Question: 5.

65

Derive the 3-h Snyder unit hydrograph for a 100 km2 watershed where the main stream is
15 km long and the distance from the watershed outlet to the point on the stream nearest
to the centroid of the watershed is 7km. Assume Cp=0.7 and Ct=1.8.

Solution:

Table #1
Given Data
A= 100 km2
L= 15 km
Lc= 7 km
Cp= 0.7
Ct= 1.8

Time Lag Calculation (tl):

𝑡𝑙 = 0.75𝐶𝑡 (𝐿𝐿𝑐 )0.3

𝑡𝑙 = 0.75(1.8)(15𝑥7)0.3 = 5.45ℎ

Rainfall Excess Duration (tr):

𝑡𝑙
𝑡𝑟 =
5.5
5.45
𝑡𝑟 = = 1.0ℎ
5.5
Required Rainfall Duration (tR):
𝑡𝑅 = 3ℎ
Adjusted Time Lag (tlR):
𝑡𝑙𝑅 = 𝑡𝑙 + 0.25(𝑡𝑅 − 𝑡𝑟 )
𝑡𝑙𝑅 = 5.45 + 0.25(3 − 1) = 5.95ℎ
Time to Peak (tp):
𝑡𝑅
𝑡𝑝 = + 𝑡𝑙𝑅
2
3
𝑡𝑝 = + 5.95 = 7.45ℎ
2
Peak Flow (QpR):
𝐶𝑝
𝑄𝑝𝑅 = 2.78 .𝐴
𝑡𝑙𝑅

0.7
𝑄𝑝𝑅 = 2.78 𝑥100 = 32.7 𝑚3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐
5.95

Time Base of Unit Hydrograph (TB):

𝑇𝐵 = 72 + 3𝑡𝑙𝑅
𝑇𝐵 = 72 + 3(5.95) = 89.85ℎ
 Check:
𝑇𝐵 89.85
= = 15.1
𝑡𝑙𝑅 5.95
𝑇 𝑇𝐵
As 𝑡 𝐵 ≫ 5 therefore taking = 5.0
𝑙𝑅 𝑡𝑙𝑅

Hence: 𝑇𝐵 = 5𝑥 𝑡𝑙𝑅 = 5𝑥 5.95 = 29.75ℎ

Shape Parameters for Unit Hydrograph:

5.87
𝑊50 =
(𝑄𝑝𝑅 ⁄𝐴)1.08

5.87
𝑊50 = = 19.6ℎ
(32.7⁄100)1.08

3.35
𝑊75 =
(𝑄𝑝𝑅 ⁄𝐴)1.08

3.35
𝑊75 = = 11.20ℎ
(32.7⁄100)1.08

Putting one third of W50 and W75 before the peak and two third of W50 and W75 after the
peak leads to the following preliminary hydrograph:

Table #2
Preliminary 3-h Hydrograph
t Q
h m3/sec
0.00 0.0
0.95 16.4
3.72 24.5
7.45 32.7
14.95 24.5
21.05 16.4
29.75 0.0
Area under Preliminary Unit Hydrograph:

The area Ah under this preliminary unit hydrograph is given by :

1 1 1
𝐴ℎ = ( (0.95)(16.35) + (3.72 − 0.95)(16.35 + 24.53) + (7.45 − 3.72)(24.53 + 32.7) +
2 2 2
1 1 1
(14.95 − 7.45)(32.7 + 24.53) + 2 (21.05 − 14.95)(24.53 + 16.35) + 2 (29.75 − 21.05)(16.35))
2

𝐴ℎ = (7.77 + 56.6 + 106.7 + 214.6 + 124.68 + 71.12)𝑥3600

𝐴ℎ = 2.09𝑥106 𝑚3
 Runoff Depth:

𝐴ℎ 2.09𝑥 106
𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ = = = 0.0209𝑚 = 2.1 𝑐𝑚
𝐴 100𝑥106
The preliminary hydrograph must be adjusted by a factor 2.1, which yields the following
final 3-h Unit Hydrograph.

Table #3
Final 3-h Hydrograph
t Q
h m3/sec
0.00 0.0
0.95 7.8
3.72 11.7
7.45 15.6
14.95 11.7
21.05 7.8
29.75 0.0

The preliminary and final Snyder 3-h Unit Hydrograph is given below:

Snyder 3-h Unit Hydrograph

35

30
Preliminary
25 Hydrograph
Runoff Q (m 3/sec)

20

15

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time t(h)