A hydrograph is a graph showing the rate of flow (discharge) versus

time past a specific point in a river, channel, or conduit carrying flow.

The rate of flow is typically expressed in cubic meters or cubic feet

per second (cms or cfs).
Types of hydrographs can include:

Storm hydrographs
Flood hydrographs
Annual hydrographs
Direct Runoff Hydrograph
Effective Runoff Hydrograph
Raster Hydrograph
Storage opportunities in the drainage network (e.g.,
lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, channel and bank storage
capacity)
Flood
Hydrograph
The graph shows base flow which is the contribution made to the river via soil
and groundwater flows.

Base-flow will be ever present on the graph unless there is a long-extended

period without any rainfall.

The runoff or storm flow is the water that arrives in the river via surface runoff
or rapid throughflow through the rock.
The rising limb gives an indication of how fast water is reaching the channel and
represents the level of water rising in the channel.
The steeper the rising limb the more likely a flood is to occur. This is vital
knowledge for flood forecasters.

The falling limb shows the river as its level falls.

The peak discharge is the maximum amount of water in a river after a rainfall
event, If this level surpasses the bankfull discharge, then a flood will occur
where the river overtops its banks.
The last item indicated on the hydrograph is the lag time. This is the amount of
time between the peak amount of rainfall and the peak discharge in the river.

Generally, the less the lag time the quicker the river rises, the
more FLASHY the graph, and the more likely a flood.
• Terminology

• Rising limb: The rising limb of the hydrograph,

also known as the concentration curve, reflects a
prolonged increase in discharge from a catchment
area, typically in response to a rainfall event.

• Recession (or falling) limb: The recession limb

extends from the peak flow rate onward. The end
of storm flow (aka quick flow or direct runoff) and
the return to groundwater-derived flow (base
flow) is often taken as the point of inflection of
the recession limb.

• The recession limb represents the withdrawal of

water from the storage built up in the basin
during the earlier phases of the hydrograph.
• Terminology

• Peak discharge: the highest point on the

hydro graph when the rate of discharge is
greatest

• Lag time: the time interval from the center of

mass of rainfall excess to the peak of the
resulting hydrograph

• Time to peak: time interval from the start of

the resulting hydro graph

• Discharge: the rate of flow (volume per unit

time) passing a specific location in a river or
other channel
 The unit hydrograph is defined as the hydrograph of
storm runoff resulting from an isolated rainfall of
some unit duration occurring uniformly over the
entire area of the catchment, producing a unit volume
(i.e., 1cm) of runoff.
Example 2-3 UNIT HYDROGRAPH EXAMPLE
Example 2-3 (continued) UNIT HYDROGRAPH
EXAMPLE
Example 2-3 (continued) UNIT HYDROGRAPH
EXAMPLE
 S-Curve Method
• The UH is defined for a particular watershed
for a specific duration D of rainfall excess
• The LINEAR property of the UH can be used to
generate a UH with larger or smaller Duration
(D)
• Ex: 1 hr UH + 1 hr UH = 2 hr UH
Figure 2-2 Graphical representation
of unit hydrograph lagging (from a 1-
hr UH to a 2-hr UH).
 Constructing the S-Curve Method
• Creating the S-Curve
– Add and lag series of UH of duration, D, by time
period D (Ex: 2 hours)
– Gives runoff hydrograph from continuous rainfall
excess intensity of 1/D
– Equilibrium hydrograph or an S-Curve
800 800

600 600
Q (cfs)

Q (cfs)

400 400

200 200

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415
Time (hrs) Time (hrs)
 Applying the S-Curve
• Shift the curve by D’ hr (Ex: 3 hours)
• Subtract ordinates between the two curves
• Multiply all ordinate by D/D’ (Ex: 2/3)
800
700
600
500
Q (cfs)

400
300
200
100
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Time (hrs)
 Unit Hydrograph Convolution
• Procedure of deriving a storm hydrograph
from a multi-period rainfall excess
• Make sure that the time increments of rainfall
excess correspond exactly to the DRO duration
of the UH.
– Ex: 1-hr time incrementsn should be used with the
1-hr UH Q =  PU n i n −i +1
i =1

or
Qn = PnU1 + Pn−1U 2 + Pn−2U 3 +  + PiU j
Where: Qn is the storm hydrograph ordinate, Pi is the rainfall excess, and Uj is the UH ordinate
J = n-i+1
 UH Convolution Example
• Given the rainfall excess hyetograph and the
1-hr UH below, derive the storm hydrograph
for the watershed using hydrograph
convolution (add and lag). Compute the
resulting storm hydrograph and assume no
losses to infiltration and evapotranspiration.
Time (hrs) UH (cfs)
0 0
Time Pn (in) 1 100
P1 0.5 2 320
3 450
P2 1 4 370
P3 1.5 5 250
6 160
P4 0 7 90
P5 0.5 8 40
9 0
 UH Convolution Example
Time Pn (in) Time (hrs) UH (cfs)
n
Qn =  PiU n −i +1
P1 0.5 U1 0
P2 1 U2 100
P3 1.5 U3 320
i =1
P4 0 U4 450

Qn = PnU1 + Pn−1U2 + Pn−2U3 + + P1U j P5 0.5 U5

U6
370
250
U7 160
Q1 = P1U1 = 0.5  0 = 0 U8 90
U9 40
Q2 = P2U1 + P1U 2 = 1.0  0 + 0.5 100 = 50 cfs U10 0

Q3 = P3U1 + P2U 2 + P1U 3 = 1.5  0 + 1.0 100 + 0.5  320 = 260 cfs
Q4 = P4U1 + P3U 2 + P2U 3 + P1U 4 = 0.0  0 + 1.5 100 + 1.0  320 + 0.5  450 = 695

 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution on Excel
Time
P (in) UH (cfs) P 1 Un P 2 Un P 3 Un P4 Un P 5 Un Qn
(hrs) n
0 0.5 0 0 0
1 1 100 50 0 50
2 1.5 320 160 100 0 260
3 0 450 225 320 150 0 695
4 0.5 370 185 450 480 0 0 1115
5 250 125 370 675 0 50 1220
6 160 80 250 555 0 160 1045
7 90 45 160 375 0 225 805
8 40 20 90 240 0 185 535
9 0 0 40 135 0 125 300
10 0 0 60 0 80 140
11 0 0 0 0 45 45
12 0 0 0 0 20 20
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
 UH Convolution
1400 0
1200

Rainfall Excess (in)

2
1000
Flow (cfs)

800 4
600 6
400
8
200
0 10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Time (hr)
Example 2-7 HYDROGRAPH CONVOLUTION
Figure E2–7 Subareas 1 and 2. Subarea 1 is
developed, while subarea 2 is undeveloped.
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION
Example 2-7 (continued) HYDROGRAPH
CONVOLUTION