Graphical Calculation of Small Catchment Peak Discharge
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 3
Abstract
A graphical procedure for calculating peak discharge from small catchments is developed on the basis of the standard Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) rainfall-runoff hydrologic methods, in which rainfall excess obtained using the curve-number approach applied to 24-h design storms is transformed to runoff by means of triangular unit hydrographs. The solution is made dimensionless by grouping parameters, and, as a result, can be condensed into uncomplicated graphical relations that provide numerically precise peak flow rates. Mathematical expressions are also given that provide accurate approximations to the peak-discharge graphical relations. An additional result of the analysis is a comprehensive means of estimating rational-formula runoff coefficients for any location in the United States.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 3 • March 2012
Pages: 245 - 256
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 29, 2011
Accepted: Jul 8, 2011
Published online: Feb 15, 2012
Published in print: Mar 1, 2012
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