to the storm.
Factors affecting Hydrograph
● Shape of Basin
○ Fan shaped Basin
■ It distributed over a short time and has a high peak
○ Elongated Basin
■ The runoff continues over a long time and has a low peak.
● Size of Basin
○ Elongated
● Slope of Catchment
● Land use
○ Less runoff due to high resistance of flow, and less discharge at
the outlet will be less.
FLOOD DURATION
CURVE
FDC
● Run off may be plotted as flow duration curve.
● It shows the time when flow rate is equaled or exceeded in any period
(Daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis)
● The flow duration curve is a plot that shows the percentage of time that
flow in a stream is likely to equal or exceed some specified value of
interest.
● For example, it can be used to show the percentage of time river flow can
be expected to exceed a design flow of some specified value (e.g., 20 cfs),
or to show the discharge of the stream that occurs or is exceeded some
percent of the time
Importance of FDC
● When construction of hydroelectric power plant, FDC helps us
determine how much amount of power can be generated.
● This curve would represent the average yield of the power from the
hydropower project.
● A flow duration curve characterizes the ability of the basin to provide
flows of various magnitudes.
○ For example, a structure can be designed to perform well within
some range of flows, such as flows that occur between 20 and 80%
of the time
EXAMPLE
The gauge located at Saltan River recorded a year data of streamflow. The
catchment area of the said river is 200 square kilometers. Plot the recorded
data using unit-hydrograph and flow duration curve.
EXAMPLE
The gauge located at Saltan River recorded a year data of streamflow. The
catchment area of the said river is 200 square kilometers. Plot the recorded
data using unit-hydrograph and flow duration curve.

SOLUTION:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15QySDMX3paMbYDHBjEpnNqca
zgTYH0PiMbCIwa1Gi8o/edit#gid=0
https://apps.dpwh.gov.ph/streams_public/flowdur.aspx
RUN-OFF
CALCULATIONS
Rational Method
The gauge located at Saltan River recorded a year data of streamflow. The
catchment area of the said river is 200 square kilometers. Plot the recorded
data using unit-hydrograph and flow duration curve.
Time of Concentration
There are a number of empirical equations available for the estimation of the
time of concentration. One of these are described below: Kirpich Equation
(1940). This is the popularly used formula relating the time of concentration
of the length of travel and slope of the catchment
Rainfall Intensity
SCS-CN Method
SCS-CN method, developed by Soil Conservation Services (SCS) of USA in
1969, is a simple, predictable, and stable conceptual method for estimation of
direct runoff depth based on storm rainfall depth. It relies on only one
parameter, CN.

On the basis of extensive measurements in small size catchments SCS (1985)


adopted λ = 0.2 as a standard value
SCS-CN Method
For convenience in practical application the Soil Conservation Services (SCS)
has expressed S (mm) in terms of a dimensionless parameter CN (the Curve
number).

The constant 254 is used to express S in mm.


SCS-CN Method: CN
In the determination of CN, the hydrological soil classification is adopted.
Here, soils are classified into four classes A, B, C and D based upon the
infiltration and other characteristics.

● Group-A: ( Low Runoff Potential ) - high infiltration rates


● Group-B: (Moderately Low runoff Potential) - moderate infiltration rates
● Group-C: (Moderately High Runoff Potential) - low infiltration rate
● Group-D: (High Runoff Potential) - very low infiltration rates
SCS-CN Method: CN
In the determination of CN, the hydrological soil classification is adopted.
Here, soils are classified into four classes A, B, C and D based upon the
infiltration and other characteristics.

● Group-A: ( Low Runoff Potential ) - high infiltration rates


● Group-B: (Moderately Low runoff Potential) - moderate infiltration rates
● Group-C: (Moderately High Runoff Potential) - low infiltration rate
● Group-D: (High Runoff Potential) - very low infiltration rates
SCS-CN Method: CN
Antecedent Moisture Condition (AMC) refers to the moisture content
present in the soil at the beginning of the rainfall-runoff event under
consideration.
SCS-CN Method: CN
The variation of CN under AMC-II, called CNII, for various land use conditions
commonly found in practice.
SCS-CN Method: CN
The variation of CN under AMC-II, called CNII, for various land use conditions
commonly found in practice.
SCS-CN Method: CN
The variation of CN under AMC-II, called CNII, for various land use conditions
commonly found in practice.

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