Watershed Hydrologic Budgets

Delineation of a watershed (drainage basin, river basin, catchment)

Area that topographically appears to contribute all the water that flows through a
given cross section of a stream. In other words, the area over which water flowing
along the surface will eventually reach the stream, upstream of the cross-section.
Horizontal projection of this area is the drainage area.
The boundaries of a watershed are called a divide, and can be traced on a topographic
map by starting at the location of the stream cross-section then drawing a line away
from the stream that intersects all contour lines at right angles. If you do this right, the
lines drawn from both sides of the
stream should intersect. Moving to
either side
P Precipitation

ET Evapotranspiration
Gin Groundwater inflow
Q River outflow
Gout Groundwater outflow
Water Balance Equation

Inflow = Outflow + Storage

Under steady state condition,

Storage = 0.
The hydrologic balance equation for the illustrated catchment is: P + Gin = ET + Gout
+Q + Storage
Q and P are the only quantities that can be measured directly. If steady state is
assumed, these measurements can be used to calibrate models of
evapotranspiration and groundwater flow.
From and engineering point of view we are interested in understanding what controls Q,
and under steady state condition where Storage = 0,
Q = P + (Gin Gout ) ET
Illustrative Example 1:
From the figure above, consider the following information:
Catchment area = 25 km2 Rainfall (P) = 1.800 mm/yr
mm/yr
Infiltration (S) = 300 mm/yr

Evapotranspiration (ET) = 700

Required:
Discharge (Q) at the outlet of the catchment (A), expressed in m 3/day
Solution:

Balance equation: Inflow = Outflow + Storage = 0. [Under steady state condition,

Storage = 0]
Inflow components: Rainfall (P)
Outflow components: Evapotranspiration (ET), Infiltration (S), Discharge (Q)
Inflow = Outflow + Storage
P = ET + S + Q + Storage [Storage = 0]

Q = P (ET + S) = 1,800 mm/yr (700 mm/yr

+ 300 mm/yr) = 800 mm/yr
Expressing Q in m3/day,
Q = 800 mm/yr = 0.8m/yr
A = 25 km2 = 25 x 106 m2
Q = (0.8m/yr) (25 x 106 m2) = (20 x 106 m3/yr)/
(365 days/yr) = 54,794.5 m3/day
Illustrative Example 2:
A dam (Point D) was put up across one of the
tributaries of the main channel of the
catchment to impound water and resulted in
the creation of a reservoir that has an area of
about 5 km2. The reservoir resulted on the
increase of infiltration to about 500 mm/yr and
an open water evaporation of 1,100 mm/yr.
Assume that the bottom and surface of the reservoir are the same. Assume further that all other
considitions remain the same.

Required:
Establish the impact of the dam in terms of the net decrease in the discharge of the main
channel at its outlet (Point A).
Solution:
Solving for the resulting discharge at Point D:
Balance equation: Inflow = Outflow + Storage = 0. [Under steady state condition, Storage =
0]
Inflow components: Rainfall (P) = 1,800 mm/yr
Outflow components:
Evapotranspiration (EO) = 1,100 mm/yr
Infiltration (SO) = 500 mm/yr
Discharge (QD) = ?
Area = 5 km2 = 5 x 106 m2
Inflow = Outflow + Storage
P = EO + SO + QD + Storage [Storage = 0]
QD = P (EO + SO) = 1,800 mm/yr (1,100 mm/yr + 500 mm/yr) = 200 mm/yr
Expressing Q in m3/day,
QD = 200 mm/yr = 0.2m/yr
A = 5 km2 = 5 x 106 m2
QD = (0.2m/yr) (5 x 106 m2) = (1 x 106 m3/yr)/(365 days/yr) = 2,739.7 m3/day -> This is the
flow that would go to the main channel.
Determining the discharge (Q) contibution of the remaining portion of the catchment area is the
same as in Illustrative Example 1, except that the impact area now is reduced to 20 km 2.
Balance equation: Inflow = Outflow + Storage = 0. [Under steady state condition, Storage =
0]
Inflow components: Rainfall (P) = 1,800 mm/yr
Outflow components:
Evapotranspiration (ET) = 700 mm/yr
Infiltration (S) = 300 mm/yr
Discharge (Q) = ?
Inflow = Outflow + Storage
P = ET + S + Q + Storage [Storage = 0]
Q = P (ET + S) = 1,800 mm/yr (700 mm/yr + 300 mm/yr) = 800 mm/yr
Expressing Q in m3/day,
Q = 800 mm/yr = 0.8m/yr
A = 20 km2 = 20 x 106 m2

Q = (0.8m/yr) (20 x 106 m2) = (16 x 106 m3/yr)/(365

days/yr) = 43,835.6 m3/day
The resulting discharge (Q) = QD + Q = 2,739.7
m3/day + 43,835.6 m3/day = 46,575.3 m3/day
The net decrease in the discharge is 8,219.2 m3/day
(i.e., 54,794.5 m3/day from Illustrative Example 1
above, minus 46,575.3 m3/day due to the effect of the
dam).
Quiz 1
Consider the illustration wherein two catchment areas
are separated by a mountain range. Catchment A is
under a different climate type as compared to
catchment B.
Catchment A has the following characteristics:
Catchment Area (km2)
2

Reservoir Area (km )

Dry Season (5 months)
Rainfall (mm/season)
Evapotranspiration (ET)
mm/season
Open Water Evaporation (EO)
mm/season
Wet Season (7 months)
Rainfall (mm/season)
Evapotranspiration (ET)
mm/season
Open Water Evaporation (EO)
mm/season
Infiltration (mm/yr)
Catchment
Reservoir

135
15
680
120
300
1,925
320
125
180
225

To supply the water needs of Catchment A during the dry season, a tunnel is being proposed to
be constructed across the mountain range to draw water from Catchment B. To control the
withdrawal from catchment B, the control weir shall be located such that it will create a reservoir
just enough to provide the difference between the dry and set season flow in Catchment A. How
big should the reservoir be? The characteristices of Catchment B is as follows:
Average annual rainfall: 2,100 mm/yr
Open Water Evaporation: 325 mm/yr
Infiltration: 625 mm/yr