RUN OFF

DEFINATIONS

Runoff is the draining of precipitation from a catchment area through a surface channel, and
represents the output from the catchment in a given unit of time. It occurs after the
evapotranspiration, initial loss, infiltration and detention-storage requirements from the
precipitation have been satisfied.

Overland flow
This is “portion" of the runoff dues to the excess precipitation moving over the land surfaces to
reach smaller channels. Usually the lengths and depths of overland flow are small and the flow is
in the laminar regime.

Surface runoff
Flows from several small channels join bigger channels and flows from these in turn combine to
form a larger stream, and so on, till the flow reaches the catchment outlet. The flow in this mode
where it travels all the time over the surface as overland flow and through the channels as open-
channel flow and reaches the catchment outlet is called surface runoff.

Interflow
Interflow also known as through flow or storm seepage or subsurface storm flow or quick
return flow is part of the precipitation that infiltrates and moves laterally through upper crusts of
the soil and returns to the surface at some location away from the point of entry into the soil. The
amount of interflow depends on the geological conditions of the catchment. Depending upon the
time delay between the infiltration and the outflow, the interflow is sometimes classified into
prompt interflow, i.e. the interflow with the least time lag and delayed interflow.
Groundwater flow or groundwater runoff

This is part of runoff that occurs due to the infiltrated water undergoing deep percolation and
reach the groundwater storage in the soil.The groundwater follows a complicated and long path
of travel and ultimately reaches the surface. The time lag, i.e. the difference in time between the
entry into the soil and outflows from it is very large, being of the order of months and years.

RUNOFF CLASSIFICATIONS
Runoff is classified into two categories; as
1. Direct runoff, and
2. Base flow.

Direct Runoff
It is that part of runoff which enters the stream immediately after the precipitation. It includes
surface runoff, prompt interflow and precipitation on the channel surface. Sometimes terms such
as direct storm runoff and storm runoff are used to designate direct runoff.

Base Flow
The delayed flow that reaches a stream essentially as groundwater flow is called base flow. Many
times delayed interflow is also included under this category.

Runoff, representing the response of a catchment to precipitation reflects the integrated effects
of a wide range of catchment, climate and precipitation characteristics. True runoff is
therefore stream flow in the natural condition, i.e. without human intervention. Such a stream
flow unaffected by works of man, such as structures for storage and diversion on a stream is called
virgin flow. When there exist storage or diversion works on a stream, the flow in tie
downstream channel is affected by structures and hence does not represent the true runoff unless
corrected for storage effects and the diversion of flow and return flow.
FACTORS AFFECTING RUNOFF

Runoff rate and volume from an area mainly influenced by following two factors

A. Climatic factors.
B. Physiographical Factors.

A. Climate factors:

This includes:

1.Types of Precipitation:

A precipitation which occurs in the form of rainfall starts immediately as surface runoff
depending upon rainfall intensity while precipitation in the form of snow does not result in
surface runoff.

2. Rainfall Intensity:

If the rainfall intensity is greater than infiltration rate of soil then runoff starts immediately after
rainfall. While in case of low rainfall intensity runoff starts later. Thus high intensities of rainfall
yield higher runoff.

3. Duration of Rainfall:

It is directly related to the volume of runoff be cause infiltration rate of soil decreases with
duration of rainfall. Therefore medium intensity rainfall even results in considerable amount of
runoff if duration is longer.

4. Rainfall Distribution:

Runoff from a watershed depends very much on the distribution of rainfall. It is also expressed
as “distribution coefficient” mean ratio of maximum rainfall at a point to the mean rainfall of
watershed. Therefore, near outlet of watershed runoff will be more.

5. Direction of Prevailing Wind:

If the direction of prevailing wind is same as drainage system, it results in peak low. A storm
moving in the direction of stream slope produce a higher peak in shorter period of time than a
storm moving in opposite direction

6. Other Climate Factor:

Other factors such as temperature wind velocity, relative humidity, annual rainfall etc. affect the
water losses from watershed area.
B. Physiographic Factors:

This includes:

1. Size of Watershed:

A large watershed takes longer time for draining the runoff to outlet than smaller watershed and
vise-versa.

2. Shape of Watershed:

Runoff is greatly affected by shape of watershed. Shape of watershed is generally expressed by

the term “form factor” and “compactness coefficient”.

Form Factor = Ratio of average width to axial length of watershed

Compactness Coefficient:

Ratio off perimeter of watershed to circumference of circle whose area is equal to area of
watershed

Two types of shape:

a. Fun shape [tends to produce higher runoff very early]

b. Fern shape [tend to produced less runoff].

3. Slope of Watershed:

It has complex effect. It controls the time of overland flow and time of concentration of rainfall.
E.g. sloppy watershed results in greater runoff due to greater runoff velocity and vice-versa.

4. Orientation of Watershed:

This affects the evaporation and transpiration losses from the area. The north or south
orientation, affects the time of melting of collected snow.

5. Land Use:

Land use and land management practices have great effect on the runoff yield. E.g. an area with
forest cover or thick layer of mulch of leaves and grasses contribute less runoff because water is
absorbed more into soil.
6. Soil moisture:

Magnitude of runoff yield depends upon the initial moisture present in soil at the time of rainfall.
If the rain occurs after along dry spell then infiltration rate is more, hence it contributes less
runoff.

7. Soil type:

In filtration rate vary with type of soil.

8. Topographic characteristics:

Undulate land has greater runoff than flat land because runoff water gets additional energy
[velocity] due to slope and little time to infill rate.

9. Drainage Density:

It is defined as the ratio of the total channel length [L] in the watershed to total watershed area
[A]. Greater drainage density gives more runoff

Drainage density = L/A