Soil and Water Conservation Engineering

Laboratory Exercise No. 3

RUN-OFF

Definition

1. Probability of Occurrence

 The probability of the occurrence of a given rainfall event is sometimes

expressed with a recurrence interval (or return period), which represents

the “average period between years in which a given rainfall depth is

exceeded at least once”

2. Hydrograph

 Hydrographs are a representation of the physical geography of and the

meteorological conditions in a watershed, and they include the combined

effects of climate, hydrologic losses, surface runoff, subsurface

stormwater flow, and groundwater flow.

3. Base flow

 t is a groundwater that flows to the surface and feeds streams, and this

makes up most of the water in many streams during dry periods.

4. Water Yield

 Water Yield is defined as the average amount of fresh water that runs off

in an unregulated watershed.
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5. Flood Routing

 is the technique of determining the flood hydrograph at a section of a

river by utilizing the data of flood flow at one or more upstream sections.

It is useful in the prediction of peak flow discharges along the channel in

the downstream section.

6. Surface Retention

 The portion of storm rainfall that is intercepted, stored in depressions, or

otherwise sufficiently delayed that it fails to reach the basin outlet within

the time interval of the storm hydrograph.

7. Aquifer

 An aquifer is a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with

groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer as precipitation seeps

through the soil. It can move through the aquifer and resurface through

springs and wells and used for drinking water, irrigation, industry, or

other uses.

8. Watershed

 is an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody.

9. Rainfall Intensity

 is a measure of the amount of rain that falls over time. The intensity of

rain is measured in the height of the water layer covering the ground in a

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 period of time. It is expressed in depth units per unit time, usually as mm

per hour (mm/h).

10. Return Period

 Return period also known as a recurrence interval or repeat interval, is

an average time or an estimated average time between events such as

earthquakes, floods, landslides, or a river discharge flows to occur

I. Discussion

1. Difference between watershed and river basin

 Both river basins and watersheds are areas of land that drain to a

particular water body, such as a lake, stream, river or estuary. In a river

basin, all the water drains to a large river

 While both a river basin and a watershed are land forms, they have

different functions in our ecology. One collects water from different

sources like the water that comes from the drainage of homes, water

from rainfall, and other surface water and moisture. The other divides the

river basin or collection point where all the water from different sources

converges.

a. A river basin collects water and moisture from different sources,

such as those that come from the drainage systems of homes,

and drains them out into other bodies of water while a watershed

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 divides the river basins or collection points that contain the water

that is collected.

b. A river basin drains out towards a larger body of water such as

the ocean or the sea while a watershed may drain towards a

smaller body of water if it is referred to as a water basin.

2. Different processes in the land phase of the hydrologic cycle

 Hydrologic cycle processes are composed of evaporation, condensation,

precipitation, and collection or storage. Evaporation is when the sun

heats water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or

stream. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake, or ocean and

goes into the air. Condensation in the hydrologic cycle is when the air

near the surface is heated, then rises, taking heat by it. Water vapor in

the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds.

Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air

cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy, and waterfalls back to the

Earth in the forms of rain, hail, sleet, or snow. The earth stores water in

several places. The ocean is the abundant storage of water. Around 96%

of the Earth's water is store in the ocean. We can't drink the salty ocean

water, so fortunately for us, freshwater is also stored in lakes, glaciers,

snow caps, rivers, and below the ground in groundwater storage.

3. Factors that affect the occurrence of runoff

 CLIMATIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT RUNOFF The principal climatic

factors that affect the amount of runoff for a given watershed are rainfall

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duration and intensity, the season of the year, and the meteorologic and

soil conditions before the storm.

 Rainfall Duration and Intensity

 Total runoff for a storm is related to the rainfall duration

and intensity. Duration is the length of the storm, and

intensity is the rate at which it rains. Infiltration rate will

usually decrease with time in the initial stages of a storm.

Thus, a storm of short duration may produce no runoff,

whereas a storm of lesser intensity but of long duration

could result in runoff.

 Rainfall intensity influences both the rate and the volume

of runoff. An intense storm exceeds the infiltration rate of

the soil by a greater margin than does a gentle rain; thus,

the total volume of runoff is greater for the intense storm

even though total precipitation for the two rains is the

same. The intense storm may actually decrease the

infiltration rate because of its destructive action on the

structure of the soil surface.

 Season of the Year

 In many areas, there is a definite seasonal pattern when

major storms are likely to occur. The major watershed

factors that affect runoff on a seasonal basis are the extent

of vegetative cover and the moisture content of the soil.

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  During the dormant season, vegetative cover is

significantly reduced for cultivated fields and deciduous

woodlands or forests. Cultivated fields are bare or may be

limited to surface residues for several weeks prior to and

following planting. In humid and semi-humid areas, there is

a gradual increase in soil moisture during the dormant

season.

 Meteorologic Conditions Before the Storm/Rain

 The climate during a period of 5 to 10 days before a

storm/rain may affect the soil moisture level at the time of

the storm. High temperatures, winds, low humidity, and

high solar radiation increase evaporation and transpiration.

This reduces the soil moisture content, provides more

storage, and increases infiltration. Low temperatures, high

humidity, and limited solar radiation have the opposite

effect.

 WATERSHED FACTORS THAT AFFECT RUNOFF Watershed factors

affecting runoff are land slope, shape, soil, and land use.

 Land Slope

 The principal effect of land slope is on the rate of runoff.

Runoff will flow faster on a steeper slope. This results in

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 higher peaks at downstream locations. The effect of land

slope on the volume is usually minor.

 Shape

 The shape of the watershed has an effect on the rate of

runoff. The rate of runoff will be lower for a long narrow

watershed than for a fanshaped watershed.

 Soil

 The type of soil has a major effect on runoff due to its

infiltration rate. Infiltration is the flow of water through the

soil surface into the soil. Pore size and distribution are

important. In sands, the pores are stable since sand'

particles do not crumble or swell. Soils with silt or clay are

subject to breakup of the crumbs during raindrop impact

and wetting. There is a melting of aggregate, and the very

small particles

II. Problem Solving

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1. Determine the minimum annual water yield volume from an 86-ha watershed if

the annual water yield is found to be 154 mm for the driest year in 25 years.

2. Calculate the 10-year return period peak runoff rate for an 80-ha watershed

having a runoff coefficient of 0.4. The maximum length of flow of water is 610 m

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 and the fall along this path is 6.0 m. Assume a watershed near your present

location.

3. By the rational method, determine the peak runoff for a 50-year return period.

The watershed consists of 50 ha, one third in rotation meadow and the

remainder in row crops on the contour. The hydrologic soil group is B, and the
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time of concentration is 30 minutes. Assume a watershed near your present

location.

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