LECTURE NOTE

EGEW515
WATER RESOURCES SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING
REVISED IN 2018

ASST.PROF.DR.AREEYA RITTIMA
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
E-MAIL: AREEYA.RIT@MAHIDOL.AC.TH
HTTP://WWW.EG.MAHIDOL.AC.TH/DEPT/EGCE/
LECTURE OUTLINE

Watershed System
 Definition and characteristics
 Data required for watershed modeling
WATERSHED SYSTEM

Importance
 The concept of watershed is the
foundation of all hydrologic planning
and design as well as the watershed
management.

 An understanding of watersheds is basic

for understanding the major sources of
freshwater all over the world.

 Water resources management must be

undertaken at a whole-watershed level.
WATERSHED SYSTEM

Major Watersheds across National Boundaries

WATERSHED IN THAILAND

No Name No. Name

.
1 Salawin 14 Mae Klong
2 Maekong 15 Prachin Buri
3 Kok 16 Bang Pakong
4 Chi 17 Tonle Sap
5 Mun 18 East Coast Gulf
6 Ping 19 Phetchaburi
7 Wang 20 Prachumkiri Khan
Coast
8 Yom 21 East Coast
9 Nan 22 Ta Pi
10 Chao Phraya 23 Thale Sap Songkhla
11 Sakae Krang 24 Pattani
12 Pasak 25 West Coast
13 Thachin
DEFINITION OF WATERSHED

Definition of Watershed
Watershed is an area of land that
Watershed
drains all the streams and rainfall to a System
common outlet such as the outflow of
a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any
point along a stream channel.

The word watershed is sometimes used

interchangeably with “Drainage Basin”
or “Catchment”.

Ridges and hills that separate two “A watershed is a precipitation

watersheds are called the “Drainage collector”
Divide”.
Function of Watershed
The main function of watershed is to receive the incoming precipitation
and then dispose it off. This is the essence of soil and water conservation.
DEFINITION OF WATERSHED

Watershed Area
A watershed drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody. Every
body of water has a watershed. Watersheds drain rainfall and snowmelt
into streams and rivers. These smaller bodies of water flow into larger
ones, including lakes, bays, and oceans. Gravity helps to guide the path
that water takes across the landscape.

Not all rain or snow that falls on a watershed flows out in this way. Some
seeps into the ground. It goes into underground reservoirs called aquifers.
Other precipitation ends up on hard surfaces such as roads and parking
lots, from which it may enter storm drains that feed into streams.

Watersheds can vary in size. A watershed for a tiny mountain creek might
be as small as a few square meters. Some watersheds are enormous and
usually encompass many smaller ones.
COMPONENTS OF WATERSHED

Components of Watershed
The watershed consists of
 Drainage area
 Surface water: lakes, streams, reservoirs, wetlands
 All the underlying ground water

Larger watersheds contain many smaller watersheds. It all depends on

the outflow point; all of the land that drains water to the outflow point is
the watershed for that outflow location.
WATERSHED SYSTEM

Watershed System
 Watershed Divide
 Drainage Area
 River Networks
 Hydraulic Structures
River Networks  Irrigated Area & Urban Area
 Others

Dam & Reservoir

Irrigated Area

Agricutural Area
Urban Area
Industry
CLASSIFICATION OF WATERSHED

Classification of Watershed
 Based on Area Size
A large numbers of terms are very frequently and loosely used to classify
watershed in different sizes.
(a) Micro Watersheds
(b) Small Watersheds
(c) Large Watersheds

Small Watersheds
Small watersheds are those where the overland flow is the main
contributor to peak runoff/flow and channel characteristics do not
affect the overland flow.

Large Watersheds
Large watersheds are those give peak flows are greatly influenced by
channel characteristics and basin storage.
CLASSIFICATION OF WATERSHED

Classification of Watershed
 Area Covered
Watersheds is also classified into different categories based on area that
the watersheds contain.

No Type of Watershed Area Covered Area Size

1 Micro Watershed
2 Small Watershed
3 Mini Watershed
4 Sub Watershed
5 Macro Watershed
6 River Basin above 1000 ha
Size of watershed determines
0 to 10 ha the quantity of rainfall
received, retained and
10 to 40 ha disposed off [runoff]. Larger
40 to 200 ha the watershed, larger be the
channel and storage of
200 to 400 ha water in basin. Large
watershed characteristics are
400 to 1000 ha topography, geology, soil,
climate and use and
vegetation.
CLASSIFICATION OF WATERSHED

Classification of Watershed
 Based on Shape
Watershed may have several shapes like square, triangular, rectangular,
oval, palm, fern leaf shape etc.
(a)Square
(b)Triangular
(c) Rectangular
(d)Oval
(e) Fern leaf shaped
(f) Palm shaped
(g)Polygon shaped
(h) Circular

Types of Watershed
SIGNIFICANCE OF WATERSHED SHAPE

Watershed Shape

The significance of drainage basin shape (A,B,C) on

hydrograph form.
The effect of drainage networks (D,E)
with contrasted restrictions of
hydrograph forms. In contrast to (E) in
the more restricted watershed (D)
the hydrograph shows a quicker rise
but lower peak (from Gregory and
Walling, 1973: 269).
WATERSHED GEOMORPHOLOGY
Watershed
System
Drainage Area
The drainage area is an important
watershed characteristic for hydrologic
planning and design because it
contains the volume of water
generated from rainfall.
Determining the drainage area requires
delineation of the watershed boundary.
The Geographic Information System
(GIS) is a powerful tool for this purpose.
Watershed Length
Watershed length is defined as the distance
measured from the watershed outlet to the farthest
point on the basin divide.
The length is usually a measure of the travel time of
water through the watershed.
Watershed Slope
Watershed slope is an important factor in the
momentum of runoff and flood magnitude.
It is the rate of change of elevation with respect to
distance along the principal flow path.
Watershed Shape
Watersheds have an infinite variety of shapes. The
parameters that reflect the basin shape are used in
hydrologic planning and design.
Typical parameters are;
(a) Length to the center of area (Lca)
(b) Shape Factor (Lt)
(c) Circularity ratio (Rc)
WATERSHED GEOMORPHOLOGY

Watershed Length to the Center Area (Lca)

System Length to the center area is the distance (measured
in km) along the main channel between the basin
outlet and the point on the main channel opposite
the center of the area.

Shape Factor (Lt)

Shape factor is estimated by the following equation.

L.L
Lt ( ca )0.3
2.58

Where L = the watershed length in kilometer

Lt shows the elongation of a watershed

Circularity Ratio (Rc) Watershed Slope (Sc)

Circularity ratio is estimated by the Watershed slope is the difference in elevation
following equation. between the upper and lower elevation of
watershed (Ec) over the length (L).
Rc  A
A0
Sc  dEc
Where A = the area of watershed L
Ao = the area of a circle with
parameter equal to the
perimeter of the basin
WATERSHED GEOMORPHOGY

Delimitation of
Catchment Watershed
Morphological Components of
the Catchment Basin
WATERSHED GEOMORPHOGY:
FLOODPLAIN

Floodplain or flood plain

is an area of land adjacent
to a stream or river which
experiences flooding during
periods of high discharge.

Floodplain is flat, low-lying

land near rivers or coasts
that has high potential to
flood due to rain, tidal surges
or other storm events.
WATERSHED GEOMORPHOGY:
FLOODPLAIN

The floodplain after a one-in-10-year flood on the Isle of Wight, England

Source: Wikipedia (2018)
HYDROLOGIC/WATER CYCLE
HYDROLOGIC DATA

Hydrologic Data
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE & PROCESSES

Hydrologic Cycle & Processes (USGS)

Precipitation:
The greatest factor controlling streamflow, by far, is the amount of
precipitation that falls in the watershed as rain or snow. However, not all
precipitation that falls in a watershed flows out, and a stream will often
continue to flow where there is no direct runoff from recent precipitation.
PRECIPITATION

Precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation
of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity.

Meteorological Processes
Meteorological Processes

Precipitation

Source:
eschooltoday (2018)
PRECIPITATION

Forms of Precipitation
Drizzle/Mist
 Drizzle is a light liquid
precipitation consisting of
liquid water drops smaller
than those of rain – generally
smaller than 0.5 mm.

Rain
 Rain is liquid water in the form
of droplets that have
condensed from atmospheric
water vapor and then
becomes heavy enough to
fall under gravity.
 Water drops of size between
0.5-0.6 mm.

Source: Wikipedia (2018b)

PRECIPITATION

Forms of Precipitation
Snow
 Snow refers to forms of ice
crystals that precipitate from
the atmosphere (usually from
clouds).
 Diameter is 1-2 mm.
 Average specific gravity is 0.1.

Sleet [Rain and snow mixed]

 Sleet is precipitation
composed of rain and
partially melted snow.
 Diameter is 0.5-5 mm.

Source: Wikipedia (2018b)

PRECIPITATION

Forms of Precipitation
Hail
 Hail is the precipitation in the
form of ice balls of diameter
more than about 8 mm.

Source: Wikipedia (2018)

RAINFALL DATA:
RAINFALL MEASUREMENT

Rain Guage

Tipping Bucket Rain

Guage
RAINFALL DATA:
RAINFALL ISOHYETAL MAP

Rainfall Isohyetal Map

 Rainfall data varies greatly in
space and time.
 Rainfall can be represented by
“Isohyetal Map”.
 Isohyet is a contour of constant
rainfall.
RAINFALL DATA:
RAINFALL HYETOGRAPH

Computation of rainfall depth and

intensity at a point

The rainfall data in 5-minute increments

=1.17-0.00 from gage 1-Bee in the Austin storm.
=1.67-0.02

Computations of max rainfall depth and

=3.81-0.00 intensity give index of how severe a
=4.17-0.02
particular storm is, compared to other
storms recorded at the same location,
and they provide useful data for design
of control structures.
=3.81-0.00
=8.22-0.02

=0.76/(5/60) =8.20/2
Source: Chow et al. (1988)
RAINFALL DATA:
RAINFALL HYETOGRAPH

Rainfall Hyetograph
Rainfall hyetograph is a plot of rainfall depth or intensity as a
function of time.

0.8
Rainfall Intensity (in/5 min)

0.76 inch
0.6

0.4

0.2

Time (min)
RAINFALL DATA:
CUMULATIVE RAINFALL HYETOGRAPH

Cumulative Rainfall Hyetograph/Rainfall Mass Curve

Cumulative rainfall hyetograph is a plot of cumulative rainfall as a
function of time.

10
Cumulative Rainfall (in)

8
6
4
2
1 hour =6.73-1.17
0

Time (min)
RAINFALL DATA:
AREAL RAINFALL

Areal Rainfall
In general, for water resources planning purposes, knowledge is
required of the average rainfall depth over a certain area. This is
called the “Areal Rainfall”.

Some examples where the

areal rainfall is required
include;
 Design of a culvert or
bridge draining a certain
catchment area.
 Design of a pumping
station to drain an
urbanized area.
 Design of a structure to
drain a polder.

Source: Chow et al. (1988)

RAINFALL DATA:
AREAL RAINFALL ESTIMATION METHODS

Estimation Methods
There are various methods to estimate the average rainfall over
an area, (areal rainfall) with area A from n Point-measurements, Pi.

 Arithmetic-Mean Method
 Thiessen Polygon Method
 Isohyetal Method
 Grid Point Method
 Kriging Method
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE & PROCESSES

Hydrologic Cycle & Processes (USGS)

Infiltration:
When rain falls on dry ground, some of the water soaks in, or infiltrates the
soil. Some water that infiltrates will remain in the shallow soil layer, where
it will gradually move downhill, through the soil, and eventually enters the
stream by seepage into the stream bank. Some of the water may
infiltrate much deeper, recharging groundwater aquifers. Water may
travel long distances or remain in storage for long periods before
returning to the surface.
INFILTRATION DATA:
MEASUREMENT

Single Ring Infiltrometer Double Ring Infiltrometer

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE & PROCESSES

Evaporation:
Water from rainfall returns to the atmosphere largely through
evaporation. The amount of evaporation depends on temperature, solar
radiation, wind, atmospheric pressure, and other factors.

Transpiration:
The root systems of plants absorb water from the surrounding soil in
various amounts. Most of this water moves through the plant and
escapes into the atmosphere through the leaves.
EVAPORATION DATA:
MEASUREMENT

Evaporation Pan
EVAPORATION

Evaporation
 Evaporation is the process by which water
changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor.

 Evaporation is the primary pathway that

water moves from the liquid state back
into the water cycle as atmospheric water
vapor.

Evaporation from open water

surface.
Evaporation from land surface
comprises. Evaporation Evaporation+Transpiration
 Evaporation directly from soil
and vegetation surface.
 Transpiration through plant
leaves.
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION DATA:
MEASUREMENT

Lysimeter
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

Evapotranspiration (ET)
The processes of evaporation from land surface and transpiration
from vegetation are collectively termed “Evapotranspiration”.

The term Evapotranspiration combines

two words:
 Evaporation of water from the soil.
 Transpiration of water from plants into
the air.

Evapotranspiration means the total loss

of water from a crop into the air.

ET = ETc = Crop Water

Crop water is important because it
determines how much water must be
provided by irrigation or rain.
Source: Wikipedia (2018)
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION DATA:
ET CALCULATION

Crop ET (ETc) vs Reference Crop ET (ETo) Climatic Data:

Radiation
Temperature
Crop of Interest Grass Reference Crop Wind Speed
Humidity
ETc = Kc.ETo (Alfalfa Grass)
Kc = Crop Coefficient
Provided by RID

8-15 cm tall Reference Crop

green grass cover Evapotranspiration Equations:
of uniform height, Penman Equation
actively growing Penman-Monteith Equation
Direct Measurement FAO-Penman Monteith
by Lysimeter Equation
Doorenbos-Pruitt Equation
Bladney-Criddle Equation
ETc ETo others
DATA REQUIRED FOR WATERSHED MODELLING

Data Required for Watershed Modelling

Physical Characteristics:
 Watershed geomorphology
 River geomorphology
 River length and slope Select
 Cross section Management Tools
 Channel roughness
 Channel form

Hydrologic Characteristics:
 Time of concentration (Tc)
 Rainfall data HEC-RESSIM
 River flow&Outflow

Water Demand:
 Demand point/control point
 Return flow
 Planting area
 ETc
Hydraulic Structures: MIKE-BASIN
 Dam/Reservoir/Hydropower Systems WEAP