Chapter 3 -Hydrology

Hwk#3 - pp. 85-87 2,4,7,11

Hydrologic Cycle
Runoff - Ground Surface Water
•Infiltration - Ground Penetration (percolation)
•Transpiration - Water goes through vegetation
and then is released into the air as vapor
•Evapotranspiration - Is the combination of
evaporation and transpiration (>50% of
precipitation)
Chapter 3 -Hydrology
1. Rainfall
Volume - acre-ft., hectares(ha) (V=Area x depth)
1 ha = 10,000 m2 , 1 acre - 43,560 ft 2
Rainfall intensity - rate at which rain falls
(in/hr. , mm/hr.)
Recurrence Interval (N) years - the average
time span between identical storms over a long
period of time (i.e. 5 year storm- same as return
period)
Probability of occurence (1/N) - is the statistic
of occurence in a single year
Chapter 3 -Hydrology
2. Surface Water
A. Water Sheds
•Drainage Basin - Land which contributes runoff
to a river or stream
•Confluence - the point at which two streams
converge
•Tributary - streams that feed into a first-order
stream

Subbasin

Tributary

Drainage
Basin Outlet
Chapter 3 -Hydrology
2. Surface Water
B. Streamflow
•Discharge - Volume per unit time
[m3 /s, m3 /h,ML/d for SI- cfs, gpm, ac-ft/d for U.S.]
•Hydrograph - flow response of a stream for a
particular rainfall event (fig.3.15)
•Perennial - streams that have a base flow from
ground water
•Intermittent or Ephemeral Stream-Streams that
dry up after the rainfalls
•Stage - the water surface above a referenced level
•Weir - used to measure volume flow rate
•Droughts - a long period of dry weather
•MA7CD10 Flow - Minimum Average 7
Consecutive Day 10 - year flow - 90% chance that
the minimum weekly discharge will be greater than
the MA7CD10. Design parameter for water
pollution control projects.
 Chapter 3 -Hydrology
3. Reservoirs
•Summation Hydrograph - Determines when the
reservoir is filling up or what is the minimum
required storage volume. (fig. 3.20)
•Uniform Withdrawal or Yield Line - Is the
amount of water the reservoir can supply in a
specific time period without going dry.
(Predetermined by the demand on the reservoir)
•Minimum Storage Volume Req’d - The minimum
volume of water required in the reservoir in order to
prevent a drought from depleting it.
•Sediments behind a Dam - Causes a problem for
vegetation and wildlife who rely on warmer
temperatures and nutrients from silts and other
deposited materials.
 Chapter 3 -Hydrology
4. Aquifers & Well Points
•Aquifers - Is an underground stream.(fig 3.26)
•Well Points - Perforated pipes that penetrate
underground acquifers or water table
•Darcy Law - V= K X S
where K - permeability coeff., mm/s
V - Flow velocity, mm/s
S - slope of the water table
•Drawdown - The elevation distance between the
pumping level and the static level.(fig. 3.28)
Q m3 / h
[Specific Capacity= or ] is the relationship
m m
between yield to drawdown