LECTURE 5

RUNOFF
 RUNOFF
Runoff is that balance of rainfall which flows or
runs over the natural ground surface after losses
by evaporation, interception and infiltration.
Excess rainfall becomes runoff and eventually
streamflow.
The yield of a catchment (usually means annual
yield) is the net quantity of water available for
storage, after all losses, for the purposes of water
resources utilization and planning, like irrigation,
water supply, etc.
 RUNOFF
Classification of runoff
Basin Recharge
Direct Runoff
Overland Flow or Surface runoff
Interflow or Subsurface runoff

Groundwater Flow or Base Flow

 Factors Affecting Runoff
Storm or Precipitation Characteristics
Shape and Size of Catchment
Topography
Geological Characteristics
Meteorological Characteristics
Character of Catchment Surface
Storage Characteristics
 Factors Affecting Runoff
Storm or Precipitation Characteristics
Type or nature of storm and season
Intensity, Duration, and Frequency
Areal extent or distribution
Antecedent precipitation
Direction of storm movement
 Factors Affecting Runoff
Shape and Size of Catchment
High peak for wider catchment than for narrow
catchment.
Topography
More runoff for smooth, steep and windward side
catchment.
Geological Characteristics
Greater runoff for impervious, rocky, surface and
subsurface strata.
Meteorological Characteristics
Temperature, Humidity, Wind speed, Wind direction,
and Pressure variation
 Factors Affecting Runoff
Basin or Catchment’s Characteristics
More absorption for catchment with no natural
drainage. Less runoff for cultivated, vegetated, and
unsaturated surface.
Storage Characteristics
Depressions, Pools and ponds/lakes, Stream
Channels, Upstream reservoirs or tanks or weirs,
Floodplain swamps, Groundwater storage in
pervious deposits. All storages tend to reduce the
peak flow.
 Runoff Estimation
The runoff from rainfall may be
estimated by the following methods:
Empirical formulae, curves and tables
Infiltration method
Rational method
Unit hydrograph method
Computation of Runoff by Formulae and Tables
Runoff Coefficient Formula
R= k*P
R = Runoff
k = Runoff Coefficient
P = Precipitation
Area Type k value
Urban Residential (Single House)0.3
Urban Residential (Garden Apartment) 0.5
Commercial and Industrial 0.9
Forest Areas 0.05 – 0.2
Park, Farmland, Pasture 0.05 – 0.3
Asphalt or Concrete Pavement 0.85
Computation of Runoff by Formulae and Tables
Barlow’s Table (U.P. India, for small catchments) (area ~130 km2)
Class Catchment Details k value (%age)
A Flat cultivated and black cotton soils 10
B Flat, partly cultivated various soils 15
C Average 20
D Hills & Plains with little cultivation 35
E Very hilly & steep, with hardly any 45
Cultivation
Computation of Runoff by Formulae and Tables
Barlow’s Coefficient
Nature of Season Class of Catchment
A B C D E
Light rain, 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8
no heavy downpour
Average or 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
varying rainfall,
no continuous downpour
Cont downpour 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
Daily
Strange’s Tables and Curves
Runoff percentage and yield when the original state of ground was
rainfall
(mm) Dry Damp Wet
% Yield (mm) % Yield (mm) % Yield (mm)

6.25 8 0.5

12.5 6 0.75 12 1.5

18.75 8 1.50 16 3.0

25 3 0.75 11 2.75 18 4.5

31.25 5 1.56 14 4.37 22 6.88
37.5 6 2.25 16 6.00 25 9.37
43.75 8 3.5 19 8.31 30 13.1
50 10 5.0 22 11.0 34 17.0
62.5 15 9.37 29 18.15 43 26.9
75 20 15.0 37 27.75 55 41.25
Computation of Runoff by Formulae and Tables
Inglis’s Formula (for Bombay – Deccan catchment &
plains)
R  0.85 P  15
 P7
R  P
 100  Catchment
Class
S Factor Monsoon Class F Factor

Lacey’s Formula A 0.25 Very Short 0.50

(for Indo-Gangetic plains) B 0.60 Standard Length 1.00

P C 1.00 Very Long 1.50

R
120 F D 1.70
1
PS
F = Monsoon duration factor E 3.45
S = Catchment slope factor
Computation of Runoff by Formulae and Tables
Khosla’s Formula T  32
(for North India)
R  P
9 .5
where T = mean temp. in oF on the entire catchment

Parker’s Formula
R = 0.94P-14 for British Isles.
R = 0.94P-16 for Germany.
R = 0.80P-16.5 for East USA.
Computation of Runoff by Infiltration Method
Infiltration Capacity
Maximum rate at which water enters the soil in a given
condition
Infiltration Rate
Rate at which water actually enters the soil during a storm
and is equal to the infiltration capacity or the rainfall rate,
whichever is less
Infiltration Index
Average rate of loss such that volume of rainfall in excess of
that rate will be equal to direct runoff
 Infiltration Indices
Estimates of runoff volume from large areas are
sometimes made by the use of Infiltration Indices,
which assume a constant average infiltration rate
during a storm, although in actual practice the
infiltration will be varying with time.

Φ-Index
The Φ-index is defined as that rate of rainfall above
which rainfall volume equals the runoff volume.

Φ-index = basin recharge / duration of rainfall

 Infiltration Indices
W-Index
The W-index is the average infiltration rate during the
time rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity.
W = Fp / tr = (P – Q – S)/tr
W = Index cm/hr,
Fp = total infiltration
P = Precipitation, cm
Q = Surface Runoff, cm
S = effective surface retention
tr = duration of storm during which i > f p , hr
i = Rainfall intensity, cm/hr
fp = Infiltration capacity
 Computation of Runoff by Rational Method

Yield = C A P
A = Area of Catchment
P = Precipitation
C = Runoff Coefficient
Runoff Coefficients
Type of Catchment C Value
Rocky & Impermeable 0.8-1.0
Slightly permeable bare 0.6-0.8
Cultivated, Vegetated 0.4-0.6
Cultivated absorbent soil 0.3-0.4
Sandy Soil 0.2-0.3
Heavy Forest 0.1-0.2
Computation of Runoff by Unit Hydrograph Method
Unit Hydrograph
Hydrograph or direct surface discharge measured at
the outlet of drainage area which produces a unit
depth of direct runoff resulting from a unit duration
storm over the entire area of the catchment is called
unit hydrograph of that duration.
 Assignment No. 2
Problems 3.2 to 3.8 (Textbook Pages 83 –
85)
Submission Date:
Nov. 01, 2010 (Monday)