TR-55

Urban Hydrology for Small

Watersheds Tutorial

Karl K. Visser
Hydraulic Engineer
Champaign, IL
 Tutorial
Demonstrate Windows TR-55
Create TR-55 Input File
Run TR-55
View TR-55 Output

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 2

 TR-55 Capabilities & Limitations
 Maximum Area 25 square miles
 Number of Watersheds 1-10
 Tc for any sub-area 0.1 hour <Tc < 10 hours
 Number of reaches 0-10
 Types of reaches Channel or Structure
 Reach Routing Muskingum-Cunge
 Structure Routing Storage-Indication
 Structure Types Pipe or Weir
 Structure Trial Sizes 1-3
 Rainfall Depth Default or user-defined
0-50 inches (0-1,270 mm)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 3

 Capabilities & Limitations

 Rainfall Distributions NRCS Type I,IA,II,III,

or
user-defined
 Rainfall Duration 24-hour
 Dimensionless Unit Standard peak rate
Hydrograph 484 or user-defined
 Antecedent Moisture Condition 2 (average)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 4

 Minimum Data Requirements

 Single sub-area run data

 TR-55 Main Window:
 Identification Data - User, State, and County
 Dimensionless Unit Hydrograph
 Rainfall Storm Data
 Sub-area Data (Name, flows to reach/outlet, area,
runoff curve number, & time of concentration)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 5

TR-55 Sub-area/Reach Concepts

 Watershed - system of
sub-areas and reaches.
 Sub-areas -
watersheds that
generate hydrographs
 Sub-areas-feed into
the upstream end of a
stream reach

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 6

TR-55 Sub-area/Reach Concepts
 Reaches - represent watershed stream flow paths
 Reaches or Routing Elements - 2 types
 Channel routing elements - Stream Reach
 Storage routing elements - Reservoir/Structure Reach
 “Outlet” -final reach
(required for all watersheds)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 7

 Schematic Example

Sub-area 2 Reach 2
Outlet
(Reach Routing)

Reach 1
(storage routing)
Sub-area 3

a 1 Legend
are
b -
Su Storage Area
Sub-Area Inflow Points

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 8

 Sub-area Data Sources
 The sub-area data compiled prior to input into
TR-55 include:
 Drainage Area
 Runoff Curve Number (RCN) Data
 Time of Concentration (Tc) Data
 Channel Reach Data
 Structure Reach Data
 Design Storm Amounts and Distribution
NOTE: RCN and Tc may be directly entered on TR-
55 Main Window

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 9

 Getting Started-
Welcome to TR-55 Window

 From Windows
Explorer click on
“WinTR-55.exe”
 “Return to TR55”
start TR-55
 “New User?”
new user help
 Skip welcome screen
option
08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 10
 TR-55 Main Window

 Input basic
project data
 Menu
 Buttons
 Input boxes

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 11

 TR-55 Main Window-Help

 Displays introduction
 Help for the Main
Window
 System information
 Program version number
and date

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 12

 TR-55 Main Window

 New project
“File” “New”

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 13

 TR-55 Main Window

 Set units
 English
or
Metric
 “Options”
“Units”

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 14

 TR-55 Main Window

 Save input file before:

 Computing TR-55 results
 Exiting the TR-55 program
 File-Save
save with current file name
 File-Save As
save with different name

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 15

 TR-55 Main Window-Data Entry

 Input Project Identification

Data (User, Project, etc.)
 Choose area units
 square mile or acres
 square km or hectares
 Select Dimensionless Unit
Hydrograph
 Input known project data in
the “Sub-area Entry and
Summary” portion of the
window
 Tc & RCN can be direct input

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 16

 TR-55 Main Window-Project Data

 Project Data
 Land Use Details
 Time of Concentration
 Structure Data
 Reach Data
 Project Data menu
 Buttons
 Double-click appropriate
title blocks in grid

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 17

 Land Use Details Window

 Find appropriate land

use
 right vertical scrollbar
 select Land Use
Category radio button
 Enter area in correct
hydrologic soil column
 Maximum 15 land uses
per subarea

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 18

 Land Use Details Window

 Weighted CN
 Accumulated sub-area
area

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 19

 Land Use Summary
 Convenient summary
 Displays all Land
Uses in current
subarea
 Summary toggle

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 20

 Custom Curve Number

 If standard Cover
Descriptions do not apply
 Create a Custom CN to fit
specific land cover
 Pervious area curve number
 % Impervious area
 % Impervious area
unconnected

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 21

 Time of Concentration Details
Window

 Enter sub-area flow path

segment data

 5 flow segments:
1-sheet flow
2-shallow concentrated
2-channel flow

 Displays total flow path

length

 Displays average flow velocity

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 22

 Reach Data Window

 Edit stream network

 Specify channel reach or
storage (structure) reach
 Create channel reach rating
table
 Use another model
(e.g. NRCS TR-20) when:
 > 10 reaches
 complex channel or storage
routing

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 23

 Reach Data Window

 Enter unique “Reach Name”

(< 10 characters)
 Enter downstream
“Receiving Reach”
 Channels - enter channel
data
 Structure - enter structure
name, then double-click the
Structure Name to display
the Structure Data Window.

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 24

 Reach Data Window

 Click “Plot” for graphical

channel rating
 Options for line width
and color

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 25

 Reach Data Window

 Click “Reach Flow Path”

for schematic
 Detail toggle

All Details

Overview

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 26

 Structure Data Window
 Edit:
structure name
pond surface area
outlet type (pipe or weir)
outlet dimensions
 Structure name correspond
to Reach Window name
 Up to three outlet sizes
(trials)
 More complex ratings--use
another model
(e.g.TR-20 or Sites)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 27

 TR-55 Main Window-GlobalData

 Storm Data-rainfall
depths
(how much did it rain?)
 Custom Rainfall
Distributions-
(how was the rain
distributed during the
storm?)
 Dimensionless Unit
Hydrograph-(What shape
is the hydrograph?)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 28

 Storm Data Window
 Choose NRCS-supplied rainfall
depths and distributions for
the US states and counties
 Edit rainfall depths
 Select design rainfall
distribution
 Click “Accept”
 Changing State-County on
Main Window doesn’t change
Storm Data!
 Set/edit Storm Data each run!

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 29

 Watersheds Outside US

 “State” and “County”

become
“Region” and “Locale”
 No NRCS-supplied rainfall
data
 User must enter rainfall
depths and the appropriate
distribution

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 30

 Custom Rainfall Distributions
 Create new distribution
 TR-55 Main Window
“GlobalData” menu
“Custom Rainfall Distribution”
or
“Custom Rainfall Distribution”
button
 Rename/delete distribution
 Enter dimensionless distribution
(increase from 0.00000 to
1.00000)
 Displays time increment and
number of points

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 31

Custom Rainfall Distributions Plot

 “Plot” of current
rainfall distribution
 One distribution plot
(no comparisons)
 Options for line width
and color

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 32

 Dimensionless Unit Hydrographs
Window

 Edit new dimensionless unit

hydrograph
 Rename/delete dimensionless
unit hydrograph
 Values increase from 0-1,
then decrease 1-0
 Number of points displayed
 Standard NRCS
dimensionless unit
hydrographs in TR-55 may
not be edited or deleted

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 33

 Dimensionless Unit Hydrograph
Plot

 “Plot” button on the

Dimensionless Unit
Hydrographs window
 Options for line width
and color
 Single DUH
(no multiple DUH plots)

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 34

 TR-55 Main Window-Run

 ”Run” on the TR-55

Main Window menu
or
“Run” button
 Check storm(s) to
evaluate
 Click “Run” button
 “Run” not available for
incomplete data

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 35

 Viewing Output
 File Display window opens
after TR-55 run
 Also known as Report
View
 Displays various TR-55
reports
 Errors during run -
“Error File” window opens
 Also open error messages
click “View”
then “Error File”

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 36

 Output Definition Window

 Complete data for a run

“Output Definition” button
available
(TR-55 Main Window)
 Check desired output report
 Print to printer
 View on-screen

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 37

 Possible TR-55 Reports

 Current data description

 Storm Data
 Watershed Peak Table
 Hydrograph Peak/Peak Time Table
 Structure Output Table
 Reach Summary Table
 Sub-Area Time of Concentration Details
 Sub-Area Land Use and Curve Number Details
 Reach Channel Rating Details
 Structure Rating Details

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 38

 Other Reports

 File Display window

(report viewer)
 Input file
 TR-20 Printed Page file
(tabular hydrograph)
 Debug file
 Error file

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 39

Plotting and Viewing Hydrographs

 Click Hydrographs button

(Main TR-55 Window)
 Select
Sub-areas or Reaches
 Check desired subareas or
desired reaches
 Check storm event
 Check alternatives

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 40

 Graphics Window

 Click “Plot” on the

Output Graphics window
to plot selected
hydrographs
 Options for line width
and color
 Multiple hydrographs
 Print to printer
or
 Save bitmap image

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 41

 TR-55 Web Site

 Download latest TR-55 version

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/quality/wst.html
 Update notes
 TR-55 User Manual
 TR-55 Support Team e-mail address

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 42

 Summary

Demonstrated Windows TR-55

Created TR-55 Input File
Ran TR-55
Viewed TR-55 Output

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 43

 Development Team
NRCS National Hydraulic Engineer
Jon Werner (current) & Don Woodward (retired)
 Roger Cronshey, NRCS (retired)  Bill Merkel, NRCS-NWCC, MD
 Laurel Foreman, NRCS, IA  Quan Quan, NRCS-NWCC, MD
 Helen Fox Moody,  Ralph Roberts, ARS, MD
NRCS-NWCC, MD
 Jolyne Lea, NRCS-NWCC, OR  Claudia Scheer,
NRCS-NWMC, AR,
 Al McNeill, NRCS, SC  Karl Visser, NRCS, IL

08/21/20 TR-55 Tutorial 44