Effect of Reservoir Storage on

Flood Hydrograph
Hydrology & Water Management Lab CV-323L
Prepared By
Engr. QAIM SHAH
 CONTENT
• Introduction to flood hydrograph
• Effect of reservoir storage on flood hydrograph
• Effect of catchment saturation on flood hydrograph
• Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph
Flood Hydrograph
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph
• Storage retains water
• Outflow discharge decrease at the catchment
outfall.
• Peak of outflow hydrograph (having storage
reservoir) will be lower than normal
hydrograph and also having more lag time
(peak occur at later time)
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph

Outfall Outfall
Storage reservoir
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph
Objective:
• To study graphical trends in the hydrograph with varying
storage depression capacities and deduce the effects of reservoir
storage on a hydrograph.

Apparatus:
• Rain fall hydrograph assembly
• Fine gravel / Sand
• Electric supply
• Stop watch
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph
Procedure:
• Fully open all the sprinkler heads.
Flow
• Put two units of containers on the Rate
test tank.
• Set the elapsed M1 timer 30
second/gage.
• Turn on the pump. M1
Timer
• Slowly open the sprinklers'
control valve.
• Turn off the pump after 180s.
• Leave the apparatus aside until
final gage to ensure a complete
rainfall catchment process.
Pump on/off
switch
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph
• Record the liquid levels observed on the runoff collector.
• Repeat steps by Increasing the number of containers.
 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph
Calculations:
• Calculate the cross sectional area of rain gage “Acg”.
• Evaluate the volume of fluid contained in each rain gage utilizing
the known have area of the gage and liquid levels recorded.

• Determine the storm discharge rates from all gages through the
application of Eqn.

• Compute the total direct runoff volume using Eqn.

• Construct rainfall height histogram and hydrograph.

 Effect of Reservoir Storage on Flood
Hydrograph

Gage No. Time (sec) 2 Containers 4 Containers 6 Containers Acg =

1 30 0 0 0 20mm×250mm
2 60 0 0 0
3 90 16 0 0
4 120 21 14 15
5 150 22 24 17
6 180 23 23 25
7 210 20 20 21
8 240 20 19 20
9 270 18 17 17
10 300 17 17 16
11 330 17 17 16
12 360 17 16 16
13 390 17 16 15
14 420 17 15 15
15 450 16 15 14
16 480 15 14 13
17 510 15 14 12
18 540 15 14 11
 Effect of catchment saturation on flood
hydrograph
Water will remain in the catchment for a specific duration of
time and due to this catchment will saturated as these water
drained there will be an abrupt increase in discharge as collected
water will drain at once and after sometime when the over
saturation of catchment is reduced to normal the discharge will
follow the gradual trend
Effect of catchment saturation on flood hydrograph

Objective:
• To study observable changes in the rainfall collection
process and deduce the effect of catchment saturation
on storm hydrographs.

Apparatus:
• Rain fall hydrograph assembly
• Fine gravel / Sand
• Electric supply
• Stop watch
 Effect of catchment saturation on flood
hydrograph
Procedure:
• Fully open all the sprinkler heads.
• Fully close outlet valve V12 to simulate catchment
saturation phenomenon.
• Set the elapsed M1 timer 30 second/gage.
• Turn on the pump.
• Slowly open the sprinklers' control valve.
• Fully open valve V12 at 60s after opening the pump, P1
switch.
• Turn off the pump after 180s.
 Effect of catchment saturation on flood
hydrograph
Procedure:
• Leave the apparatus aside until final gage to
ensure a complete rainfall catchment process.
• Tum off the motor, M1 switch after the nozzle
returns to its original position.
• Record the liquid levels observed on the runoff
collector.
• Repeat steps utilizing saturation process durations
of 120 seconds and 180 seconds respectively.
 Effect of catchment saturation on flood
hydrograph
Calculations:
• Calculate the cross sectional area of rain gage “Acg”.
• Evaluate the volume of fluid contained in each rain gage utilizing
the known have area of the gage and liquid levels recorded.

• Determine the storm discharge rates from all gages through the
application of Eqn.

• Compute the total direct runoff volume using Eqn.

• Construct rainfall height histogram and hydrograph.

Effect of catchment saturation on flood
hydrograph

Gage No. Time (sec) 60 sec 120 sec 180 sec

1 30 0 0 0
2 60 0 0 0
3 90 0 0 0
4 120 24 0 0
5 150 29 55 0
6 180 29 28 0
7 210 28 27 80
8 240 27 25 25
9 270 25 23 24
10 300 24 20 23
11 330 24 20 23
12 360 23 19 22
13 390 23 18 21
14 420 22 18 21
15 450 19 18 20
16 480 19 17 20
17 510 18 16 18
18 540 18 16 18
Effect of land drain on flood
hydrograph
Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph

Objectives:
• To simulate the response of a rainfall event in
the presence of a land drainage system
Apparatus:
 Rain fall hydrograph assembly
 Fine gravel / Sand
 Electric supply
 Stop watch
 Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph

Procedure:
• Fully open all the sprinkler heads.
• Set the elapsed M1 timer 30 second/gage.
• Turn on the pump.
• Slowly open the sprinklers' control valve.
• Turn off the pump after 180s.
• Leave the apparatus aside until final gage to
ensure a complete rainfall catchment process.
 Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph

 Record the liquid levels observed on the runoff

collector.
 Repeat steps to simulate a permeable
environment by opening V13 and V16.
 Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph

Calculations:
• Calculate the cross-sectional area of rain gage “Acg”.
• Evaluate the volume of fluid contained in each rain gage utilizing
the known have area of the gage and liquid levels recorded.

• Determine the storm discharge rates from all gages through the
application of Eqn.

• Compute the total direct runoff volume using Eqn.

• Construct rainfall height histogram and hydrograph.

Effect of land drain on flood hydrograph

Permeable Condition Impermeable

Gage No. Time (sec) (mm) Condition (mm)
1 30 0 0
2 60 0 0
3 90 0 16
4 120 0 24
5 150 19 25
6 180 22 26
7 210 23 25
8 240 22 25
9 270 21 24
10 300 20 22
11 330 17 22
12 360 16 21
13 390 16 21
14 420 15 21
15 450 15 20
16 480 15 19
17 510 14 19
18 540 14 19
• Data for normal hydrograph (this data can be
used in all experiment related to hydrograph)

Gage No. Time (sec) Rainfall hieght (mm)

1 30 0
2 60 0
3 90 28
4 120 31
5 150 37
6 180 38
7 210 39
8 240 41
9 270 38
10 300 37
11 330 37
12 360 36
13 390 33
14 420 32
15 450 30
16 480 29
17 510 28
18 540 28