Parameter Adjustment to Prevent the Overestimation of Peak Discharge in a Small Watershed

We revisit empirical methods to prevent the overestimation of peak discharge in a small watershed, in particular investigating the time-area method, which has not been considered in the overestimation problem of peak discharge. To avoid misapplying the same inlet time between the unit hydrograph and rational formula, distinct parameter adjustments for each method are proposed. We adopt the secondary basin response time for the unit hydrograph, rainfall duration for the rational formula, and time of concentration for the time-area method, as suitable parameters to adjust the estimation of peak discharge. In conclusion, adding 10 minutes to secondary basin response time, 20 minutes to rainfall duration, and 30 minutes to time of concentration, respectively, yields estimates within a reasonable range of specific discharge in a small watershed.

The Effect of Urban Drainage on The Determination The Time of Storage In The City Development Area

Increasing development activities in various fields in Surabaya will impact the occurrence of flooding, where the growth of residential buildings changes the function of the drainage area into runoff land. Therefore, there is a need for regional drainage recommendations. This study aims to provide a reference for a safe number that follows the storage needs and the duration of the peak partial drainage required by the region, following the study of water resources science. The data needed are rainfall data, average area, land function, and land slope maps. This study uses a 5-year return period probability. Moreover, the Nakayasu Hydrograph method is also used. It has a grace period starting from the rain surface to the top of the hydrograph, the area of the watershed, and the length of the main river channel. The comparison of the length of time of concentration (Tc) of the area with the length of waiting for time (Tp) of the urban drainage hydrograph shows that the area’s Tc value is greater than the Tp value of the urban drainage.

Applying a Graphical Method in Evaluation of Empirical Methods for Estimating Time of Concentration in an Arid Region

At gauged watersheds, the time of concentration can be estimated using rainfall-runoff data; however, at ungauged watersheds, empirical methods are used instead. Large errors in the application of empirical methods may cause inaccurate modeling of floods and unreliable structure design. In this paper, methods for calculating the time of concentration (Tc) were compared to identify the best equation for estimating Tc in ungauged watersheds of an arid region. The graphical method, based on measured data, was compared to 15 empirical methods to determine which empirical method returned the best results. The graphical method was applied to 33 rainfall-runoff events in four rural sub-watersheds located in the central parts of Hormozgan province, Iran. A ranking-based procedure was used to select the best performing empirical methods. To minimize bias and improve accuracy, the best performing empirical methods were modified by adjusting their formulas. According to the study, three empirical methods: (1) Williams, (2) Pilgrim and Mac Dermott, and (3) Arizona DOT, performed the best in the study areas. The results also showed that the modified Williams and Arizona DOT’s formulas were able to estimate the time of concentration in ungauged watersheds with an error lower than 1%.

A Combination between Synthetic Unit Hydrograph (SCS) and Rational Method in a similar Conditions Water Shed

Studying watershed characteristics and choosing the most applicable methods to determine the amount of access rainfall that ran off is very important in many engineering applications, especially hydrology applications. That is to know the more suitable methods for protection against floods and to maximize benefits from the excess water. This study aims to establish a relation between the rational method and the SCS method. A subbasin in Wadi Dahab in Sinai, Egypt is investigated as a study area. To achieve the study aims, HEC-WMS software is chosen, which can analyze a watershed by using DEM and delineating basin. It calculates also important watershed parameters like area, runoff distances, and slope. The rainfall data is compiled and arranged. A statical analysis is executed to obtain the IDF curves. Hyfran-plus software is employed to locate the maximum depths for different return periods. Various values for the time of concentration are studied. It is concluded that the difference between the rational and SCS methods is great for the time of concentration till 2 hours, then it decreases obviously from 2 till 6 hours. Also, it is concluded that the difference between the two methods is bigger for the small return periods of 2 and 5 years for all values of the time of concentration. Employing the obtained equations, the peak runoff for one of the two methods (the rational and SCS methods) can be calculated knowing the time of concentration and the peak runoff for the second method.