Prepared By: Er.

Krishna Khadka

Unit 5

Hydrograph Analysis

Storm Hydrograph
 The graphical representation of the instantaneous rate of discharge (Q) of a
stream plotted with respect to time (t) is known as hydrograph.
 It is a response of a catchment to the rainfall input or it is the result of
physiographic and hydro-meteorological effects of the watershed.
 It consists of flow in all three phases of runoff, viz, surface runoff, interflow
and base flow, and embodies in itself the integrated effects of a wide variety of
catchment and rainfall parameters having complex interactions.
 Thus two different storms in a given catchment produce hydrographs differing
from each other.
 Similarly, identical storms in two catchments produce different hydrographs.
 The interactions of various storms and catchments are in general extremely
complex.
 They are used to plan for flood situations and times of drought. They show
the river discharge that occurs as a result of precipitation from an earlier storm.

Component of flood Hydrograph

Fig: A Storm Hydrograph

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Various essential components of a Hydrograph are given below:

1. Rising limb (or concentration curve)
 It represents the increase in discharge due to the gradual building up of
storage in channels and over the catchment surface.
 It is the ascending portion of hydrograph.
 It is influenced by characteristics of storm and basin.
 The rising limb slowly rises in the early stage of flood but more rapidly
towards the end portion because the losses are high at the initial stage.

Fig: components of Flood Hydrograph

2. Crest Segment (Peak)
 It is one of the most important parts of a hydrograph as it contains the peak
flow.
 The peak flow occurs when the runoff from various parts of the catchment
simultaneously contribute at the outlet at the maximum discharge rate.
 The peak may be sharp, flat or may have several well defined peaks
depending upon the basin characteristics.
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3. Falling limb (or recession limb)

 It represents withdrawal of water from the storage built up in the basin.
 It extends from the point of inflection at the end of the crest segment (point
C) to the commencement of the natural groundwater flow (point D).
 The shape of this part of the hydrograph is independent of storm
characteristics and depends entirely on the basin characteristics.
 Equation of recession curve is given by
𝑄𝑡 = 𝑄𝑜 𝐾𝑟 𝑡
Where
Qt = Discharge at a time interval of t days
Qo = Initial Discharge
Kr = recession constant
The recession constant K r can be considered to be made up of three components to
take care of the three types of storages as
Kr = K rs × K ri × K rb
Where, K rs = recession constant for surface flow = 0.05 to 0.20
K ri = recession constant for inter flow = 0.50 to 0.85
K rb = recession constant for base flow = 0.85 to 0.99

Factors affecting Hydrograph

The factors that affect the shape of the hydrograph can be broadly grouped into
Climatic factors and Physiographic factors.

A. Physiographic factors
1. Shape of the basin
2. Size of the basin
3. Slope of the basin
4. Drainage density
5. Landuse
6. Elevation of catchment
7. Geological condition and soil type
B. Climatic factors
1. Intensity of rainfall
2. Duration of rainfall
3. Movement of storm
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1. Physiographic factors
1. Shape of the basin
 The shape of the basin influences the time taken for water from the remote
parts of the catchment to arrive at the outlet.
 Thus, the occurrence of the peak and hence the shape of the hydrograph are
affected by the basin shape.
 Fan-shaped, i.e. nearly semicircular shaped catchments give high peak and
narrow hydrographs
 Elongated catchments give broad and low-peaked hydrographs.

Fig: Effect of catchment shape on the hydrograph

2. Size of the basin

 A larger basin will collect more water than a smaller basin so it leads to
higher peak flow as compared to the small size basin.

Fig: Effect of catchment size on the hydrograph

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3. Slope of the basin

 The slope of the main stream controls the velocity of flow in the channel. As
the recession limb of the hydrograph represents the depletion of storage, the
stream channel slope will have a pronounced effect on this part of the
hydrograph.
 Large stream slopes give rise to quicker depletion of storage and hence
result in steeper recession limbs of hydrographs. This would obviously result
in a smaller time base.
 The basin slope is important in small catchments where the overland flow is
relatively more important. In such cases the steeper slope of the catchment
results in larger peak discharges.

Fig: Effect of catchment slope on the hydrograph

4. Drainage density
 A river basin with many tributaries (high drainage density) will offer many
opportunities for overland flow which flows more quickly and the rising
limb will be steeper.
 Whereas if there is lower drainage density, there will be more through flow
which is slower leading to a gentle rising limb.
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Fig: Effect of Drainage density on the hydrograph

5. Land use
 Vegetation and forest in catchment increase the infiltration capacity of soil.
So the overland flow decreases resulting smaller peak and slower rising
limb/concentration curve of the hydrograph.
 The effect of vegetation cover is prominent in small storms.
 The peak discharge is higher if the density of forest/vegetation is lower in
the catchment i.e. lower is the density of vegetation, higher is the peak.
 Land use has a prominent effect on flood hydrograph, so gives a practical
solution of exercising long- term natural control over the flood hydrograph
of a catchment.

Fig: Effect of Vegetation on the hydrograph

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6. Geological condition and soil type

 The type of soil like sand absorbs quite a larger part of water and so flood is
less where as a clay soil produce more flow.
 The underlying geology varies within drainage basins and can
be permeable (allowing water through) or impermeable (not allowing
water through). Impermeable rocks encourage greater amounts of surface
runoff and a more rapid increase in discharge than permeable rocks.

7. Elevation of the catchment

 If the elevation of upside region of catchment is higher than the down side,
flow is quick and results in larger peak.

2. Climatic factors
1. Intensity of rainfall
 The intensity of the rainfall in a given duration decides the volume of the
hydrograph, its peak value, time to peak and slope of the rising limb.
 For a given duration, the peak and volume of the surface runoff are
essentially proportional to the intensity of rainfall.

2. Duration of rainfall
 The duration of the storm of given intensity is directly proportional to the
volume of the hydrograph/ direct runoff.
 It affects the rising limb and peak of the hydrograph.

3. Movement of storm
 If the storm moves from upstream towards downstream of the catchment, the
concentration of the flow at basin outlet will be quicker resulting a peaked
hydrograph with steeper rising limb and smaller time base.
 Conversely, if the storm moves towards upstream of the catchment, the
resulting hydrograph will have a lower peak and longer time base.
 This effect is further accentuated by the shape of the catchment—the
hydrograph is sensitive to direction of storm movement especially in long
and narrow catchment.

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Base flow separation

 A hydrograph consists of mainly three different flows. (a) Surface runoff
(overland flow), (b) Interflow (through flow) and (c) Ground water flow (Base
flow)
 In many hydrograph analyses, a relationship between the surface flow
hydrograph and effective rainfall (that is rainfall minus losses) is to be
established.
 It is necessary to separate base flow from total storm hydrograph to obtain the
surface flow hydrograph or direct runoff hydrograph (DRH).
 The surface flow hydrograph is obtained from the total storm hydrograph by
separating the quick response flow from the slow response runoff.
 It is usual to consider the interflow as a part of surface flow in view of its quick
response. Thus only the base flow is to be deducted from the total storm
hydrograph to obtain surface flow hydrograph/ direct runoff hydrograph.

Methods of base flow separation

1. Straight line method (Constant Discharge method)
 It is the simplest method of base flow separation.
 This method is approximate and can be used only for preliminary estimates.
 Base flow separation is achieved by joining two points A and B in
hydrograph.

Fig: Base flow separation Methods

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 The point A represents the beginning of direct runoff and is easy to find. The
point A can be well noticed by sharp change/increase of discharge/runoff
rate.
 The point B represents the end of direct runoff. Point B is rather difficult to
locate. So empirical formula (Linsey’s equation) is used.
𝑁 = 0.83𝐴 0.2
Where, N = time interval (days) from peak to point B (end of direct runoff)
A = basin area in km 2
 Finally point B is located in graph and point A and point B are joined by a
straight line which separates base flow from direct runoff.

2. Variable slope method (Concave method) or segment line method

 It is widely used method for separation of base flow.
 Base flow curve prior to storm is extended (from point A) to intersect the
ordinate (vertical) drawn from peak P to find a new point C.
 Point C should be joined with B as a straight line.
 The point B is located at N = 0.83 A 0.2 from Peak P as discussed before.

3. Constant Slope Method

 In this method the base flow recession curve after the depletion of the flood
water (from point E) is extended backwards till it intersects the ordinate at
the point F of inflection vertical line.
 Point A and F are joined by a smooth curve to find AFE as base flow
line/curve separating from direct runoff hydrograph (DRH).
 This method of base-flow separation is realistic in situations where the
groundwater contributions are significant and reach the stream quickly.
It is seen that all the three methods of base flow separation are rather arbitrary. The
selection of anyone of them depends upon the local practice and successful
predictions achieved in the past. The surface runoff hydrograph obtained after the
base flow separation is also known as direct runoff hydrograph (DRH).

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Excess Rainfall
 Excess rainfall (also known as Effective rainfall) (ER) is that part of the rainfall
that becomes direct runoff at the outlet of the watershed.
 It is the rainfall minus infiltration and initial losses.
 The resulting hyetograph is known as effective rainfall hyetograph (ERH).
 The excess rainfall is determined by the infiltration indices (as φ- index and W-
index) as the infiltration indices are the average infiltration rate in the
hyetograph above which the rainfall is the excess or effective rainfall
 The volume of effective rainfall is equal to the surface runoff volume.
 Direct runoff hydrograph (DRH) is the hydrograph generated due to excess
rainfall.
 The surface runoff hydrograph obtained after the base flow separation is also
known as direct runoff hydrograph (DRH).
 Both ERH and DRH represent the same total quantity but in different units.
 Since ERH is usually in cm/h plotted against time, the area of ERH multiplied
by the catchment area gives the total volume of direct runoff which is the same
as area of DRH.

Fig: Excess (Effective) Rainfall Hydrograph

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Unit Hydrograph
 There is various method of estimating maximum probable rate of runoff like
frequency analysis, Empirical formulae, and flood routing and unit hydrograph
method.
 A unit hydrograph (UH) is defined as direct runoff hydrograph (DRH) resulting
from one unit depth (1 cm) of rainfall excess occurring uniformly over the basin
and at a uniform rate for a specified duration (D hours).
 The unit hydrograph represents the lumped response of the catchment to a unit
rainfall excess of D-hour duration to produce a direct runoff hydrograph. It
relates only the direct runoff to the rainfall excess.
 Hence, the volume of water contained in the unit hydrograph must be equal to
the rainfall excess. As 1 cm depth of rainfall excess is considered the area of the
unit hydrograph is equal to a volume given by 1 cm over the catchment.
 The rainfall is considered to have an average intensity of excess rainfall of
1
𝑐𝑚/ℎ for the duration of D-h of the storm.
𝐷
 The distribution of the storm is considered to be uniform over the entire
catchment.

Elements of Unit Hydrograph

The various elements of a unit hydrograph are shown in Figure.

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a. Base width (T): The period of direct surface runoff (due to a unit storm) of
the unit hydrograph is called the time base or the base width.
b. Unit storm: The storm of unit duration (i.e., duration of the unit hydrograph)
regardless of its intensity is called unit storm.
c. Unit period: The time duration of the unit storm (i.e., the duration of the unit
hydrograph) is called unit period.
d. Lag time (t p): The time from the center of a unit storm to the peak discharge
of the corresponding unit hydrograph is called lag time.
e. Recession time (T r): The duration of the direct surface runoff after the end of
the excess or net rainfall, is called recession time in hydrograph analysis.

Assumptions of Unit hydrograph

The following are the basic assumptions of the unit hydrograph.
1. Time invariance
For all unit storms of different intensities, the period of surface runoff (i.e.,
time base, base width or base period) is approximately the same, although
they produce different runoff volumes. This is called time invariance.

Fig: Same base time and proportional ordinates

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2. Proportional Ordinates
For unit storms of different intensities, the ordinates of the hydrograph at
any given time are in the same proportion as the rainfall intensities as shown
in above figure.
3. Linear Response
 The direct-runoff response to the rainfall excess is assumed to be linear.
 This is the most important assumption of the unit-hydrograph theory.
 Linear response means that if an input x 1 (t) causes an output y 1 (t) and an
input x2 (t) causes an output y2 (t), then an input x1 (t) + x2 (t) gives an
output y1 (t) + y2 (t).
 Consequently, x 2 (t) = rx2 (t), then y 2 (t) = ry1 (t)
 Thus, if the rainfall excess in a duration D is r times the unit depth, the
resulting DRH will have ordinates bearing ratio r to those of the
corresponding D-h unit hydrograph.
 This assumption enables the method of superposition to derive DRHs
 If two rainfall excess of D-h duration each occur consecutively, their
combined effect is obtained by superposing the respective DRHs with due
care being taken to account for the proper sequence of events.

Fig: Principle of Super position

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4. Same distribution percentages

If the total period of surface runoff (i.e., time base or base width) is divided
into equal time intervals, the percentage of surface runoff that occurs during
each of these periods will be the same for all unit storms of different
intensities.

Fig: Distribution percentages same for all unit storm

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Uses of Unit Hydrograph (UH)

1. Unit hydrograph can be used to develop the flood hydrograph for extreme
rainfall magnitude for the design of hydraulic structures.
2. It can be also used for flood forecasting and warning system.
3. It can be used for watershed simulation models.
4. Used to extend the flood flow records based on the rainfall records.
5. Once a unit hydrograph is prepared for a duration D-hr of a basin, the storm
hydrograph for that basin for any other storm of different intensities but same
duration can be developed.

Limitation of Unit hydrograph (UH)

1. It cannot be applied to very large catchment having area more than 5000
km2and also not applicable for are having less than 2 km 2 sizes.
2. It is not suitable for long basin.
3. It is not applicable for basin having high variation of rainfall intensity.
4. Precipitation must be in the form of rainfall only. Snow-melt runoff cannot be
satisfactorily represented by unit hydrograph.
5. UH is not very accurate. Accuracy is ± 10%.
6. It is applicable for short duration only.
7. The base period of the direct runoff is not exactly the same for all storm of the
same duration but different intensities.
8. The catchment should not have large storage in terms of tanks, ponds, large
flood-bank storage, which affects the linear relationship between storage and
discharge.

Derivation of UH from an isolated storm Hydrograph

Flood hydrographs used in the analysis should be selected so as to meet the

following desirable features with respect to the storms responsible for them:
 The storms should be isolated storms occurring individually.
 The rainfall should be fairly uniform during the duration and should cover
the entire catchment area.
 The duration of rainfall should be 1/5 to 1/3 of the basin lag.
 The rainfall excess of the selected storm should be high (A range of ER
values of 1.0 to 4.0 cm is preferred).
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Steps:
1. Select the single peak isolated hydrograph from past records.
2. Let Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4….. be the ordinates of isolated hydrograph. let bQ be the
base flow.
3. From the ordinate of the total runoff hydrograph at the regular time interval,
subtract the corresponding ordinate of base flow to obtain the ordinates of the
direct runoff (Let O 1, O2, O3, O4….. be ordinates of DRH).
Then, O1 = Q 1 – Qb
O2 = Q 2 – Q b
O3 = Q 3 – Q b
O4 = Q 4 – Q b
4. Similarly obtain excess rainfall (R e) by deducting all the infiltration losses from
total ERH. we will get ERH.
5. Compute volume of direct runoff using DRH ordinates,
Volume of runoff (V d) = Σ O t ×Δt
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑓
6. Depth of runoff from DRH is calculated as 𝑟𝑑 =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

Fig: Unit hydrograph from an isolated storm hydrograph

7. Here, check the runoff depth obtained from DRH with excess rainfall (R e)
obtained from ERH which should be equal.
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Runoff depth from DRH = Excess rainfall (R e) from ERH

8. According to definition of unit hydrograph (A unit hydrograph (UH) is defined
as direct runoff hydrograph (DRH) resulting from one unit depth (1 cm) of
Re
rainfall excess), if we consider excess rainfall as unit depth ( = 1) then unit
Re
hydrograph will be obtain by dividing ordinates of DRH by R e (unitless) or
runoff depth obtained from DRH.
9. Ordinate of unit hydrograph
𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 (𝑂) 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 (𝑂)
(𝑈𝐻𝑜 ) = 𝑜𝑟
Re 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑓 (𝑟 𝑑)
10. Plot the ordinates of unit hydrograph against time.

Numerical
1. A 14- h storm over a catchment of 5.0Km2 produced a mass curve as
follows.
Time from start of rainfall (h) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Accumulated rainfall (cm) 0 0.6 2.8 5.2 6.6 7.5 9.2 9.6
If ф-index for the catchment is 0.4 cm/h, determine the effective rainfall
hyetograph and the volume of direct runoff from the catchment due to the
storm.

Time from Accumulated Time interval Depth of Losses Effective Intensity of effective
start (h) rainfall (cm) Δt (h) rainfall (cm) Δt × ϕ rainfall (cm) rainfall (cm/h)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) = (3)×0.4 (6) = (4) – (5) (7) = (6) ÷ (3)
0 0 - - - - -
2 0.6 2-0 = 2 0.6-0 = 0.6 0.8 - -
4 2.8 4-2 = 2 2.8-0.6 = 2.2 0.8 1.4 0.7
6 5.2 6-4 = 2 5.2-2.8 = 2.4 0.8 1.6 0.8
8 6.6 8-6 = 2 6.6-5.2 = 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.3
10 7.5 10-8 = 2 7.5-6.6 = 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.05
12 9.2 12-10 = 2 9.2-7.5 = 1.7 0.8 0.9 0.45
14 9.6 14-12 = 2 9.6-9.2 = 0.4 0.8 - -
Σ ER = 4.6
Solution:
Volume of direct runoff = volume of Effective rainfall
= Area × effective rainfall
4.6
= 5 × 106 × = 231 × 10 4 𝑚 3
100

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Fig: Effective rainfall Hyetograph

2. The peak of a flood hydrograph due to a storm is 470 m 3/ sec. The mean
depth of rainfall is 8 cm. Assume the average infiltration loss of 0.25 cm/hr
3
and a constant base flow of 15 m /sec. Estimate the peak discharge of a
6hr-unit hydrograph for this catchment.
Solution:
Given,
Peak discharge (Q) = 470 m 3/sec
Base flow (Q b) = 15 m3/sec
Then peak ordinate of DRH (Q d) = 470 – 15 = 455 m 3/sec
Rainfall (P) = 8 cm
Loss in 6hr (due to infiltration) = 0.25 ×6 = 1.5 cm
Then effective rainfall (R e) = P - I = 8 - 1.5 = 6.5 cm
Now
𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 455
Peak of 6-hr Uh = = = 70 𝑚 3 /𝑠
𝑅𝑒 6.5

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3. The following are the ordinates of the hydrograph of the flow from a
catchment area of 770 km 2 due to 6-hr rainfall. Derive the ordinate of 6hr-
unit hydrograph. Make suitable assumption regarding base flow.
Time (hr) 0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72
3
Discharge (m /sec) 40 65 215 360 400 350 270 205 145 100 70 50 42
Solution:
Area of catchment (A) = 770 km 2 = 770 × 10 6 m2
Assume base flow (Q b) = 40 m3/sec
Direct runoff (Q d) = total discharge – base flow = Q - Q b
𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 (𝑂)
Ordinates of unit hydrograph (𝑈𝐻𝑜 ) =
𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙
3
Time (hr) Discharge (m /sec) Base flow DRH ordinate UH ordinate
(Q) (Qb) Qd = Q - Q b (m3/sec)
0 40 40 0 0
6 65 40 25 5
12 215 40 175 35
18 360 40 320 64
24 400 40 360 72
30 350 40 310 62
36 270 40 230 46
42 205 40 165 33
48 145 40 105 21
54 100 40 60 12
60 70 40 30 6
66 50 40 10 2
72 42 40 2 0.4
ΣQd = 1792

Direct runoff volume in 6 hours = ΣQ d × t = 1792 × 6 × 60 × 60 = 38707200 m 3

Depth of runoff
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑓𝑓 38707200
𝑟𝑑 = =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 770×10 6

= 0.05𝑚 = 5 𝑐𝑚

Depth of runoff is equal to excess rainfall = 5 cm

Now we get ordinate of 6hr-Unit hydrograph by dividing DRH ordinate by 5

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4. Given below are the ordinates of a 6-hr unit hydrograph for a catchment.
Calculate the ordinate of DRH due to rainfall excess of 3.5 cm occurring in
6hr.
Time (hr) 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 69
UH ordinate (m3/sec) 0 25 50 85 125 160 185 160 110 60 36 25 16 8 0
Solution:
Rainfall excess (R e) = 3.5 cm
𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 (𝑂)
We know that, (𝑈𝐻𝑜 ) =
𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙
Or, ordinate of DRH (O) = UH o × Excess rainfall (R e) = UHo × 3.5
Time (hr) UH ordinate (m 3/sec) Ordinate of DRH (O)
0 0 0
3 25 87.5
6 50 175
9 85 297.5
12 125 437.5
15 160 560
18 185 647.5
24 160 560
30 110 385
36 60 210
42 36 126
48 25 87.5
54 16 56
60 8 28
69 0 0

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Flood Hydrograph to Unit Hydrograph

Ordinate of DRH
Ordinate of Flood hydrograph - base flow

Calculation of Runoff volume =Volume of DRH

Volume of DRH= Σ all discharge ordinate ×Δt

Runoff Depth = Excess rainfall (Effective rainfall)

ER = Runoff Volume ÷ Catchment Area

Ordinate of Unit Hydrograph (UH)

UH = Ordinate of DRH ÷ ER

Peak of Unit Hydrograph

Peak of UH = Peak of DRH ÷ ER

• Unit Hydrograph to Flood Hydrograph

Start
• Calculation of Ordinates of DRH
1 • DRH = Ordinates of UH × Depth of runoff
• Calculation of Flood hydrograph
2 • FH = Ordinates of DRH + Base flow

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Derivation of UH from a Complex (Composite) storm Hydrograph

 When suitable simple isolated storms are not available, data from complex
storms of long duration will have to be used in unit-hydrograph derivation.
 The stream flow hydrograph may be due to more than one storm.
 These types of hydrograph consist of several peaks.
 The problem is to decompose a measured composite flood hydrograph into its
component DRHs and base flow.
 Multiple storms are relatively long and varying intensities of rainfall. The
storms are divided into number of equal periods and fairly constant rate of
rainfall for each period.
 So we have to separate the effect of each storm. This is called composite
hydrograph separation.
 The principle of superposition is used in its derivation.

Steps:
1. First of all, a common unit hydrograph of appropriate duration is assumed to
exist.
2. Let, U1, U2, U3, U4….. be the ordinates of unit hydrograph.
3. Consider a rainfall excess made up of three consecutive durations of D-h and
ER values of R 1, R2 and R3.
4. Ordinate of direct runoff hydrograph due to composite storm is given by:
O1 = R 1U1
O2 = R 1U2 + R2U1
O2 = R 1U3 + R2U2 + R3U1
O2 = R 1U4 + R2U3 + R3U2+ R4U1 ……………………… (i) And so on.
From equation (i) the values of U 1, U2, U3…… can be determine.
[Note: Matrix methods with optimization schemes are available for solving
Equation (i) in a digital computer.]
 Disadvantage of this method – Errors propagate and increase as computation
proceeds.

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Fig: Unit hydrograph from Complex hydrograph

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Example
The following table gives the ordinates of a direct runoff hydrograph (DRH)
resulting from two successive 3-h duration of rainfall excess values of 2 cm
and 4 cm respectively. Derive 3-h unit hydrograph for the catchment.
Time (hr) 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30
3
Discharge (m /s) 0 120 480 660 460 260 160 100 50 20 0
Solution:
Time 3-h UH DRH due to DRH due to 4 cm ER Assumed Given composite Composite
(hr) assumed 2 cm ER (lag by 3hr) composite DRH DRH 3-h UH
(1) (2) (3) = (2) × 2cm (4) = (2) × 4 cm (5) = (3) + (4) (6) (7)
0 0 0 - 0 - 0 0
3 U1 2U1 0 2U1 O1 120 60
6 U2 2U2 4U1 2U2 + 4U1 O2 480 120
9 U3 2U3 4U2 2U3 + 4U2 O3 660 90
12 U4 2U4 4U3 2U4 + 4U3 O4 460 50
15 U5 2U5 4U4 2U5 + 4U4 O5 260 30
18 U6 2U6 4U5 2U6 + 4U5 O6 160 20
21 U7 2U7 4U6 2U7 + 4U6 O7 100 10
24 U8 2U8 4U7 2U8 + 4U7 O8 50 5
27 U9 2U9 4U8 2U9 + 4U8 O9 20 0
30 0 0 4U9 4U9 O10 0 0
33 0 0 0 0 O11 0 0
Calculation: for 7 th column
1. 2U1 = 120 𝑂1
𝑈1 =
or, U1 = 120 ÷ 2 𝑅1
or, U1 = 60
2. 2U2 + 4U 1 = 480
or, 2U2 + 4 × 60 = 480
𝑂2 − 𝑅2 × 𝑈1
or, 2U2 = 480 – 4 × 60 𝑈2 =
𝑅1
or, U2 = 240 ÷2
or, U2 = 120
3. 2U3 + 4U 2 = 660 𝑂3 − 𝑅2 × 𝑈2
𝑈3 =
or, 2U3 + 4 × 120 = 660 𝑅1
or, 2U3 = 660 – 4 × 120
Similarly for U n we get
or, U3 = 180 ÷2
or, U3 = 90 𝑂𝑛 − 𝑅2 × 𝑈𝑛−1
𝑈𝑛 =
𝑅1

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5. Two 6-h storms with rainfall excess of 3.0 cm and 2.0 cm occurs
successively in a catchment whose 6-h unit hydrograph is given. Calculate
the DRH resulting from combined effect of these two storms.
Time (hr) 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66
UH ordinate (m3/sec) 0 25 50 85 125 160 185 160 110 60 36 25 16 8 0
Solution:
Rainfall excess (R 1) = 3.0 cm and Rainfall excess (R 2) = 2.0 cm
We know that
𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑅𝐻 (𝑂)
(𝑈𝐻𝑜 ) =
𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙
Or, ordinate of DRH (O) = UH o × Excess rainfall (R e)
Calculation table
Time (hr) 6-h UH (m3/sec) Ordinate of 3 Ordinate of 2 cm Ordinate of
composite cm DRH DRH combined DRH (O)
(1) (2) (3) = (2) × 3cm (4) = (2) × 2 cm (5) = (3) + (4)
0 0 0 - 0
3 25 75 - 75
6 50 150 0 150
9 85 255 25×2=50 305
12 125 375 50×2=100 475
15 160 480 85×2=170 650
18 185 555 125×2=250 805
24 160 480 160×2=320 800
30 110 330 185×2=370 700
36 60 180 160×2=320 500
42 36 108 110×2=220 328
48 25 75 60×2=120 195
54 16 48 36×2=72 120
60 8 24 25×2=50 74
66 0 0 16×2=32 32
8×2=16 16
0 0

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6. The ordinates of 6-h storm hydrograph for a catchment area of 423 km2
are given. Derive 6-h unit hydrograph for the catchment.
Time (hr) 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66
UH ordinate (m3/sec) 0 25 50 85 125 160 185 160 110 60 36 25 16 8 0
Derive the flood in the catchment due to the storm given below:
Time from start of storm (h) 0 6 12 18
Accumulated rainfall (cm) 0 3.5 11 16.5
The storm loss rate (ϕ-index) for the catchment is estimated as 0.25 cm/ hr.
the base flow can be assumed to be 15 m 3/s at the beginning and increasing
by 2.0 m3/s for every 12 hours till the end of the direct runoff hydrograph.
Solution:
Firstly calculate effective rainfall (cm) for three storms from the above given
information.
Time from start of storm (h) 0-6 6-12 12-18
Accumulated rainfall (cm) 3.5 11 16.5
Rainfall depth for time 3.5 11-3.5 = 7.5 16.5 -11 = 5.5
interval of 6 h (cm)
Loss @0.25 cm/hr for every 0.25 × 6 = 1.5 0.25 × 6 = 1.5 0.25 × 6 = 1.5
6 hr (cm)
Effective rainfall (cm) 3.5 – 1.5 = 2 7.5 – 1.5 = 6 5.5 – 1.5 = 4
For calculation of flood hydrograph due to ERH is tabulated below:
Rows shown red are interpolated. Cells showing blue start new time
interval/sequence.
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Time 6h-UH DRH due DRH due DRH due Ordinates of Base FH
(h) to 2 cm to 6 cm to 4 cm Final DRH Flow
(1) (2) (3) = (2) ×2 (4) = (2) × 6 (5) = (2) × 4 (6) = (3)+(4)+(5) (7) (8)=(6)+(7)
0 0 0 - - 0 15 15
3 25 50 - - 50 15 65
6 50 100 0 - 100 15 115
9 85 170 150 - 320 15 335
12 125 250 300 0 550 17 567
15 160 320 510 100 930 17 947
18 185 370 750 200 1320 17 1337
24 160 320 960 340 1620 19 1639
30 110 220 1110 500 1830 19 1849
36 60 120 960 640 1720 21 1741
42 36 72 660 740 1472 21 1493
48 25 50 360 640 1050 23 1073
54 16 32 216 440 688 23 711
60 8 16 150 240 406 25 431
66 0 0 96 144 240 25 265
72 0 48 100 148 27 175
78 0 0 64 64 27 91
84 0 0 32 32 29 61
90 0 0 0 0 29 29
0 0 0 0 31 31
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0

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Unit Hydrograph for different duration

 If there is lack of adequate data in development of unit hydrograph for a
required duration.
 From a known D-h UH, we can develop UH of different duration “nD-h”
 There are two methods available for this purpose
A. Method of superposition
B. S-curve method (Summation –curve)
𝑇
 𝑛 = where D = duration of given UH
𝐷
T= duration of required UH
 If n is integer, use superposition method or s-curve method
 But if n is non-integer or fraction, use s-curve method.

A. Method of superposition
 If a D-h unit hydrograph is available and it is desired to develop a unit
hydrograph of nD-h, where n is an integer then superposition method is applied.
 Figure shows three 4-h unit hydrograph A, B and C.
 Curve B begins 4-h after A and C begins 4-h after B.
 Thus combination of these three curves results DRH of 3 cm due to ER of 12-h
duration.
 If the ordinates of this DRH are divided by 3, we obtain a 12-h Unit
hydrograph.

Examples:
7. Given the ordinates of a 4-h UH, derive the ordinates of 12-h UH for the
same catchment.
Time (h) 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44
3
4-h UH ( m /s) 0 10 60 100 120 100 80 46 24 12 4 0
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Solution:
Time 4-h UH 4-h UH 4-h UH DRH of 3 cm Ordinate of
(h) lagged by 4-h lagged by 4-h in 12 -h 12-h UH
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) = 2 + 3 + 4 (6) = (5) ÷ 3cm
0 0 0 0.00
4 10 0 10 3.33
8 60 10 0 70 23.33
12 100 60 10 170 56.67
16 120 100 60 280 93.33
20 100 120 100 320 106.67
24 80 100 120 300 100.00
28 46 80 100 226 75.33
32 24 46 80 150 50.00
36 12 24 46 82 27.33
40 4 12 24 40 13.33
44 0 4 12 16 5.33
0 4 4 1.33
0 0 0.00

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Fig: 12-h UH from 4-h UH

B. S-curve Method (Summation-Curve)

 If it is desired to develop a unit hydrograph of duration mD, where m is a
fraction, we cannot use the superposition method.
 A different technique known as the S-curve method is adopted in such cases.
 The S-curve is a hydrograph produced by a continuous effective rainfall at a
constant rate for an infinite period.
 It is a curve obtained by summation of an infinite series of D-h unit Hydrograph
spaced D-h apart.

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 Figure shows such a series of D-h hydrograph arranged with their starting point
D-h apart.
 At any given time, the ordinates of the various curves occurring at that time co-
ordinates are summed up to obtain ordinates of the S-curve.
 A smooth curve through these ordinates result in a S-shaped curve called as S-
curve.
 This S-curve has an initial steep portion and reaches a maximum equilibrium
discharges at a time equal to the time base of the first unit hydrograph.
 The average intensity of ER producing the S-curve is 1/D cm/h and the
equilibrium discharge is
𝐴 2.778 × 𝐴 3
𝑄𝑠 = × 104 𝑚3 /ℎ 𝑜𝑟 𝑚 /𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝐷 𝐷
Where, A = area of the catchment in km 2 and D = duration in hours of ER of the
unit hydrograph used in deriving the S-curve.

Derivation of T-hour Unit hydrograph by S-curve method

1. Consider two D-h S-curves A and B displaced by T-h in figure. If the ordinates
of B are subtracted from that of A, the resulting curve is a DRH produced by a
rainfall excess of duration T-h and magnitude (1/D*T) cm.
2. If the ordinate difference of A and B, i.e (SA-SB) are divided by (T/D), the
resulting ordinates denote a hydrograph due to an ER of 1 cm and duration T-h
i.e a T-h unit hydrograph (T-h UH).

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3. The derivation of a T-h unit hydrograph as above can be achieved either by

graphical means or by arithmetic computations in a tabular form.

Example
Derive the S-curve from the 4hr UH given below.
Time (hr) 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28
UH ordinate (m3/sec) 0 10 30 25 18 10 5 0
Solution:

Time 4-h Lag Lag Lag by Lag by Lag by Lag by Lag by 4-hr S-

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(h) UH by 4-h by 8-h 12-h 16-h 20-h 24-h 28-h curve

0 0 - - - - - - - 0
4 10 0 - - - - - - 10
8 30 10 0 - - - - - 40
12 25 30 10 0 - - - - 65
16 18 25 30 10 0 - - - 83
20 10 18 25 30 10 0 - - 93
24 5 10 18 25 30 10 0 98
28 0 5 10 18 25 30 10 0 98
32 0 5 10 18 25 30 10 98
36 0 5 10 18 25 30
40 0 5 10 18 25
44 0 5 10 18
48 0 5 10
52 0 5
56 0

8. The ordinate of 4-h unit hydrograph are given below. Obtain the ordinate
of 2-h unit hydrograph and hence obtain 2-h storm hydrograph if rainfall
excess of 25 mm results from a storm.
Time (hr) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
UH ordinate (m3/sec) 0 12.5 62.5 130 175 180 140 90 50 25 13 0
Solution:
Given,
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Excess rainfall = 25 mm = 2.5 cm

Time 4-h S-curve 4-hr S-curve S-curve lagged SA-SB 2-h UH DRH due to
(h) UH addition (A) by 2-h(B) (SA-SB) × 2 2.5cm ER
0 0 - 0 - 0 0 0
2 12.5 - 12.5 0 12.5 25 62.5
4 62.5 0 62.5 12.5 50 100 250
6 130 12.5 142.5 62.5 80 160 400
8 175 62.5 237.5 142.5 95 190 475
10 180 142.5 322.5 237.5 85 170 425
12 140 237.5 377.5 322.5 55 110 275
14 90 322.5 412.5 377.5 35 70 175
16 50 377.5 427.5 412.5 15 30 75
18 25 412.5 437.5 427.5 10 20 35
20 13 427.5 440.5 437.5 3 6 30
22 0 437.5 437.5 440.5 0 0 0
24 440.5 440.5 437.5 0 0 0
26 437.5 440.5
28 440.5

For ordinates of 2-h UH,

(𝑆𝐴 − 𝑆𝐵 ) (𝑆𝐴 − 𝑆𝐵 ) (𝑆𝐴 − 𝑆𝐵 )
= = = 2 × (𝑆𝐴 − 𝑆𝐵 )
𝑇 2 1
( ) ( ) ( )
𝐷 4 2
For Flood Hydrograph ordinate (Total DRH ordinate)
2 − ℎ 𝑈𝐻 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 × 𝐸𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 = 2 − ℎ 𝑈𝐻 × 2.5𝑐𝑚
Note: 4-h S-curve can be calculated as given below table or by S-curve addition
method.
Time 4-h UH S-curve addition 4-hr S-curve
(h) (t) S(t-D) (A)
0 0 - 0
2 12.5 - 12.5
4 62.5 0 62.5
6 130 12.5 130 + 12.5 = 142.5
8 175 62.5 175 + 62.5 = 237.5
10 180 142.5 180 + 142.5 = 322.5
12 140 237.5 377.5
14 90 322.5 412.5
16 50 377.5 427.5
18 25 412.5 437.5
20 13 427.5 440.5
22 0 437.5 437.5
24 440.5 440.5

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26 437.5 437.5
28 440.5

Time 4-h Lag Lag Lag by Lag by Lag by Lag by Lag by 4-hr S-
(h) UH by 4-h by 8-h 12-h 16-h 20-h 24-h 28-h curve
0 0 - - - - - - - 0
2 12.5 - - - - - - - 12.5
4 62.5 0 - - - - - - 62.5
6 130 12.5 - - - - - - 142.5
8 175 62.5 0 - - - - - 237.5
10 180 130 12.5 - - - - - 322.5
12 140 175 62.5 0 - - - - 377.5
14 90 180 130 12.5 - - - - 412.5
16 50 140 175 62.5 0 - - - 427.5
18 25 90 160 130 12.5 - - - 437.5
20 13 50 140 175 62.5 0 - - 440.5
22 0 25 90 160 130 12.5 - - 437.5
24 0 13 50 140 175 62.5 0 - 440.5
26 0 25 90 160 130 12.5 - 437.5
28 0 13 50 140 175 62.5 0 440.5
0 25 90 160 130 12.5
0 13 50 140 175 62.5
0 25 90 160 130
0 13 50 140 175
0 25 90 160
0 13 50 140
0 25 90
0 13 50
0 25
0 13
0
0

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Application of Unit Hydrograph

The UH has various applications in hydrology and water resources engineering.
Some of the key applications include:

1. Flood Prediction: The unit hydrograph is commonly used to predict flood peaks
and estimate the magnitude and timing of peak flows in rivers and streams. By
convolving the UH with the rainfall hyetograph for a specific storm event, the
resulting hydrograph can be used to forecast the expected flow rates and flood
volumes.
2. Floodplain Mapping: Unit hydrographs are employed to delineate floodplains
and identify areas that are prone to flooding. By simulating the response of a
watershed to different rainfall scenarios using unit hydrographs, flood extents
can be predicted, aiding in land use planning and flood risk management.
3. Storm water Management: Unit hydrographs are crucial in designing storm
water management systems, such as detention basins and storm water ponds. By
estimating the hydrological response of a watershed to different storm events
using unit hydrographs, engineers can determine the required storage capacity
and design parameters for storm water infrastructure.
4. Watershed Modeling: The UH serves as a fundamental component in the
hydrological modeling of watersheds. It can be used to simulate the response of
a watershed to different rainfall inputs, allowing for the assessment of water
availability, water balance, and the effects of land use changes on the
hydrological system.
5. River and Reservoir Operations: Unit hydrographs are valuable in water
resources management, particularly in optimizing river and reservoir operations.
By utilizing unit hydrographs to predict inflows, water managers can make
informed decisions regarding reservoir releases, flood control measures, and
water allocation.
6. Bridge and Culvert Design: Unit hydrographs aid in designing hydraulic
structures, such as bridges and culverts, by estimating flow rates during storm
events. These estimates are crucial for ensuring that the hydraulic capacity of the
structures is adequate to handle the expected runoff.
7. Environmental Impact Assessment: The UH can be used to assess the
potential impacts of land development or land use changes on a watershed’s
hydrology. By comparing the unit hydrographs before and after the proposed
changes, the effects on peak flows, runoff volumes, and water quality can be
evaluated.

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