Feb. 18 Reading assignment for Feb.

21 class
Chapter 5 & 6 Hydrology_Raghunath_2006.pdf
Chapter 4 & 5 hydrology-subramany.pdf

Guide Questions
At the end of the reading session, one must be able to answer the following sets of questions:

I Match the items in ‘A’ with the items in ‘B’

A B
(i) Isochrone (a) C.F. Izzard
(ii) Runoff coefficient (b) Topographic ridge
(iii) Unit hydrograph (c) present in Arid region
(iv) Compactness coefficient (d) Perennial streams
(v) Effluent streams (e) Shape of drainage basin
(vi) Ephemeral streams (f) 1 cm of runoff
(vii) Drainage divide (g) Yield of catchment
(viii) Overland flow hydrograph (h) Time-contours of commencement of storm

II Determine the yield of the catchment and the capacity of the tank from the following
data:
Catchment area = 20 km2
a.a.r. = 80 cm
Tank gets filled: 2 times in a year
Runoff coefficient = 1/5
(average for the catchment) (2, 4, 1.2 Mm3)
III Explain the terms: catchment area and drainage divide.
An irrigation tank has a catchment area of 30 km2 and receives an annual rainfall of 90
cm.
Assuming that 10% of the rainfall flows as ‘runoff’ from the catchment, calculate the area
that can be brought under paddy cultivation under the tank. Assume that the tank fills
one and a half times in a year and the water requirement of paddy (duty) is 100 ha-cm.
(40.5 ha)
IV (a) Explain how the following physical characteristics of a catchment can be
determined?
(i) Mean elevation
(ii) Mean slope
(b) Krishna River basin has an area of 258948 km2 and length 1400 km. Calculate the
form factor and elongation ratio
V Explain the terms: Catchment area, Drainage divide, and Ground water divide. An
irrigation tank has a catchment area of 30 km2 and the a.a.r. is 90 cm. Assuming that
only 20% of the dependable rainfall is the runoff available. Calculate the capacity of the
tank assuming that it fills one and a half times in a year.
 Assuming a total depth of irrigation water for rice crop for 120 days as 1.25 m and 30%
Losses:
a) what area of rice crop can come under the tank?
b) aWork out the tank duty, field duty and the discharge required at the tank outlet.
c) What is the length of the clear overfall weir to dispose of flood waters, assuming an
intensity of 5 cm/hr of 35-year frequency.

VI A catchment has a perimeter of 1020 km and an area of 38520 km2.

Calculate the compactness coefficient.

VII REVISION QUESTIONS

1. List the factors affecting the seasonal and annual runoff (yield) of catchment.
Described briefly the interactions of factors listed by you.
2. With the help of typical hydrographs describe the salient features of (i) Perennial,
(ii) intermittent, and (iii) ephemeral streams.
3. Explain briefly: (a) water year (b) Natural (virgin) flow
4. What is meant by 75% dependable yield of a catchment? Indicate a procedure to
estimate the same by using annual runoff volume time series.
9. What is watershed simulation? Explain briefly the various stages in the simulation
study.
10. What is flow-duration curve? What information can be gathered from a study of the
flow duration curve of a stream at a site?

VIII OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. A mean annual runoff of 1 cum/s from a catchment area 31.54 sqkm represents an
effective rainfall of (a) 100cm (b) 1.0cm (c) 100mm (d) 3.17

2. A hydrograph is a plot of
(a) Rainfall intensity against time
(b) Stream discharge against time
(c) Cumulative rainfall against time
(d) Cumulative runoff against time

3 The flow duration-curve is plot of

(a) Accumulated flow against time
(b) Discharge against time in chronological order
(c) The base flow against the percentage of times the flow is exceed
(d) The stream discharge against the percentage of times the flow is equaled or
exceeded
IX Choose the correct statement/s

The method of measuring discharge in a turbulent stream is

(i) by measuring the drop in water surface under bridge openings and canal falls.
(ii) by adding common salt into flowing water and determining its concentration
downstream.
(iii) by slope-area method.
(iv) by area-velocity method.
(v) by measuring head over weirs or anicuts.
(vi)by measuring the upstream depth in a standing wave flume.

X Match the items in ‘A’ with the items in ‘B’

A B
(i) Area-velocity method (a) Afflux
(ii) Slope-area method (b) Turbulent streams
(iii) Bridge openings (c) Mean velocity
(iv) Salt-concentration method (d) v = aN + b
(v) Surface and subsurface floats (e) Q = K(h – a)n
(vi) Velocity rods (f) AWLR
(vii) Current-meter rating (g) control section downstream
(viii) Stage-discharge curve (h) Peak flood where no gauging station exists
(ix) River stage (i) Current-meter gauging
(x) Stream gauging spite (j) Surface velocity

XI Say ‘true’ or ‘false’, if false, give the correct statement:

(i) The staff-gauge reading corresponding to zero-discharge in a stream is always a positive

number.
(ii) The mean velocity in a vertical stream can be calculated by measuring the velocities at
one-fifth and four-fifths of the depth of the stream in that vertical.
(iii) While the surface and subsurface floats measure the mean velocity of the stream, the
velocity rods measure the surface velocity.
(iv) Subsurface floats will not give the velocity accurately since they are affected by wind.
(v) Discharge in a river can not be determined by measurement near bridge openings.
(vi) The salt-concentration method can best be used to determine the discharge of non-turbulent
rivers.
(vii) The hydraulic turbine can be used as a good water meter.
(viii) The stream gauging site should be on the upstream of the confluence of rivers.
(ix) There should be a good-control section immediately upstream of the gauging site.
(x) The calibration of the current meter is called the current meter rating while the stage-
discharge is the relation between the staff-gauge reading and the stream discharge.
(xi) If the stage-discharge relation is governed by the slope, size and roughness of the channel
over a considerable distance, the station is under channel control.
(xii) A pressure transducer may be used to obtain:
 (a) a stage-hydrograph.
(b) a discharge–hydrograph.
(xiii) The slope-area method is often used to estimate peak floods near the existing gauging
station.
(ix) The drainage density varies directly as the length of overland flow and indicates the
drainage efficiency of the basin.
(x) Quick intense floods occur more in fern-shaped catchments than in fan-shaped
catchments.
(xi) For the same intensity of rainfall, the flood discharge from a relatively small catchment
is higher than that from a relatively large catchment.

XII QUESTIONS:

1 (a) What are the factors that influence the selection of a site for a stream gauging station?
(b) Explain how the stage-discharge-rating curve for a stream-gauging station is prepared.
Sketch a typical rating curve. What are the sources of error in getting the discharge from the
rating curve?
3 (a) What is a flow rating curve’? Explain its use. Sketch a typical flow rating curve.
(b) Following velocities were recorded in a stream with a current meter.
Depth above bed (m): 0 1 2 3 4
Velocity (m/sec): 0 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8
Find the discharge per unit width of stream near the point of measurement. Depth of flow at
the point was 5 m.
4 (a) Explain briefly the method of stream gauging by area-velocity method.
(b) The following data were collected for a stream at a gauging station. Compute the
discharge by:
(i) mid-section method
(ii) mean-section method.

Distance from
one end of Depth of water
Velocity (m/sec)
water surface of (m)
(m)
at 0.6d at 0.2d at 0.8d

(m) (m) (m)

0 0 — —
1.2 0.7 — —
2.4 1.7 0.5
3.6 2.5 0.6
4.8 1.3 0.4
6.0 0.5 0.35
7.2 0 — —
5 (a) Explain: ‘current metre rating curve’. How it is prepared ? Sketch a typical rating curve.
(b) What do you understand by the term ‘control point’ with reference to a stream gauging
station?

6 The staff gauge readings and the corresponding discharges measured in a stream are given
below. Assuming the relationship to be exponential, fit an equation by drawing a graph. What is
the discharge for a staff gauge reading of 1.6 m and 2.5 m?
Gauge reading (m): 0.40 0.70 1.09 1.28 1.49 1.83 2.32
Discharge (cumec): 24 47 80 98 121 163 268

7 The following data were collected for two verticals in a stream at a gauging station. Compute
the discharge in the elemental strips by

(i) the mid-section method (ii) the mean-section method

Distance from
one end of
Depth, d (m) Immersion of current meter below water surface (m)
water surface
(m)
at 0.2d at 0.8d
rev sec rev sec
3 0.8 135 150 97 151
6 1.2 150 100 150 138
Rating equation of the current meter; v = 0.7 N + 0.03 where N = rev./sec, v = velocity (m/sec).

8. (a) What is the effect of rising or falling stage upon the discharge-curve?
(b) The following data are obtained by stream gauging of a river:
Main gauge staff reading (m) 9.6 9.6
Auxiliary gauge staff reading (m) 9.32 8.63
Discharge (cumec) 4.50 8.45
(c) What should be the discharge when the main gauge reads 9.6 m and the auxiliary gauge reads
9.02 m?

9. Write a note on ‘stream gauging with shifting control’.

10. The cross section (C/S) of a river is as follows:

Distance from BM (m) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Reduced level on C/S (m) 46.70 44.5 42.80 42.10 42.70 42.70 44.00 46.80
Longitudinal section (L/S) is as follows:
Distance (m) 1 km upstream at bridge site 1 km downstream
HFL along L/S (m) 45.10 44.50 43.89
Manning’s n may be assumed as 0.03.
A bridge is proposed across the river. Calculate the high flood discharge at bridge site.
11. A bridge is proposed across a stream which has a catchment area of 3200 km2. Ryve’s
coefficient of C = 10 applies. Compute the maximum flood discharge at bridge site.
12. The following are the measurements at a bridge site, during floods. Compute the maximum
flood discharge at bridge site:
Width of natural water way 284 m
Lineal water way under the bridge 227 m
For rounded entry take Cd as 0.95
Depth upstream of bridge 4.80 m
Depth downstream of bridge 3.00 m

XIII REVIEW QUESTIONS

4.1 Explain the various commonly used methods of measurement of stage of a river. Indicate
for each method its specific advantage and the conditions under which one would use it.
4.2 What factors should be considered in selecting a site for a stream gauging station?
4.3 Explain the salient features of a current meter. Describe briefly the procedure of using a
current meter for measuring velocity in a stream.
4.4 List the qualities of a good tracer for use in dilution technique of flow measurement.
4.5 Explain briefly the dilution method of flow measurement
4.6 Explain the streamflow measurement by area-velocity method.
4.7 Describe a procedure for extrapolating a rating curve of a stream.
4.8 Describe the slope area method-method of measurement of flood discharge in a stream/
4.9 Explain the procedure for obtain the stage-discharge relationship of a stream by using the
stage-discharge data from a site with permanent control.
4.10 Describe briefly:
a) Backwater effect on a rating curve
b) Unsteady flow effect on a rating curve

4.11 Describe a procedure for extrapolating a rating curve of a stream.

4.12 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the following relative to the flow
measurement by using current meters:
a) Backwater effect on a rating curve
b) Unsteady flow effect on a rating curve

4.13 Explain briefly the important aspects relating to the following instruments:
a) Float-gauge recorder
b) Bubble gauge
c) Echo-depth recorder
d) Current meter
XIV PROBLEMS

1. The following data where collected during a stream-gauging operation in a river.

Compute the discharge.

Distance from left Velocity (m/s)

Depth
water edge At 0.2d At 0.8d
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1.5 1.3 0.6 0.4
3.0 2.5 0.9 0.6
4.5 1.7 0.7 0.5
6.0 1.0 0.6 0.4
7.5 0.4 0.4 0.3
9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

2. The velocity distribution in a stream is usually approximated as v/va = (y/a)m

Va are velocities at heights y and a above the bed respectively and m is a coefficient
with a value between 1/5 to 1/8.
(i) Obtain an expression for v/v, where v is the mean velocity in terms of the
depth of flow.
(ii) If m = 1/6 show that:
(a) the measured velocity is equal to the mean velocity if the velocity is measured
at 0.6 depth from the water surface and by
(b) mean velocity = ½ (V 0.2 + V0.82 ) where V0.2 + V0.82 are velocities measured
at 0.2 and 0.82 depths below the water surface respectively.
3. The following are the data obtained in a stream-gauging operation. A current meter
with a calibration equation V=v(0.32N + 0.32) m/s, where N = revolutions per second
was used to measure the velocity at 0.6 depth. Using the mid-section method, calculate
the discharge in the stream.