AGSM 335

Water and Soil Management

READING ASSIGNMENT
CHAPTER 5 OF TEXT

PEAK RUNOFF RATE

and
UNIT HYDROGRAPH

AND
Chapter 5
of handouts (web)

Storm Water Hydrographs

Graphically represent runoff rates vs.
time
Peak runoff rates
Volume of runoff
Measured hydrographs are best
But not often available

Storm Water Hydrographs

Methods are available to develop a
synthetic
synthetic hydrograph
hydrograph
Use a unit hydrograph (UHG)

Unit Hydrographs
Widely used method of empirical storm
flow analysis
Definition of UNIT HYDROGRAPH:

Basin outflow resulting from 1 unit

(in/mm/cm/etc.) of direct runoff
generated uniformly over the drainage
area at a uniform rainfall rate during a
specified period of rainfall intensity.

Unit Hydrographs
Assumptions:
rainfall intensity is not considered
linear relationship between
SRO and rainfall**
UHG is independent
of antecedent conditions
uniform rainfall distribution

Unit Hydrographs
Derived from observed records
Extensive data requirements
streamflow and rainfall record pairs
generally not used for small
catchments
UHG represent direct surface runoff
baseflow (ground water) must be
removed

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

qp

tp

Unit Hydrographs
Derived from observed records
small catchments ==> synthetic UHG
models
models give ==> tp (time to peak), qp
(peak flow rate) and mathematical
shape of curve

Time of concentration (tc)

The time of concentration is the time that
it takes for a drop of rainwater to travel
from the most hydraulically remote
point of the watershed to the outlet.
It is approximately equal to the time to
peak
peak in the previous figure.

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

Unit Hydrograph Development

Approximate hydrograph using a triangle
Need to find:
Time to peak (tp) or time to
concentration (tc)
Time of the base (tb)

tc tp

Peak flow (qp)

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

Unit Hydrograph Development

NRCS Equation to calculate time to peak (t
(tc)
tc = L0.8(1000/CN - 9)0.7 / (1140 s0.5)

qp

EQUATION 5.1 IN TEXT

L = hydraulic length of watershed in feet
CN = curve number parameter
s = average land slope of the watershed in
%

tc tp

tc = time to concentration in hours

tb

Unit Hydrograph Development

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

NRCS Equation to calculate peak flow (q

(qp)
qp = 484 * A / tp , where:
A = watershed area in mi2
tp = time to peak in hours
qp = peak flow in cfs per inch of
runoff

Unit Hydrograph Development

qp

tc tp

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

NRCS Equation for time of base (tb)

tb = 2.67 * tp

tb

Example
Given:
1-hr storm = 2.5 in. P = 2.5 in.
500 ac watershed
Land use = commercial business
Watershed soil HSG = D
Average watershed slope = 1 %
Hydraulic length of watershed = 6,000 ft

Unit Hydrograph Development

Approximate hydrograph using a triangle

Example
Required:
Find the storm hydrograph
Use the triangular unit hydrograph
method

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

Need to find:

qp

Time to peak (tp) or (tc)

Time of the base (tb)
Peak flow (qp)

tc tp
tb

Example
Solution:
Hydraulic Soil Group D
Commercial from TABLE 5.1,
CN = 95

(1000)
10 1000 / 95 10 0.53
CN

( P 0.2S ) 2
( P 0.8S )

NRCS CURVE NUMBER

Assume AMC = II
Determine the total volume of runoff
generated by a storm event.

( P 0 .2 S )
( P 0 .8 S )

WHERE:
Q is the runoff volume (inches)
P is the precipitation (inches)
S is the precipitation surface storage
before onset of runoff (inches)

Example Problem
Calculate surface runoff (Q)
Q = [(P - 0.2S)^2] / (P + 0.8S)
with P = 2.5 in, S = 0.53
Q = [(2.5 0.2(0.53)]2 / [2.5 + (0.8)0.53)]
Q = 1.96 in.

Q = 1.96 inches

Unit Hydrograph Development

Approximate hydrograph using a triangle

Storm Hydrograph with

Rainfall Excess Hyetograph

Need to find:
Time to peak (tp) or (tc)
Time of the base (tb)
Peak flow (qp)

tc tp

Unit Hydrograph Development

Unit Hydrograph Development

NRCS Equation to calculate time to peak (t

(tc)

NRCS Equation to calculate time to peak

(tc)

L0.8(1000/CN

9)0.7

tc = L (1000/CN - 9)

s0.5)

/ (1140 s )

EQUATION 5.1 IN TEXT

L = hydraulic length of watershed in
feet
CN = curve number parameter
s = average land slope of the
watershed in %
tc = time to concentration in hours

tc = L0.8(1000/CN - 9)0.7 / (1140s0.5),

with CN = 95, s = 1 %
tc = 60000.8(1000/95 - 9)0.7 / (1140* (1.00.5))
tc = 1053 (1.3445)/(1140) = 1.242 hr
tc = 74.5 minutes

Example
NRCS Equation to calculate peak flow (q
(qp)
qp = 484 * A / tp , where:

Example
NRCS Equation for time of base (t
(tb)

A = watershed area in mi2

tp = time to peak in hours
qp = peak flow in cfs per inch of
runoff
with A = 500 acres, tp = 1.242 hr

tb = 2.67 * tp = 2.67 (1.242) = 3.316 hr

= 199 min

qp = 484 * A / tp = 484 (500/640) / (1.242)

qp

= 304.4 cfs per inch of runoff

Example
Solution:
Points to develop the unit hydrograph
tp = tc = 1.242 hr
tb = 3.316 hr
qp = 304.4 cfs / 1 in. of runoff

Q (cfs)
600

400

Volume under triangle = (304.4 cfs x 199 x 60 sec) / 2

= 1,817,268 ft3
Surface runoff depth = 1,8127,268 ft3 / 21,780,000 ft2 =
0.083 ft = 1.00 in. Ok!!!!!!!

qp = 304.4 cfs
300
200

Plot unit hydrograph

Check area under the triangle 1 in.

tp = 74.5 min

50

100

150

tb = 199 min

T(min)

Example

Q (cfs)
600

Volume under triangles =

3,561,702 ft3

qp = 596.6 cfs

Solution:
qp 2.5
2.5 rain = 304.4 cfs x 1.96 in. of SRO
qp 2.5
2.5 rain = 596.6 cfs

Plot storm hydrograph

Check area under the triangle 1.96
in.

Surface runoff depth =

1.96 in. OK!!!!!!!
400
300
200
tb = 199
tp = 74.5

50

100

150

T(min)

10