Asymptotic Determination of Runoff Curve Numbers from Data
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 119, Issue 2
Abstract
Background, general instructions, and examples are given for determining runoff curve numbers (CN) from small watershed event rainfall and direct runoff data sets. The technique matches rank‐ordered (i.e., sorted) rainfall and runoffs, which preserves the return‐period matching between the rainfalls and the runoffs. Usually a secondary trend of CN with the storm rainfall itself emerges, and three different patterns are observed; complacent, standard, and violent. The standard and violent cases lead to a constant CN with increasing storm size, but the complacent case does not lead to a stable determination of curve number. Some measures of asymptotic attainment to the fitting equations and to the hydrologic definition of the watershed are also given.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Babu, R., and Dhruva Narayana, V. V. (1983). “Estimation of runoff from small watersheds of Doon Valley.” IE(I) J., 64(Oct.), 1–4.
2.
Hanif, M. Subhan, F., and Megahan, W. (1990). “Watershed restoration reduces runoff from comparative watersheds in Pakistan's subtropical scrub zone.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Res. Needs and Applications to Reduce Erosion and Sedimentation in Tropical Steep Land, Suva, Fiji.
3.
Hawkins, R. H. (1961). “A study to predict storm runoff from storm characteristics and antecedent basin conditions,” MS thesis, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colo.
4.
Hawkins, R. H. (1973). “Improved prediction of storm runoff in mountain watersheds.” J. Irrig. and Drain. Div., 99(4), 519–523.
5.
Hawkins, R. H. (1975). “The importance of accurate curve numbers in the estimation of storm runoff.” Water Resour. Bull., 11(5), 887–891.
6.
Hawkins, R. H. (1979). “Runoff curve numbers from partial area watersheds.” J. Irrig. and Drain. Div., 105(4), 375–389.
7.
Hawkins, R. H. (1984). “A comparison of predicted and observed runoff curve numbers.” Water Today and Tomorrow; Proc., Specialty Conf., ASCE, New York, N.Y., 702–709.
8.
Hawkins, R. H., Hjelmfelt, A. T. Jr., and Zevenbergen, A. T. (1985). “Runoff probability, relative storm depth, and runoff curve numbers.” J. Irrig. and Drain. Engrg., ASCE, 111(4), 330–340.
9.
Hewlett, J. D., Forsten, J. C., and Cunningham, G. B. (1984). “Additional tests of the effect of rainfall intensity on storm flow and peak flow from wild‐land basins.” Water Resour. Res., 20(7), 985–994.
10.
Higgins, D. A., Maloney, S. B., Tiedemann, A. R., and Quigley, T. M. (1989). “Storm runoff characteristics of grazed watersheds in eastern Oregon.” Water Resour. Bull., 25(1), 87–100.
11.
Hjelmfelt, A. T. Jr. (1980). “Empirical investigation of curve number technique.” J. Hydr. Div., 106(9), 1471–1476.
12.
Hope, A. S. (1980). “Estimation of catchment moisture status for the SCS stormflow model,” MS thesis, University of Natal, South Africa.
13.
Hossein, A. A., Pilgrim, D. H., Titmarsh, G. W., and Cordery, I. (1989). “Assessment of U.S. Conservation Service method for estimating design floods.” New directions for surface water modeling; Proc., Baltimore Symp., IASH publication 181, Int. Assoc. of Hydro. Sci., Washington, D.C., 283–291.
14.
Lusby, G. C., Reid, V. H., and Knipe, O. D. (1971). “Effects of grazing on the hydrology and biology of the badger wash basin in western Colorado, 1953–66.” Water‐supply paper 1532‐B, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., 73.
15.
Pankey, J. M., and Hawkins, R. H. (1981). “Stormflow as a function of watershed impervious area.” Proc., Arizona Sect. Amer. Water Resour. Assoc., and Hydro. Sect. Arizona‐Nevada Academy of Sci., Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
16.
Rankl, J. D., and Barker, D. S. (1977). “Rainfall and runoff data from small basins in Wyoming.” Rep. #17, Wyoming Water Plng. Program, Cheyenne, Wyo.
17.
“Section 4, Hydrology.” (1963). National engineering handbook. U.S. Dept. of Agr., Washington, D.C.
18.
Sneller, J. A. (1985). “Computation of runoff curve numbers for rangelands from landsat data.” Technical Rep. HL85‐2, U.S. Dept. of Agr., Agric. Res. Service, Hydro. Lab., Beltsville, Md., 50.
19.
Zevenbergen, A. T. (1985). “Runoff curve numbers from rangeland from landsat data.” Technical Rep. HL85‐1, U.S. Dept. of Agr. Res. Service, Hydro. Lab., Beltsville, Md.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 119 • Issue 2 • March 1993
Pages: 334 - 345
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 20, 1992
Published online: Mar 1, 1993
Published in print: Mar 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.