Flood Routing Report Outline (Group 1)

Flood routing is the technique of determining the flood hydrograph at a section of a river by
utilizing the data of flood flow at one or more upstream sections. The hydro- logic analysis of
problems such as flood forecasting, flood protection, reservoir de- sign and spillway design
invariably include flood routing.In these applications two broad categories of routing can be
recognised. These are:

1. Reservoir routing, and

2. Channel routing.

In Reservoir routing the effect of a flood wave entering a reservoir is studied. Knowing the volume
-elevation characteristic of the reservoir and the outflow-elevation relationship for the spillways
and other outlet structures in the reservoir, the effect of a flood wave entering the reservoir is
studied to predict the variations of reservoir elevation and outflow discharge with time.

In Channel routing the change in the shape of a hydrograph as it travels down a channel is studied.
By considering a channel reach and an input hydrograph at the upstream end, this form of
routing aims to predict the flood hydrograph at various sections of the reach.

A variety of routing methods are available and they can be broadly classified into two categories
as: (i) hydrologic routing, and (ii) hydraulic routing. Hydrologic-routing methods employ
essentially the equation of continuity. Hydraulic methods, on the other hand, employ the
continuity equation together with the equation of motion of unsteady flow. The

8.2 Basic Equations:

 Equation of Continuity

where / inflow rate, Q outflow rate and S = storage.

 Discrete Form of the Continuity Equation

 Differential Form of Continuity Equation

where 7 top width of the section and y depth of flow.

 Equation of Motion (Momentum Equation)

where V velocity of flow at any section, Sochannel bed slope and S, slope of the energy line.

Hydrologic Storage Routing

Hydrologic storage routing, also known as level pool routing, involves calculating the variations
in storage (S), water level (h), and discharge (Q) over time as a flood wave passes through a
reservoir. The reservoir's outflow, ( Q ), is a function of the water elevation, ( h ), and the
storage, ( S ), is also dependent on ( h ). The process requires the following data:

- Storage volume versus elevation.

- Water-surface elevation versus outflow discharge.

- Inflow hydrograph, ( I = I(t) ).

- Initial values of storage, inflow, and outflow at ( t = 0).

For an uncontrolled spillway, the outflow ( Q ) is given by:

where:

- ( H ) = head over the spillway,

- ( Le ) = effective length of the spillway crest,

- ( Cd ) = coefficient of discharge.
Modified Pul's Method Summary
The Modified Pul's Method is a hydrologic storage routing technique used to track the variations in
storage (S), water level (h), and discharge (Q) over time as a flood wave moves through a reservoir. The
method relies on the rearranged equation:
Goodrich Method:

Another popular method of hydrologic reservoir routing. The equation is rearranged as: