CHAPTER

Hydrology and
Water Kesources

1.1 INTRODUCTION
The objective of this chapter is to give an easily comprehensible introduction
to hydrology and water balance calculations for engineering students and
practitioners. The text has been compiled in order to give a holistic view of the
water environment, ie., hydrology seen as the water carrier in nature with
human influence. The main hydrological components are treated with simple
calculation methods to quantify water balances and mass transport.
Water is a chemical union between hydrogen and oxygen. Water is unique
in the sense that it can exist in three phases at almost the same temperature:
solid state (ice), liquid, and gas (water vapour). On Earth, about 2/3 of the
surface is covered by water and about 1/3 by land. Water is a prerequisite for
all known forms of life. A biological cell is usually made up of at least 70%
water. Humans contain 55-60% water by weight (men about 60% and women
about 5 5%).

1.1.1

Importance of Water

Water is a basic, natural resource for agriculture and industry. Water has always
been intimately linked with human development, and its role is considered
crucial for the transition of men from hunters to farmers. The earliest known
human civilizations were developed at places having stable and regular access
to water, e.g., the Nile valley, the Euphrates and Tigris, and the Indus valley.
The river water provided water supply, food, fertile sediments, and easy
transportation. Later, the water became a prerequisite for industrial development
through the production of hydropower (mills, steam engines, etc.) and
transportation routes. Consequently, for both agriculture as well as industry,
water has become a key component as a natural resource, energy producer,

2 Engineering Hydrology

solvent, and transporter. In many developed countries, people have constant

access to water of good quality, and water is an indispensable component of
clean outdoor environment. Water has, however, many other societal functions,
and in many arid (dry) and semi-arid countries, lack of water is a limiting
factor for economic and social development.
Water is a prerequisite for life, but it also creates many problems. Waterborne diseases (malaria, bilharzia, etc.), floods, as well as droughts cause
innumerable casualties in excess of those due to all other disasters. About
1.2 billion people have to drink unhygienic water. This results in 5 million
deaths every year. Proper management of water is, therefore, related not only
to drinking water and a clean outdoor environment, but also to developments
in public health, and social and economic development. Thus, the study of
water is stronglyinterdisciplinary because all major societal areas and scientific
disciplines are related to utilization of water resources.

1.1.2 Human Influence

Hydrology is associated with the circulation of water in nature and the human
influence on this system. The water transport can be conceptualized as a
combination of the natural circulation in an exterior system and an inner manmade system where humans tap water from the outer system and return it back
after shorter or longer use, unfortunately quite polluted. In the natural water
system, changes occur slowly (except in cases of natural disaster). The human
influence, however, is now so large that even the exterior system is being
affected significantly. Acidification of water resources and global warming
are glaring examples of the damaging effect of human influence on nature.
The entire water and energy system, with its exterior natural part and
inner human-regulated part, is extremely complex and difficult to analyze.
Figure 1.1 shows the two components and the transport of water from the
natural system to and within a typical human community (after Anderberg,
1994). To supply the communitys residents with water, a water supply source
is connected to a water treatmentplant. Consequently, water is taken from the
natural system to the man-made water system. The water supply sources are
open water reservoirs such as a large river or a lake.

1.1.3 Civic Use

However, the water supply can also come from groundwater, through a drilled
or dug well. To secure a continuous supply, a reservoir is built that helps to
even out seasonal differences in water availability, e.g., long dry periods during
surnmer and snow melt and high flows during spring. A reservoir can be built
by damming up a river in a suitable location so that an artificial lake is created.
From the reservoir, water is taken to the treatmentplant where it is properly
treated in order to make the water drinkable. After treatment, the water is sent
through pipes to households and consumers. However, problems may arise
because the use of water is extremely variable during the day. The quantity of

Hydrology and Water Resources

Precipitation
Reservoir

Hydropower, flood
control, irrigation

Lake

Recreation,
ecological
values

Fig. 1.1 Circulation of water through an exterior natural and an inner

man-modified system (afler Anderberg, 1994)

water used in households and industry during the night-time is relatively low;
but water usage peaks, especially during morning and evening hours. To cope
with such large daily variations, a short-term reservoir, usually a water tower,
is built somewherein between the consumerhousehold and the treatment plant.
The objective of the water tower is to keep as much water stored as is needed
to cope with temporary consumption peaks without changing the production
rate of the treatment plant. From the water tower, water is then distributed to
consumers.Because the water is under constantpressure (from the water stored
in the tower), continuous flow is provided to the water taps. The quantity of
water consumed for drinking and cooking is considerably less in comparison
to the quantity used for washing (rinsing soap, detergents, and washing powder),
and flushing waste from the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom.
Water used in the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom is discharged from the
buildings through common pipes. If the polluted water is discharged directly
to the recipient (such as lakes and rivers) without treatment, it usually leads to
serious deterioration of the ecological life in the water body. At the same time,
the water becomes more or less unusable for downstreamresidents.Nowadays,

4 Engineering Hydrology

the polluted water is usually treated in a sewage treatment plant before it is

lead to the recipient. However, along with the sewage water from households
and industry, storm-water (rain water from impermeable areas such parking
lots, roofs, etc) also goes to the treatment plant in combinedsewerpipes (which
have sewage and storm-water in the same pipes). This is especially the case
for the older central areas of cities built before the 1960s. Cities that are built
after 1960s sometimes have separated sewerpipes (sewage water and stormwater in different pipes) instead, which direct the sewage water to the treatment
plant and storm-water directly to the recipient without any treatment. Manholes
and drains, which collect storm-water and lead it to recipients in order to avoid
flooding problems after heavy rainfall, can be seen along the paved streets in
some cities. However, storm-water, which has flushed off roofs, parking lots,
and streets, can often carry quite a large pollution load from petrol, oil, heavy
metals, sediments, etc. If a heavy rainfall occurs during a period of heavy
water consumption in households and industry, the combined sewer system
(sewage and storm-water in the same pipes) can be flooded and the polluted
water may have to be discharged directly to the recipient without treatment
(combined sewer overflow) in order to avoid serious flooding.

1.1.4 Environmental Fallout

Water is also used for other purposes. A major water consumer is agriculture.
About 80% ofthe global water consumption is used in agriculture and irrigation
of crops. To feed the human population, cereals and vegetables must be
produced; andfertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are to be used to keep the
insects from destroying the crops. Heavy rainfall and irrigation water can then
flush the soil and transport the fertilizers and pollutants such as nitrogen (N)
andphosphorous (P) to nearby streams and lakes. Eventually, these will be
transported to the sea, resulting in eutrophication,algae, and pollutant problems.
Evaporation occurs from water surface (and even from land surface).
Precipitation closes the hydrological cycle. The evaporation mainly transports
pure water, so substances in runoffaccumulate in the sea, either as sediments
in the sea bottom or as dissolved matter in the sea water. Precipitation forms
runoff, and we are back to where we, began in the water supply and reservoir.
The reservoir is a simple construction where the water is dammed by concrete
obstruction in the water course itself (dam building). The water level upstream
from the dam can then be regulated by releasing more or less water through
gates or over a variable dam crest level. The difference in height between the
upstream and the downstream water level can also be used to generate electricity
in a hydropower plant. Reservoirs can be exclusively built for hydropower
production, or they can combine this function with the control of water supply,
irrigation, and/or flood protection.
As mentioned above, the total water system is very complex. If the objective
is to improve the water environment,this cannot be achieved by improving the

Hydrology and Water Resources

situation only in a part of the total system. The continuous circulation of water
means that all parts are connected in one way or another. The water quality is
affected by all the components related with the system. Problems in hydrologic
engineering therefore cannot be solved without regarding the entire system.
The hydrological circulation and transportation of water as depicted in
Fig. 1.1 also helps to envisage how a pollutant may be transported. Water
itself is the most important transporter of chemical substances as well as
biological organisms. Thus, knowledge about the hydrological circulation and
transportation of water will empower us to stop potential pollutants from
contaminating the system. With suitable assumptions, it is also possible to
make predictions about the future of a pollutant. This may be a frequently
done task for the hydrologic engineer.

1.2 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

The hydrological cycle is the most important carrier of water, energy, and
matter (chemicals, biological material, sediments, etc), locally and globally
(Fig. 1.2). The hydrological cycle acts like an enormous global pump that is
driven mainly by two forces; solar energy and gravitation pull. Humans have
ingeniously utilized this global and free pump to get irrigation water and to
draw power from the enormous amount of energy that this cycle represents.

Precipitation
over the sea

Fig. 1.2 The hydrological cycle (after Bonnier World Map, 1975)
The incoming solar energy forces water to evaporate from both land and
sea. Much of this vapour condensates and falls directly over the sea surface
again (globally about 7/8 ofthe rainwater falls over the oceans). The remainder
of the rainwater falls over land (globally about US), and it falls asprecipitation
(rainfall, snow, andor hail). This forms runoffas creeks, rivers, and lakes on

6 Engineering Hydrology

the soil surface. A major part, however, infiltrates through the soil surface and
forms soil water (water in the upper soil layers above the groundwater table, also
called the unsaturatedzone) that may laterpercolate (deeper infiltration)down
to the groundwater (groundwater zone also called the saturated zone) level.
In the ground, water can also be taken up by plant roots, and evaporate into
the atmosphere through transpiration (evaporation through the plant leaves
by plant respiration) or by direct evaporation from the soil. The total evaporation
from both soil and plants is called evapotranspiration.

1.2.1 Carrier for Pollutants

The global cycle of water transports different types of chemical, biological,
and sediment matter. Finally, these may be deposited in the sea because this is
the lowest point in the system. If the release point for these constituents is
known, it is often possible to predict the transport path by studying the local
hydrology in the area. This is due to the fact that the pollutant often follows
the same path as the water. However, chemical and/or biological transformation
may also affect the pollutant.
Humans influence and change the general hydrological cycle to a great
extent. Activities in the landscape directly affect the different components of
the hydrological cycle. The chemical content of different hydrological parts is
also increasingly affected by various activities such as industry, agriculture,
and city life. Yet, the total amount of water on earth is constant. Water is
neither created nor is disappearingfrom earth. However, the content of various
biological and chemical elements can fluctuate, depending on the location of
the hydrological cycle (Fig. 1.3).

1.2.2 Turnover Time

Only a fraction of the total water volume is fresh water (about 2.7%). And, a
major part (2/3) of this fresh water is located around the poles as ice and
glaciers. The total amount of fresh water resources is consequently limited,
and desalination of seawater is still an expensive process. The water contained
in different components (shown in Fig. 1.3) is continuously exchanged due to
the constant movement of water.
The theoretical turnover time indicates the average time that it takes for the
water volume to be exchanged once. For some components, e.g., water in rivers
and atmosphere, the turnover time is very short, about one week (Table 1.1).
This also indicates the theoretical transport time for pollutants released in
various parts of the water cycle. A pollutant that accumulates on the glacial
ice would theoretically surface again after about 8000 years (Table 1.1). A
pollutant released in the atmosphere or a river would be flushed out after about
a week. However, the average turnover is theoretical, and assumes that the
pollutants are not adsorbed or transformed by biological and geological media
through which they are transported. In any case, the turnover time can give a
rough estimation in order to understand transport velocities in different parts
of the hydrological cycle.

Hydrology and Water Resources

Atmosphere (0.001%)
Lakes, rivers, etc. (0.009%)
Groundwater, soil water (0.62%)

Ice caps and glaciers (2.04%)

Fig. 1.3 The global distribution of water in different hydrological parts

( a f e r Bonnier World Map, 1975)
Table 1.1 Average turnover time for water in different hydrological parts
Hydrological part

Oceans
Groundwater
Ice caps and glaciers
Lakes

I
I

Soil water
Atmosphere
Surface water

I
I

Volume (lo6 km3)

1370
60
24

0.3
0.1
0.01
0.001

96

Turnover time bear)

I
I

94.2
4.1
1.7
0.02

I
I

3000
5000
8000
10

I
I

0.006
0.001
0.0001

1
1 week
1 week

I
I

Consequently, the turnover time may give a rough but general idea of how
quickly a water particle may travel through a water body. This can be compared
to a more detailed picture as seen in Table 1.2. The table shows typical velocities
by which a water molecule or a pollutant travelling with the same speed as
water may travel. Note that these values are based on approximation. Large
variations may be expected, depending on the hydrological situation, the
hydraulic conductivity of the geologic medium, etc.

8 Engineering Hydrology

Table 1.2 Typical average velocity for a water molecule

I Water body
Soil water (vertical)

Soil type
-

Moraine close to soil surface

1 m depth
Deep
Cracked bed rock
Creek
River

Water molecule velocity

1-3 miyear
1-10 miday
0.1 miday
0.01 miday
0-10 miday
0.1 m/s = 10 kmiday
1 m/s = 100 W d a y

Humans interact with the natural hydrological system by diverting water

for different activities. A major part of this water, about 80% on a global scale,
is used for irrigation and production of agricultural products. The remaining
20% is used for industrial needs and domestic water supply. Figure 1.4 shows,
in a schematic way, how water is used in households. It is seen that for a rich
and developed country, a very small part (about 3%) is used for direct
consumption (drinking water and cooking).The remaining part is used for
sanitation purpose. For a poor country in the developing world, average per
capita water consumption may be only 20 liters a day. The UN recommends
that people need a minimum of 50 liters of water a day for drinlung, washing,
cooking, and sanitation.
Industrialized country, 220 Vday

Developing country, 20 I/day

Fig. 1.4 Domestic water consumption (afcerBonnier World Map, 1975)

1.3 CLIMATE AND WATER AVAILABILITY

As mentioned earlier, the global influx of solar energy is the main driving
force of the hydrological cycle. The greater the influx of solar energy, the

Hydrology and Water Resources

more water can evaporate over a specific area. And greater the evaporation,
greater will be the water available for precipitation. The great effect of the
solar influ is modified by the general atmospheric circulation. Winds from
ocean bring moist air to land where
precipitation occurs. Evaporation also
occurs from land. The major influx of
solar energy occurs along the equator
(Fig. 1.5). The solar influx falls perpenEarth
dicular to the soil surface at the equator.
At higher latitudes, the solar influx falls
at an oblique angle to the soil surface
and over a larger area and thus brings Fig.
Solar inJux (radiation)
less energy.
The moist air at the equator is warmed up by the solar influx, and due to
density differences, a strong vertical uplift of the air occurs. This phenomenon
is called convection. Convection is the result of the rising of expanding warm
air of less density as compared to the surrounding cooler and denser air. The
rising air parcels induce the flow of fresh air from the sides replacing the
rising air. This gives rise to a general global atmospheric flow that, to a great
extent, distributes air and precipitation over the entire globe.
Due to the rotation of earth, this general global atmospheric pattern is split
up into six smaller atmospheric cell systems (Fig. 1.6). The whole system is,
however, driven by the equatorial solar influx of energy. The friction between
the cells (the cells are moving approximately as six inter-connected cogwheels)
drives the circulation from the equator to the polar areas.

Humid

Fig. 1.6 The global atmospheric circulation with six main

cell systems (Arrows indicate cell rotation
direction) (after Whipple, 1984)

10 Engineering Hydrology

The atmospheric flow moving over ground surface can potentially take up
moisture. When moisture in the air is driven up in to the upper part of the cells,
the air is cooled off and precipitation may occur. Cooler air can hold less
moisture as compared to warn air. The air in the upper part of the cell is then
driven down again to the lower part of the cell. This air, however, does not
contain any moisture. In tum, these down-tuming cell areas with no moisture
can explain much of the dry areas of the globe. The equator area as well as the
tropics of Cancer and Capricorn have a large excess of precipitation. Areas
where the dry cell air is descending to the ground contain the great deserts of
the world: the Sahara and Taklamakan in the northern hemisphere and the
deserts of Australia in the southern hemisphere. Further up towards the poles,
the cells again bring rising moist air that precipitates over the temperate areas
(e.g., northern Europe, North America, and southern South America). These
areas have an excess of precipitation. However, this general precipitation
pattern, is modified by local precipitation mechanisms.
The precipitation and therefore the availability of water also vary for different
time scales. In general, precipitation and temperature may vary in the same
manner. Higher the temperature, higher would be the evaporation (provided
that there is water to evaporate). The precipitation at a single location is,
however, difficult to predict because it depends on local conditions and local
wind systems that modify the general large-scale atmospheric circulation. This
also makes it very difficult to predict how precipitation will look after a hundred
years from now. Figure 1.7 shows an example of how the monthly precipitation
Precipitation (&month)

Time (year)

Fig. 1.7 Monthly precipitation in Lund, Sweden, between 1750 and

2000

Hydrology and Water Resources 11

has looked in Lund, Sweden, for the last 250 years. It is rather evident that the
monthly precipitation can vary widely between 0 to 200 mrn per month. At the
same time, it is difficult to see if there is any long-term trend (general increase
or decrease with time).
In general, the temperature and also the precipitation pattern are governed
by both atmospheric and oceanic circulation. In short, the total energy balance
over a specific area decides the general climate.

1.4 WATER BALANCES

The basis for availability and general transportation of water and pollutants
for a specific area is called the water balance or mass balance equation or
continuity equation. The water balance equation, in general, stipulates that all
inflow minus all outflow to an area during a certain time period must be equal
to the storage changes.
I - 0 = dSfdt

(1.1)
where, I is all inflow, 0 is all outflow, and dS is storage changes that occurred
during time period dt. For a specific area and a specific time period, the water
balance equation can be written as:
P

Q E = AS
~

(1-2)

where,
P

= precipitation

Q = runoff
E

= evaporation

AS = change in storage
Usually, the unit for water balance is &time ( e g , &month or &year).
But, it can also be expressed in volume (for a specific period) or volume per
time. The change in water storage (AS) will modify the total water storage (S)
of the area. All the water that enters or leaves an area can be represented by
these terms.
The precipitation (P)is the amount of water that falls as rain, snow, andor
hail. The runoff or discharge (Q) is the water that appears as surface water
such as water in creeks, rivers, andor lakes. The evaporation (E) can usually
not be seen, but after condensation of the water vapour, we see the water as
cloud drops. The total evaporation includes both evaporation from soil and
water surfaces as well as transpiration from plants. The change in storage (AS)
can be many things. It may be water that does not go directly as runoff. This
may be snow andor ice. It can also be infiltrating water that will appear as
delayed runoff, andor water that will percolate to the groundwater table, andor
water that will evaporate a little later.

12 Engineering Hydrology

1.4.1 Role of Water Balance Equation

The water balance equation is used for many basic analyses of water availability
in an area, e.g., to find out how much water is available that can be used for
drinking purpose or irrigation. This part is usually constitutedby Q, i.e., runoff.
The components of the water balance equation look different for different
climatic conditions. It is logical that the total evaporation in warm areas is
much larger as compared to cooler areas. Figure 1.8 shows, in a schematic
way, an example of water balances for three different types of climatic
conditions.
As seen in Fig. 1.8, the storage term (AS) is missing. This is due to the fact
that for average values over longer time periods (e.g., several years) or over
periods corresponding to multiples of a year, the storage is more or less likely
to be constant. Thus, storage changes will be close to zero. We can, therefore,
write the water balance equation as:
P-Q-E= 0
(1-3)
This simplifies the calculations because there is one term less to determine
when, for example, estimating available water (Q) for an area. The reason
why the storage term can be assumed zero for longer periods is examplified in
Fig. 1.9. When looking at the storage term of the water balance for a typical
area over several years, it is usually noticed that it behaves in a periodic manner
with a frequency equal to one year. That is, the typical period is one year and
it is seen over many one-year periods that the change in storage is approximately
Tropical rain
forest (Equator)

Arid area (Tropic

of Cancer)

Temperate area
(High latitude)

P = 3600 &year
E = 1800 &year
Q = 1800 &year

P = 500 &year
E = 400 mdyear
Q = 100 &year

P = 800 &year
E = 400 mdyear
Q = 400 &year

Fig. 1.8 Example of water balances for three different types of climatic
conditions

Hydrology and Water Resources 13

Y
QA

h
Fig. 1.9

The storage term (AS) co-varies withprecipitation and runoff in a cyclical manner over
the year

zero. This means that in water balance calculations involving a minimum of a

one-year period, the storage term can be assumed to be zero (AS = 0).

1.4.2 Catchment Area

Water balances are usually calculated for a specific area, which is called the
catchment area (also called as drainage basin, discharge area, precipitation
area, and watershed). A catchment is defined as the area upstream from a
certain point in the water course that contributes to flow when precipitation
falls. The size of the catchment depends on where this point is located in the
stream and its topography or altitude situation.
In general, water flows from upper-lying areas to lower-lying areas in the
catchment due to gravity. The area of the catchment is determined by the water
divide (Fig. 1.10). The water divide is constituted by hills and peaks in the
landscape over which the water cannot flow. Consequently, the catchment is
completely surrounded by the water divide on all sides. All precipitation that
falls within the catchment border (water divide) will tend to flow towards the
lowest-lyingpoint of the area which is the outflow point for the entire catchment.
Some water, however, will infiltrate into the ground and become soil water or
groundwater and be transported very slowly to the outflow point. Some water
will never reach the outflow point because of evaporation.But, water reaching
the outflow point must have come from the area within the catchment border.
Consequently, other material and constituents transported by water, such as
pollutants and nutrients that could come in contact with the water, will also
reach the outflow point.

14 Engineering Hydrology

River

Fig. 1.10

Discharge point from

catchment

The water divide surrounds the catchment area and i s defined

by the topographical pattern

From a topographical map (map with altitude levels) as in Fig. 1.10, the
catchment area for a certain point in a stream can be determined. By following
the altitude levels on the map, i.e., the highest points in the landscape (e.g.,
hills or mountain ridges) upstream from the point, one will eventually come
back to the starting point, but on the other side of the water course. The water
divide will always run perpendicular to the altitude levels on the map over the
high peaks and ridges.
Usually, an outflow point is chosen so that it coincides with a location where
water level or discharge measurement is performed. Once the catchment area
is defined, it is possible to determine water balances for the area upstream
from the discharge point. It is usually assumed that the water divide for the
surface water coincides with the groundwater divide. This is usually the case;
however, for some geological situations, (Fig. 1.1l),the underground materials
hydraulic conductivity (rate ofpermeability) can result in some discrepancies.
For hydrologic engineering calculations it is often assumed in a relevant way
that both surface water and groundwater follow the same water divide.

Hydrology and Water Resources 15

(b)

Bedrock

Soil surface
Groundwater table

Fig. 1.11

Example of a geo,,gical situation when the surface water divide

does not coincide with the groundwater divide, (a)shows the
case when the surface water and groundwater divide coincide,
and (b)shows the case when the surface water and groundw a t e r divide d o not coincide ( t h e underlying bedrock
determines the groundwater divide instead) (Source: Grip and
Rodhe 1991)

The worlds largest catchment is the Amazonas in South America (Table 1.3).
Every 5th second, 1 Mm3 of water is discharged into the Atlantic from this
gigantic river. This represents 20% of all the worlds freshwater discharge
from land areas. The largest river in India is the Brahmaputra with an average
discharge of almost 20,000 m3/s.
Table 1.3 The largest rivers in the world with catchment areas
River

Catchment area

Annual average dischaTe

(m3/s)

t
Amazon
Kongo
Yangtze
Brahmaputra
Ganges
Jenisej
Mississippi
Orinoco
Lena
Parana
St. Lawrence
Irrawaddv
Ob
Mekong

7,180,000
4,O 14,500
1,942,500
935,000
1,059,300
2,590,000
3,221,400
880,600
2,424,200
2,305,100
1,289,800
429.900
2,483,800
802,900

220,000
39,600
22,000

19,800
18,700
17,400
17,300
17,000
15,500
14,900
14,200
13.600
12,500
11,000

16 Engineering Hydrology

1.4.3 Hydrological Data

To do a more detailed hydrological and environmental study, it is usually
necessary to divide larger catchments into sub-catchments (smaller runoff
catchments within the larger ones). This is done in the same way as above by
defining smaller areas delimited by smaller water divides. In doing so, a more
detailed picture can be obtained about water and environment problems of
specific areas. Hydrological information can usually be found in national
weather, hydrological, geological, and environmental surveys. Also, regional
centers for water supply, hydropower, and/or irrigation usually keep
hydrological data records. However, hydrological data can often be found at
research centers, universities, river basin organizations, and various kinds of
NGOs as well. Using this information, it is possible to find catchment discharge
and use it, for example, to estimate the available water resources or pollutant
transport.
Table 1.4 shows an example of a typical discharge statisticsfrom a catchment.
This type of information is typically necessary in order to estimate availability
of water resources, the size of reservoirs, flood estimation, pollutant transport,
etc. From the table, it is seen that the discharge is given both as dm3/s and in
dm3/(s h2),
i.e., runoff per unit area (h2)
within the catchment. It is also
possible to see the duration of a specific flow (i.e., how many days per year),
expressed in % of the total time that a certain runoff value is exceeded. This
information is needed in order to decide the size of a reservoir to prevent
flooding. Different minimum and maximum values (for different years and
different months) for runoff are also given in the same table. This type of
information is useful to determine if a certain organism with specific flow
requirements would be able to survive in the water course (e.g., during dry
summer months).
Table 1.4(a) Example of discharge statistics that can be used to solve water
resources problems

Maximum

Mean

Minimum

max mean max mean

dm3/s
3208 1573 477
dm3/skm2 62
30
9.2

287
5.5

Duration

min

mean

min

1% 50%

75% 95%

159
3.1

23
0.45

8.0
0.15

1612 119
31 2.3

0.880.40

46

21

Table 1.4tbI Mean duration of runoff 1965-1990

dm3/s!un2 0.5

10 15 20 25 50 75 100 150 200

days/year 334 252 195 165 149 136 119 87 66 38

14

Hydrology and Water Resources 17

Table 1.4(c) Monthly and annual values of discharge and max and min values
for the year in dm3/s
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct N O Dec
~ Year Max Min
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

196.5
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
197.5
Mean

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

411
46.5
8.50
1135
316
34
302
57
70
713
107t
494

311
622
903
889
472
26
668
124
302
743
750
528

17.5 222
8.51 1181
790 689
6.59 4.57
238 279
599 214C
4.52 488
372 533
500 409
354 95
453 632
495 648

369
883
38
213
463
71.5
119
283
263
45
286
367

166
370
217
53
199
211
119
238
96
34
110
165

77
12.5
92
78
76
29
7.5
100
46
35
SO
71

37
106
54
32
54
43
33
58
4.5
22
47
48

72
139
62
28
46
69
21
3.5
32
37
48
54

36
118
98
80
23
68
24
16
30
106
54
59

66
130
106
2.52
118
261
43
44
2.5
SO8
55
146

604 212 1182

74.5 477 2028
4.54 390 1706
230 341 22.56
3.5 191 736
724 411 3208
8.5 199 1.518
57 1.59 1034
29.5 17.5 848
1012 307 1512
52 299 1274
390 287 3208

8
72
21
21
21
20
21
8
8
21
34
8

-- -------- -----Hydrologic information can also be published as maps of water balances for
each month or average values as isolines (line joining points of equal values),
e.g., isohyets (line joining points of equal precipitation on a map) for
precipitation as exemplified in Fig. 1.12. The figure shows average precipitation
in India. From maps like these, it is possible to get a quick overview of the
water balance on an average for different areas in the country.

1.4.4 Role of Hydrological Engineer

Typical tasks of a hydrological engineer may be to estimate how much water
or quantity of a specific pollutant is at hand at a specific location and time.
This is an unusually concrete and specific question. More commonly, the
contractor may provide the hydrological engineer with information on how to
improve the flood situation or water environment in an area. To do this, the
hydrological engineer has to create a logical map of what is governing the
water environment of that particular area. Probably, first of all, the hydrological
data and the land use information of the area have to be gathered. How much
is the quantity of water and pollutants that enters and leaves the area? The
hydrological engineer must find an answer to this question.
To solve this task, there is a set of commonly used calculation methods and
techniques. These are mainly empirical methods, i.e., methods based on
observations of water and material flows at various locations (usually not the
specific location, one is interested in) during shorter or longer periods. These
observations can be used to estimate the specific water and material balances
for the area in question under given assumptions. The calculation methods are
thus more or less based on physical quantities (conceptually imitating reality)
and therefore be interpreted with great care. Most calculation techniques are

18 Engineering Hydrology

Fig. 1.12 Precipitation isohyets in mm/year in India

(Source:Indian Meteorological Department 2007)

built upon simplificationsof natural processes. It is, therefore, not evident that
more or less general calculation techniques are valid for the specific area in
question.
The most important task for the hydrological engineer is not to calculate
some numbers for the above area but to interpret these numbers for the
contractor. The interpretationis dependent upon what assumptions were made
before the calculations, the degree of simplification, and the amount of
background information acquired for the specific location.
Hydrological engineering can be said to be a typically empirical (based on
observations in nature) science and not an exact science. This is obvious when
numbers have to be estimated for water volumes entering an area under study.
At the same time, typical questions from a contractor regarding hydrological
problems are: (i) amount of pollutants, (ii) duration of flooding, (iii) frequency
of flood, etc. Due to this, it is almost impossible to give any exact answers.

Hydrology and Water Resources 19

It is more important to try to give a reasonable interval for the answer to the
questions. Primarily, all hydrological calculations should be seen as a method
toJind a reasonable order of magnitude and/or internal and not a single number
to falsely represent an absolute correct answer because this does not exist.
The calculation methods in this text book are commonly used techniques
that a hydrological engineer may use to solve practical problems. None of
these methods give correct and definitive answer. Instead, every calculation
must be complemented by assumptions made in the calculations.
Studying hydrology as an engineering subject means the emphasis is put on
solving practical engineering problems involving different hydrological and
environmentalissues. The problem-solving also involves other aspects as listed
below.
0

Engineers often have to solve problems that are not well-defined by the
contractor. Thus, more often than not, the engineer has to help himself or
herself to formulate the correct questions. This involves finding the correct
information or data which are required to solve the problem. For this reason,
several assumptions and clarifications have to be made before the actual
problem-solving can start. Each problem is therefore dependent on the
starting assumptions that were made from the beginning, and these have
to be clearly stated for every solution of a problem. The same problem
may have several solutions depending on what assumptions were made.
All engineering calculations and especially those involving hydrology,
include uncertainties and errors. For this reason, all solutions to a problem
should be given with an uncertainty interval. Especially, it is necessary to
point out what factors can affect the final results. Calculations in
hydrological and environmental problem-solving must not be given with
unnecessary high (or low) numerical accuracy.

The components of the water balance are often given in different units
depending on what part ofthe balance is in question. For example, precipitation
is given in &day, &month, or &year; while runoff is usually given in
I/s, dm3/s,dm3/(s km2),m3/s,m3/month,m3/year,etc. When working with the
water balance equation of a specific area, it is important to use the same unit in
the equation. Some examples on how to use the water balance to solve some
typical basic problems are discussed below.

SUMMARY
In this chapter, the basics of hydrology and the water balance and its components
have been discussed. The water balance equation is the mass balance of water
for a particular catchment. It states that all inflows of water to the catchment

20 Engineering Hydrology

area minus all outflows from the catchment area during a certain time period
must be equal to storage changes inside the catchment. For average values
over longer periods, the storage change term may be set to zero.
The catchment is defined by the water divide and the area upstream fi-om a
certain point in the water course that contributes to flow when precipitation
falls. The water divide may not always be the same for surface water and
groundwater. In such cases, an error may be introduced in the water balance
estimation. Hydrological information may be obtained from national and
regional hydrological, meteorological, geological, and environmental surveys
and agencies. Also, research institutes, universities, and NGOs may be able to
provide usehl hydrological information and data.

SOLVED EXAMPLES
Example 1.1 A sub-catchment within the Blue River Basin in Table 1.4
above has a catchment area of 200 ha. What is the average runoff?
Solution
From Table 1.4(a), mean value of average characteristic discharge
= 5.5 dm3/(s km2)
= (5.5/103)m3/(s km2)
Sub-catchment area = 200 ha = 200 x lo4 m2 = 200 x lop2km2
Mean runoff = characteristics value of discharge x sub-cathchment area
= (5.5/103)m3/(s km2) x 200 x lop2km2
= 0.011 m3/s

Example 1.2 The average runoff from the sub-catchment contains about
0.2 mg/l phosphorous. What is the annual transport of phosphorous from the
sub-catchment?
Solution
From Example 1.1, we have:
Mean runoff = 11 x lop3m3/s
Transport of phorphorous with mean runoff

= 0.011 m3/s x
= 0.01 1 m3/s x
= 2.2

0.2 mg/l
(0.2/10p3)mg/m3

mg/sec

Annual transport = 365 x 24 x 60 x 60 x 2.2

= 6.94 x lo7 mg = 69.4 kg
Example 1.3 Two rainfall events, in close succession, fall over a catchment.
After the first rainfall of 24 111111, a total runoff of 11 rnrn was observed. The
second rainfall was measured at about 14 rnrn. How large a runoff can be
expected after the second rainfall?

Hydrology and Water Resources 21

Rainfall 1 ;P I =24 mm
Q l = 11 mm
Rainfall 2; P2 = 14 mm
Q2=?

Solution
It has to be assumed that the two rainfalls were evenly distributed over the
entire catchment. Under this assumption, the runoff from 24 mm becomes
11 mm from the first rainfall. This means that 13 mm disappeared on the
way to the outflow point, i.e., this water either infiltrated andor evaporated.
A simple way to solve this problem is to use the concept of runoflcoeficient.
The runoff coefficient, (c),is defined as runoff divided by precipitation for a
specific precipitation event (c = Q/P), i.e., for the first rainfall, c becomes
11/24 = 0.46.
This means that from the first rainfall,just 46% was transformed into direct
runoff. By assuming that the runoff coefficient is constant, i.e., no large changes
will occw for losses such as infiltration and evaporation (the rain falls close in
time and thus probably the physical conditions may be assumed to be the same
for both rainfalls), we can put:
c = Q,/P,= Q2/P2
Q2= (c x P2)= 0.46 x 14 = 6.4 mm
3
Answer Runoff from the second rainfall will be about 6.4 mm.

Example 1.4 For a catchment with an area 20 km2,an average precipitation

of 732 &year and a total evaporation of 550 &year have been observed
during a 10-year period. Within the catchment, there is an old waste dump;
and at the discharge point, high phosphorous (P) contents have been found,
0.25 mg/l of P. What is the annual mass transport of phosphorous in the water
out from the catchment?

P = 732 &year

22 Engineering Hydrology

Solution
The water balance for the catchment is:
P-E-Q=AS
In this case, the storage term S may be assumed to be zero because the
calculations are made for average values (10 years).
Consequently, the water balance for the catchment is:
P=E+Q
Q = P - E = 732 - 550 = 182 &year
Or,
It has to be assumed that the concentration measurement of phosphorous is
representative for the entire 1O-year period, and this correspondsto 0.25 mg/L P.
The runoff is transformed from &year to m3/s by multiplying with the total
catchment area.
Thus, the runoff becomes:
Q = 182 mm/year x 20 km2
= (182 x 1Op3 m/year) x (20 x 106)m2
= (3640 x lo3) m3/year= 3.64 x lo6 m3/year

Let us transform this quantity to I/s.

Q = 3.64 x lo6 m3/ (365 x 24 x 60 x 60)s
= 3.64 x lo6 m3/(31.54 x 106)s
= 0.115 m3/s = 115 I/s

This is consequentlythe average runoff every second for the 1O-year period.
Now, we can calculate the transport of phosphorous that discharges in the
water from the catchment during one year.
Q x C = 115 I/s x 0.25 mg/l = 28.75 mg/s
The phosphorous transport per year is
= 28.75 mg/s x (60 x 60 x 24 x 365) s/year
= 907 kg/year
This is probably not an exact figure, but we may assume the order of
magnitude of phosphorous transport is about 900 kg/year.
Answer The phosphorous transport out from the catchment is about
900 kglyear.
Example 1.5 A lake has an area of 15 km2. Observation of hydrological
variables during a certain year has shown that:
P = 700 mm/year

Average inflow Qin= 1.4 m3/s

Average outflow Qout= 1.6 m3/s

Hydrology and Water Resources 23

Assume that there is no net water exchange between the lake and the
groundwater. Determine the evaporation during this year.
Solution
(C inflows to the lake - C outflows from the lake) = change in volume

(P + Qin) - (E + QouJ =
In this case, observationshave been made covering a full year. Consequently,
it may be assumed that the storage changes occurring over a year is following
a regular sinus curve (see Fig. 1.9). The storage changes over one year can
thus be assumed as zero. (AS = 0)
(P + Qin) - (E + QouJ

=0

E = P + Q i n p Qout
If we use mm as a common unit over the lake, then
P=700mm
Qin= 1.40 x 3600 x 24 x 365A5.0 x lo6 = 2943.4 mm
Qout= 1.60 x 3600 x 24 x 365A5.0 x lo6 = 3363.8 mm
E = 700 + 2943.4

3363.8 = 279.6 mm

Answer The evaporation from the lake during the year is about 280 mm.
Example 1.6 A pipe for discharging storm-water from a parking lot (area =
2500 m2) in an urban area is to be constructed. The maximum rainfall that can
occur is assumed to have an intensity of 60 d h r . Determine the corresponding
discharge (m3/s)and the dimension (diameter) of the pipe if the water velocity
in the pipe is assumed to be 1 m / s .
Solution
Urban areas behave differently regarding infiltration and evaporation as
compared to rural areas.
In urban areas, a large proportion of the land is often made impermeable
(asphalt, roofs, etc). It is usually assumed that no infiltration can occur through
an asphalted parking lot. Similarly, no evaporation can occur through this
surface even though water on top of the surface may be evaporated.
Since no infiltration occurs through the surface, no losses through infiltration
will occur. The runoff occurring on impermeable surfaces also occurs rather
quickly, so that evaporation losses may be assumed zero.
If the discharge Q is assumed to run off instantly from the rainfall, the
average discharge from the parking lot having an area of 2500 m2 during an
hour is:

Q =P x A

= (60

x lop3)x 2500/3600 = 0.042 m3/s

24 Engineering Hydrology

If the velocity v = 1 d s , then the cross-sectional area A , becomes:

A , = Q/v = (0.042 m3/s)/(1 d s ) = 0.042 m2

A , = n x (D/2)2,where D is the diameter of the pipe
3

D = 2 x (0.042/n)0,5= 0.23 m

Answer The diameter of the pipe has to be at least 0.23 m.

Example 1.7 The evaporation from a lake is to be calculated by the water
balance method. Inflow to the lake occurs through three small rivers A, B, and
C. The outflow occurs through river D. Calculate the evaporation from the
lake surface during summer (May-August) if the water level was at +571.04 m
The
on May 1 and +571.10 m on August 3 1. The lake surface area is 100 h2.
precipitation P during the period was 100 111111. Average inflows and outflow
are given below.
River

Catchment (krn2)

Q, average (rn3/s)

17.0
-

45.0

Solution
Assuming that no other inflows or outflows (e.g., exchange with groundwater)
are occurring than the ones stated above, we can define the water balance for
the lake as:

(Qin + P) (Qout + E ) = S
In this example, it will be convenient to use the common unit, d t i m e
&(May-Aug); May-August = 123 days
The total inflow from rivers to the lake during this period is:
-

Qin= (15.0 + 20.0 + 17.0) x (123 x 24 x 3600)/(100 x lo6) = 5.526 m

P = 0.100 m
Q,

= 45

x (123 x 24 x 3600)/(100 x lo6) = 4.782 m

AS = 571.10 - 571.04 = 0.060 m

Inserting the calculated data in the water balance equation gives:
(5.526 + 0.100) - (4.782 + E ) = 0.060
3

E = 5.526 + 0.100 - 4.782 - 0.060 = 0.784 m

Answer Evaporation during this period was 784 111111.

Hydrology and Water Resources 25

Example 1.8 A lake has a surface area of 7.0 x lo5 m2. During a given
month, the mean inflow to the lake was 2.5 m3/s. The increase in stored lake
volume was observed to be 6.5 x lo5m3. Precipitation during the same month
was 250 mrn and evaporation was 420 111111. Calculate the outflow fi-om the
lake for the same month.

Solution
We must assume that all the major inflows and outflows are known. Specifically,
we need to assume that the exchange between groundwater and lake water is
insignificant.
The water balance equation is:
(Qin + PI - (Qout + E> = A s
In this equation, Qin=2.5 m3/s,P = 250 111111,E = 420 111111,AS
lake area A = 7.0 x lo5 m2, Qo, = ?
Therefore, outflow from the lake becomes:

Q,

= 2.5

Qout= 2.5

[(0.250 - 0.420) x (7.0 x lo5)]

(3600 x 24 x 30)
0.046

= 6.5 x

lo5m3,

3600x24~30

0.251 = 2.20 m3/s

Answer The outflow during this month is 2.2 m3/s.

Example 1.9 A retention reservoir is located so that all runoff fiom upstream
catchment area passes through the reservoir according to the given schematic
figure. The catchment area (reservoir not included) is 100 ha. The reservoir
area is 1.0 ha. Infiltration through the bottom and sides of the reservoir is
negligible. The discharge out from the reservoir is regulated at a constant
Q = 0.045 m3/s. Mean precipitation in July is 178 mm and mean inflow to the
reservoir during the same month is 95000 m3.Mean evaporation fiom the lake
surface in the month of July is 3.1 &day.
(a) What is the average July runoff coefficient? (c = Q/P)
(b) In July 1991, precipitation was slightly higher than normal, P = 220 mm.
What is the total inflow expected to the reservoir for this specific month?
(c) What is the expected change in water level of the reservoir during this
month?

Catchment

26 Engineering Hydrology

Solution
(a) The average runoff coefficient is:
c = Q/P = Qin/P= 95000 / (0.178 x 100 x lo4) = 0.53
(b) Here, we have to assume that the average runoff coefficient is also valid
for the month of July, 1991.
Then, inflow to the reservoir becomes:
Q. = c x P = 0.53 x 220 = 116.6 mm
By multiplying this height with the area of the catchment, we convert the
inflow to a volume.
0.1166 x 100 x lo4 = 116600 m3
(c) By using a water balance for the reservoir, AS will be calculated.
(Qin + PI (Qout + E> = A s
Here, Qin= 95000 m3, P = 220 mm, Qou,= 0.045 m3/s, and
-

E = 3.1 &day
This gives:
AS = (95000 + 0.220 x 10000) [(0.045 x 3600 x 24 x 3 1)
+ (0.0031 x 31 x lOOOO)]
-

AS = 97200 (120528 9610) = -13718 m3

-

The change in storage is negative indicating that the water level in the
reservoir will decrease.
The decrease in water level is:
13718/10000= 1.37 m
Answer (a) The runoff coefficient is c = 0.53, (b) the inflow to the reservoir
during July, 1991 is 116600 m3, and (c) the reservoir level will decrease by
1.37 m.

Example 1.10 The average annual precipitation in a 3000 ha large catchment

is 1200 mm. The corresponding value for actual evapotranspiration is
600 mm.
(a) What will be the average annual runoff from the catchment?
(b) A way to reduce nutrient and pollutant transport in runoff may be to create
biological ponds where physical and biological processes reduce the
nutrient content. The recommended turnover time for such a pond is about
two days. Estimate the needed area for such a pond if half of the runoff
from the above catchment is to be treated.
(c) Typical nutrient concentration in runoff water from the above catchment
is 5-10 mg N/L and 0.1-0.3 mg P,,,/L. Calculate the nitrogen and
phosphorous transport in kg/year fi-om this catchment.

Hydrology and Water Resources 27

Solution
(a) As we are using average values over several years, we may estimate the
average runoff according to:

P-E=Q
1200 - 600 = 600 d y e a r
This gives:
3

(0.6 x 3000 x 104)/(365x 24 x 3600) = 0.57 m3/s

as an average discharge from the catchment during one year.
(b) Assume an average depth of the pond, e.g., 1 m.
The needed area is:
(2 x 0.5 x 0.57) x (365 x 24 x 3600) = 1798 x lo4 m2
(c) The annual transport will be between (5-10 x 0.57 x lo3 x 365 x 24 x
3600) mg N and between (0.1-0.3 x 0.57 x lo3 x 365 x 24 x 3600) mg P
per year.
This gives about 90-180 x lo3 kg N and about 180&5400 kg P,, per
year.
Answer (a) The discharge is 0.57 m3/s, (b) the area necessary is about 1800
ha, and (c) about 9&180 x lo3 kg N and about 180&5400 kg P,, per year.
Example 1.11 Derive a general relationship between the water level in a
lake and the inflow/outflow from the lake depending on time.
Solution
To analyse the relationship, a general water balance for the lake can be used.
The water balance during inflow/outflow will have the following appearance.
I

0 = dS/dt

where, I and 0 are inflow and outflow, respectively; and dS is the temporary
storage of water in the lake during the time, dt.
The storage (dS) depends mainly on the geometry of the lake, i.e., how
deep and long/wide it is. In principle, the water stored is equal to:

dS = A(z) dz
where, A(z) is the surface area of the lake, and dz is the change in depth of the
lake. Due to the fact that the lake geometry is an unknown variable, we need to
assume water-coveredarea A(z)as a function of the water depth (z)in a reference
point. This gives:

A(z) dz = ( I - 0)dt
3
3

dzldt = ( I - 0)/ A(z)

dz1d.t = [Qin(t)- Qout(t)I/[A(z(t)l

Answer dzldt = [Qin(t)- Qout(t)]/A(z(t).

28 Engineering Hydrology

Example 1.12 Discuss how urbanization will affect the water balances and
pollutant transport.
Discussion
Urbanization directly affects the runoff part of the water balance through
decreasing infiltration, depending on the degree of impermeable surfaces of
the area. Thereby, evaporation processes will be affected due to the fact that
evaporation will occur only fi-om wetted, impermeable surfaces. Thus, usually
the runoff component increases greatly in terms of peak value and volume.
Urban areas also create heat islands and an increasing amount of dust
particles, affecting precipitation amounts positively. Urban areas generate
different types of pollutants as compared to rural areas. Typical pollutants
from urban areas are heavy metals, suspended solids, oil, grease, etc.
Example 1.13 Evaporation losses from a reservoir can be estimated using
the water balance method. Identify the necessary components to quantify this
approach. How can the components be estimated andor measured to calculate
the actual evaporation?
Discussion
The general water balance equation reads E = P - Q - AS. The rainfall is
observed using a rain gauge. Losses of the groundwater can be quantified by
observing groundwater table. Runoff in rivers is observed by water level and
current meter, to and from the lake. Storage changes are determined by
observing the lake water level.
Example 1.14 The water balance equation is often used to estimate average
available runoff. Discuss the uncertainties and potential errors involved in
such an approach.
Discussion
The available runoff is often determined using the water balance over a longer
period of time. Thus, runoff is determined as the difference between average
precipitation minus average evapotranspiration. This means that any error or
uncertainty in the average precipitation and evapotranspirationcarries over to
the estimated runoff. For example, ifthe precipitation gauge is not representative
for the area (may be located in a valley in a mountainous catchment), the
gauge will probably underestimate the areal precipitation.

EXERCISES
Exercise 1.1 The evaporation is to be estimated from a lake, and therefore, a
pan evaporimeterhas been placed close to the lake. The water level is observed

Hydrology and Water Resources 29

every morning, and then water is added to the pan if the water level comes
close to 175 111111.Determine the daily potential evaporation for the first 5 days
if the pan overestimates the real evaporation by Ereal= 0.70
Day

Rainfall
(mm)
0.0
5.8
14.2
1.3
0.3
0.0
0.5

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Water level
(mm)
203.2
205.9
217.5
214.3
208.3
201.7
196.7

Day

8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Rainfall
(mm)
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.5

Water level
(mm)
192.4
187.6
182.8
178.3
200.9
195.6
190.1

Answer The corrected evaporation is: 2.2, 1.8, 3.2,4.4, and 4.6 mm.
Exercise 1.2 The following series of precipitation and runoff has been
observed for a large catchment in northern Europe ( P : mm/month;
Q: d m o n t h , area = 46,830 km2with 18.6% lake area) during January 1995December 1996.
(a) How did the actual evaporation vary during the period? (Tips: calculate
the evaporation using the water balance for every month.)
(b) Comment on the results.
Month
1
2
3
4
5

32.5

26.6

30.0

30.7

42.0

31.1

55.5

34.7

37.5

33.7

6
7

67.0
35.5

34.0
31.6

148.5

28.8

84.5

30.4

10
11

28.5

32.5

61.5

35.6

12

57.0

37.7

Month
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

25.5

35.4

19.5

36.5

52.0

35.2

48.5

39.2

17.0

38.5

63.5

38.7

127.5

38.5

79.5

35.5

61.5

34.1

56.0

32.4

31.0

33.2

32.0

32.3

Hint:
The water balance gives occasional negative values. This depends on the fact
that the storage effect cannot be disregarded. Especially during winter when
snow fall may occur, water is temporarily stored in the catchment.

30 Engineering Hydrology

Exercise 1.3 During a month, five rainfall events are recorded in a forest
area. The potential evaporation for the forest is about 0.5 d h r . The forest
also has a local storage (the canopy acts as a storage that can adsorb water up
to 0.05 cm) of about 0.05 cm. The potential evaporation acts on this storage.
down to
Rain

amount (cm)
I

I
I
I
I

1
2

3
4
5

I
I
I
I

duration (hr)

I
I
I
I

7
5
4
24
2

1
0.5
1
2
0.2

I
I
I
I

Answer Assuming an empty canopy storage from the beginning, Q becomes

0.6,0.2,0.75,0.75, and 0.1 cm. Thus, approximately 50% of the rain can pass
through the canopy down to the soil surface.

Exercise 1.4 A shallow circular pond of 2 m depth and radius of 50 m is

having a water depth of 0.5 m. The concentration of phosphorous in pond is
2 mg/l. If the pond received an annual precipitation of 100 111111, what is the
change in the total phosphorous concentration? Assume no phosphorous
consumption in the pond and concentration of phosphorous in rainwater is
zero. Neglect any losses due to seepage or evaporation of water.
Answer 1.66 mg/l

Exercise 1.5 Show the monthly variation of phosphorous concentration in

the pond of Exercise 1.4 for the followingmonthly precipitationand evaporation
data.

Evaporation
(&month)

#$
Sept Oct Nov Dec

Month

12

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. What is the total amount of fi-esh water on earth in per cent of total water
volume?
(d) 10%
(a) 0.001%
(b) 0.1%
(c) 2.7%
2. What is the approximate water velocity of water flow in a river?
(a) 0.01 d s
(b) 0.1 m / s
(c) 1 d s
(d) 5 m / s

Hydrology and Water Resources 31

3. What is the average domestic water consumption in a developed country?

(a) 220 Vday
(b) 20 Vday
(c) 540 Vday
(d) 1000 Vday
4. What is the average turnover time for water in ice caps and glaciers?
(a) 50 years
(b) 2000 years (c) 10,000 years (d) 8000 years
5. Convection is
(a) Infiltration of water
(c) Radiation of energy

(b) Uplift of air

(d) Plant respiration

6. The major climatic areas of the earth are mainly determined from
(a) Location of south and north pole
(b) Global atmosperic flow
(c) Ocean currents
(d) Planetary orbits
7. The water divide determines the
(a) Catchment boundaries
(b) Division between wastewater and drinking water
(c) Areas collecting stormwater in a city
(d) Division between water and snow in a snowpack

8. Which is the river basin with the largest discharge on earth?

(a) The Amazon (b) The Ganga (c) Mississippi (d) Donau

9. Empirical means
(a) Approximative
(c) Obeying physics

(b) Theoretical
(d) Observation based

10. How many people die every year due to water-borne deseases and
pollutants?
(a) 5 million
(b) 0.5 million (c) 25 million
(d) 10 million

REFERENCES
Anderberg, L., 1994, Short Introduction to Hydrology [Lecture notes], Lund
University, Lund, Sweden, 46 pp.
Bergstrom, S., 1993, Hydrology of Sweden; Basic Hydrological Properties,
SMHVSwedish Hydrological Council, Norrkoping, (in Swedish).
Bonnier A., 1975, Bonnier World Wap, George Philip & Son Ltd, London (in
Swedish).
Grip, H., and A. Rodhe, 1991, Waterfrom Rainfall to River, Hallgren & Fallgren
Studieforlag AB (in Swedish).

32 Engineering Hydrology

Indian Meteorological Department, 2007. From: http://www.imd.ernet.in/

sectiodclimate/annual-rainfall.
htm
Larsson, R., 1999, CalculationExercises in Hydrology, Lund University, Lund,
Sweden.
Lvovich, M. I., 1979, World Water Resources and their Future, Trans. by
R. L. Nace, AGU, 415 pp.
Melin, R., 1970,Hydrology in theNordic Countries, Liber Co. Ltd, Stockholm,
(in Swedish).
Marklund K. (Ed), 1996, National Encyclopedia, Bra Bocker Ltd, Sweden.
SMHI, 1979,Discharge in Sweden, Swedish Meteorologicaland Hydrological
Institute, Gotab, Stockholm (in Swedish).
Smith, R., and T. Smith, 1998, Elements of Ecology, Addison-Wesley,
San Francisco, 566 pp.
Whipple, A.B.C., 1984, Planet Earth: Storm, Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.