EH L4 Runoff and Hydrograph Analysis

LECTURE 6
RUNOFF AND
HYDROGRAPH
ANALYSIS
At the end of the week, students should be

able to:
draw the resultant hydrograph based on
catchment characteristics and rainfall
runoff conditions;
state and apply base flow separation
techniques and estimate direct runoff
values;
derive Unit Hydrograph from historical data;
change unit hydrograph time lag;
derive Unit Hydrograph using synthetic
methods.
kuanwoeikeong@ppinang.fka.utim
Runoff and Surface Runoff

Runoff (Discharge/Streamflow) includes all
the water flowing in the stream channel at

any given section.
Consist of 3 constituents :
1.
2.
3.
direct precipitation over surface of the stream small

portion of total flow where precipitation balances by
evaporation and can be ignored.
surface runoff true surface runoff and subsurface
storm flow
groundwater inflow or base flow
RUNOFF = SURFACE RUNOFF + GROUNDWATER INFLOW

Hydrograph of Stream Flow

Graphical representation of discharge flowing
in a river at a given direction with passage of
time.
A plot between time (X-axis) and discharge
(Y-axis)
Represent discharge fluctuations in the river
at a given site; indicates peak flow that
governs the design of given hydraulic
structure.
Peak flow maximum flow in the river due to
any given storm.
4 types of hydrograph :
a)
b)
c)
d)
annual hydrograph ;
monthly hydrograph ;
seasonal hydrograph
flood hydrograph.
Runoff Characteristics
of Streams
A. Perennial Streams
B. Intermittent Streams
C. Ephemeral Streams
Flood Hydrographs
Represent the short-term runoff
phenomenon where it is the response of a
given catchment to a rainfall input.
A typical single-peaked skew distribution of
discharge.
Consist 3 characteristic regions:
1. rising limb
2. crest segment
3. falling limb/recession limb (depletion
curve)
Factors Affecting Flood

Hydrograph
A. Shape of basin
B. Size of basin
C. Land use
D. Slope
E. Drainage Density
F.
Climatic Factors
Baseflow Separation
Establishing a relationship between surfaceflow and effective rainfall.
Separation of quick-response flow (surface
flow and subsurface flow) from slow response
flow (base flow).
A. Method I-Straight-Line Method

Joining beginning of surface runoff, Point A
to a point on recession limb (end of direct
runoff), Point B with a straight line. (Fig. 6.5,
pg202)
Point A can be identified when sharp change
of runoff rate at beginning of hydrograph
while Point B can be determined from
N 0.83 A
day
where A=drainage area in km2
0.2
B. Method II
Extend base flow curve at beginning Point A
till it intersects with ordinate drawn at the
peak discharge at Point C. (Fig. 6.5, pg202)
Connect Point AC and CB with a straight line
that demarcate base flow and surface
runoff.
C. Method III
Extend backward of base flow recession
curve at Point F till it intersects the ordinate
at point of inflection.
F with a straight line and Point F and A with
an arbitrary smooth curve.
COMPUTING RUNOFF USING

UNIT HYDRODGRAPH THEORY
A T-hour unit hydrograph is defined
as the hydrograph of runoff produced
by an intense excess rainfall of 1cm
occurring uniformly over the entire
drainage basin and at a uniform rate
for the short specified duration of Thour (unit duration).
There are 4 aspects of this definition

that should be given special notice :
i.
1 cm depth of rainfall excess over basin

area.
ii. Uniform spatial distribution of rainfall
over the watershed.
iii. A rainfall excess rate that is constant
with time
iv. Specific duration of rainfall excess.
Assumption in unit hydrograph :

i.
time invariance runoff produced from a given

drainage basin due to a given effective rainfall
shall always be the same irrespective of the time
of its occurrence.
ii.
Linear response-the runoff response of a

drainage basin to the excess rainfall is assumed
to be linear in which if an input x1(t) causes an
output y1(t), and an input x2(t) causes an output
y2(t), then an input x1(t) + x2(t) will cause an
output y1(t) + y2(t).
Limitation of U.H. :
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
excess rain only occurs uniformly over the

entire basin
intensity should be constant during the
entire duration.
Unreliable for basins exceeding about 5000
km2 or less than 2km2.
Precipitation only considered from rainfall
Catchment should not have unusual large
storages which will affect the linear
relationship between storage and discharge.
If precipitation is decidedly non-uniform, UH
will not give good result.
S-Curve Hydrograph
(Summation Curve Hydrograph)
Used for deriving unknown U.H. of desired
unit duration. The duration of unknown
hydrograph is either shorter or not an
integral multiple of duration of known
hydrograph.
S-curve is produced by continuous effective
rainfall representing by a continuous rising
curve, which ultimately attains a constant
value when equilibrium discharge reached
(entire catchment starts contributing to
runoff).
When using S-curve for determining U.H. of

unknown duration (t1), S-curve lagged by t1 hr
when subtracted from origin S-curve is the
unit hydrograph of t1 hr.
Synthetic Unit HydrographSnyders Method

Apply for basins which are not gauged. U.H.
are synthesized from known U.H. of a
meteorologically homogeneous basin.
Most appropriate for large watersheds, but
calibration of coefficients is recommended.
Formation of U.H. includes time to peak, time
base, duration of rainfall excess, peak
discharge, width of unit hydrograph at both
50% and 75% of peak discharge.
Time of peak depends on 2 elements: duration

of rainfall excess (td) and time lag (tp).
Time lag,tp is the time interval from midpoint
of unit rainfall excess to the peak of unit
graph, tp = Ct (L Lca)0.3.
Duration of rainfall excess of t hours is given
by
tp 2
t p
t
5.5 11
Peak discharge Qps for unit hydrograph of standard

unit duration of tr hour is given by
A
Q ps 2.78C p
tp
For non-standard unit duration,tR, time to peak
t R tr
t' p t p
4
t
21
tp R
22
4
- Peak discharge,
A
Q p 2.78C p
t' p
and
Time base for this U.H, tb is given by
tb 72 3t ' p hrs
tR
tb 5 t ' p hrs
2
for large catchment while
for smaller catchment
The shape of Synders U.H. is largely controlled by

2 times parameters, W50 and W75 which represent
the time widths of U.H. at discharges of 50% and
75% of peak discharge.
where
W50
5.87
1.08 and
q
W75
W50
1.75
qp
Qp
A
Caution should be used in applying Snyders

method to a new area without first deriving
coefficients for gauged streams in the
general vicinity of the problem basin. The
coefficients Ct and Cp have been found vary
considerably form one region to another.

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LECTURE 6

At the end of the week, students should be

Runoff and Surface Runoff

the water flowing in the stream channel at

direct precipitation over surface of the stream small

RUNOFF = SURFACE RUNOFF + GROUNDWATER INFLOW

Hydrograph of Stream Flow

Factors Affecting Flood

A. Method I-Straight-Line Method

COMPUTING RUNOFF USING

There are 4 aspects of this definition

1 cm depth of rainfall excess over basin

Assumption in unit hydrograph :

time invariance runoff produced from a given

Linear response-the runoff response of a

excess rain only occurs uniformly over the

When using S-curve for determining U.H. of

Synthetic Unit HydrographSnyders Method

Time of peak depends on 2 elements: duration

Peak discharge Qps for unit hydrograph of standard

Time base for this U.H, tb is given by

for large catchment while

for smaller catchment

The shape of Synders U.H. is largely controlled by

Caution should be used in applying Snyders

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