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Page 1 of 8: Water Resources Engineering
Page 1 of 8: Water Resources Engineering
Page 1 of 8: Water Resources Engineering
Introduction
Water Resources engineering: is concerned with the analysis and design of systems to control the
quantity, quality, timing, distribution of water to meet the needs of human habitation and the
environment.
The core science of water resources engineering is Hydrology, which deals with the occurrence,
distribution, movement and properties of water on and below the surface of earth, and in the
atmosphere. Also, it consider various forms of moisture that occur, and the transformation between
the liquid, solid and gaseous states in the atmosphere and in the surface layers of landmasses
Engineering Hydrology uses hydrologic principles in the solution of engineering problems arising
from human exploitation of the earth. The engineering hydrologist, or water resources engineer, is
involved in the planning, analysis, design, construction and operation of projects for the control,
utilization and management of water resources.
A watershed is an area of land that drains to a single outlet and is separated from other neighboring
watersheds by a water divide line.It appears based on topography.
Generally, water moves downhill, and thus the watershed outlet is at the lowest point in the
watershed.
Water Divide Line or Divide: is a line (the ridgeline) that separates two adjacent watersheds, which
then drain into two different outlets.
The concentration time tc, of the water in a watershed is defined as being the maximum of duration
necessary for a water drop falling on the watershed surface to reach the outlet section of the
watershed. The concentration time may be assumed through field measurements or may be estimated
with empirical formulas.
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 2 of 8
Hydrological data
For the analysis and design of any hydrologic project or investigation adequate data and records of
sufficient length are necessary. The basic hydrological data required are:
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 3 of 8
Hydrological Cycle
The cyclic movement of water from the sea to the atmosphere and thence by precipitation to the
Earth, where it collects in streams and runs back to the sea or ‘’ The hydrologic cycle describes the
continuous re-circulating transport of the waters of the earth, linking atmosphere, land and oceans’’
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 4 of 8
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 5 of 8
Ice Liquid
Vapor
Water exists on the earth in all its three states, liquid, and solid, gaseous and in various degrees of
motion.
Water Distribution
About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all
Earth's water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in
the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers, and even in you.
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 6 of 8
Atmosphere 0.001
Swamp Water 0.0008
Rivers 0.0002
Biological Water 0.0001
Table 1 global water distribution
OUTPUT
INPUT
Process
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
(Basin)
Rainfall Runoff
Water balance
Change in Storage= Total Input - Total Output
ΔS= I - O
I = O + dS
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 7 of 8
Example (1)
During a 24-hour time, an average of (2510 m3/s) was discharged to a lake with a surface area of (113
km2). Over the same period, the average evaporation was 1 inch. Did the water surface of the
reservoir rise or fall? Compute the rise or fall in centimetres. The precipitation was zero in that 24-
hour.
Solution
In a period, (Δt) the water balance equation can be written as:-
(ΔS) = (Ι . Δt + P . A) – (Q . Δt + E . A)
(ΔS) = (Ι . Δt + P . A) – (Q . Δt + E . A)
= 213993800 m3 / 113000000 m2
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin
Page 8 of 8
Exercise (1)
A water supply reservoir is full to the brim and holds (10 *106 m3) of water. During the course of a
given year, the reservoir receives (5.8 * 106 m3) of water via rainfall. At the same time, a local city
uses (23 * 108) litres of water, and the evaporation is found to be (1.1 * 105 m3). What is the change in
reservoir storage for that year? If the per capita daily water consumption is 150 litres, how many
people will be served by an in storage of reservoir?
Exercise (2)
A river reach had a flood wave passing through it. At a given instant the storage of water in the reach
was estimated as 15000 m3. What would be the storage in the reach after an interval of 3 hours if the
average inflow and outflow during the period are 14.2 m3/s and 10.6 m3/s respectively.
Exercise (3)
Assume you are dealing with a vertical walled reservoir having a surface area of 500000 m2 and that
an inflow 1.0 m3/s and an outflow of 0.5 m3/s. How many hours will it take to rise the reservoir level
by 30 cm?
Exercise (4)
The surface area of the vertical walled reservoir is 2.5 *106 m2. The average inflow to the lake is 0.3
m3/s, and the average evaporation is 3000 mm for a given year. The change in elevation of water in
reservoir in millimetres this year
Hydrological Processes
Precipitation
Evaporation
Transpiration
Infiltration
Overland flow
Surface Runoff
Groundwater
Engineering Hydrology Civil Engineering 2nd stage Lecture One (1) By Dara M. Hawez University of Raparin