Hydrology (CIVL:3750)

Lecture 17
The Flow Duration Curve and the
Unit Hydrograph Concept

Winnipeg, MB - 2024
 Hydrology (CIVL:3750)

Learning Objectives
After this session, students should be able to:
• Define the concept of the streamflow hydrograph
• Calculate a flow duration curve (FDC) of streamflow
• Describe the response of a linear deterministic system to a
unit impulse
• Describe the concept of unit hydrograph
• Identify the aspects of flow in river network that make the
approximation of a linear basin response feasible
• List limitations of applicability of unit hydrograph theory
 Watershed Scale Response to Rainfall
A hydrograph is a plot of stream discharge (m3/s) versus time during and after a rainfall or a
snowmelt event. The streamflow hydrograph is an aggregated expression of
the rainfall-runoff transformation and runoff transport in the watershed
 Watershed Scale Response to Rainfall
A hydrograph is a plot of stream discharge (m3/s) versus time during and after a rainfall or a
snowmelt event. The streamflow hydrograph is an aggregated expression of
the rainfall-runoff transformation and runoff transport in the watershed
 The Flow Duration Curve
Another way to look at streamflow fluctuations is to transform data from the time-domain to
the frequencies-domain. We call it a Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Exceedance Probability (%)

𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅

𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 =
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅
 The Flow Duration Curve
Another way to look at streamflow fluctuations is to transform data from the time-domain to
the frequencies-domain. We call it a Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Exceedance Probability (%)

𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒌 [𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕]

𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 =
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅
 The Flow Duration Curve
Another way to look at streamflow fluctuations is to transform data from the time-domain to
the frequencies-domain. We call it a Flow Duration Curve (FDC)

Flow Duration = Nobs * probability of exceedance = Rank

 The Flow Duration Curve
Another way to look at streamflow fluctuations is to transform data from the time-domain to
the frequencies-domain. We call it a Flow Duration Curve (FDC)
 The Flow Duration Curve
Another way to look at streamflow fluctuations is to transform data from the time-domain to
the frequencies-domain. We call it a Flow Duration Curve (FDC)
 Let’s turn our attention to the component of
streamflow influenced by “direct” runoff
The term “direct runoff” is typically used to encompass the runoff that flows rapidly
from the hillslope to channels, usually produced by Hortonian overland flow,
saturated overland flow, or by rain on impervious areas, but in some cases, it
includes interflows. In the figure below it corresponds to the grey hydrograph
 Are Streamflow Fluctuations Predictable?
Consider a scenario where rainfall over the watershed is accurately
measured and infiltration characteristics of the watershed are known
Rainfall and Infiltration Rate

Surface Runoff

Infiltration Rate

Infiltration
 Are Streamflow Fluctuations Predictable?
How will river flow at the basin outlet change in response to the rainfall
input?
Rainfall and Infiltration Rate

Surface Runoff

Infiltration Rate

Infiltration
 Are Streamflow Fluctuations Predictable?
How will river flow at the basin outlet change in response to the rainfall
input?

Random?
 Are Streamflow Fluctuations Predictable?
How will river flow at the basin outlet change in response to the rainfall
input?

Deterministic?
 Are Streamflow Fluctuations Predictable?
How will river flow at the basin outlet change in response to the rainfall
input?
Empirical observations confirm that the response is deterministic…

Is it Linear or Nonlinear?
Response

Response

Impulse Impulse
 Watershed Response
Unit Hydrograph Concept
Sherman (1932) proposed that the response of a watershed to a rainfall/runoff
input is linear

The response of a linear system is uniquely characterized by its impulse response function.
If a system receives an input of unit amount applied instantaneously (a unit impulse) at
time t, the response of the system at a later time t is described by the unit impulse
response function u(t - t); t – t is the time lag since the impulse was applied
 Watershed Response
Unit Hydrograph Concept
Sherman (1932) proposed that the response of a watershed to a rainfall/runoff
input is linear
 Watershed Response
Unit Hydrograph:
As originally proposed by Sherman in 1932, it is "…the basin outflow resulting from
one unit of direct runoff generated uniformly over the drainage area at a uniform
rainfall rate during a specified period of rainfall duration."
 Practical Importance… Predictability!

In a linear system, doubling the strength of the input doubles the

strength of the output

In a linear system, the response to multiple impulse inputs is equal to

the sum of the unit responses
 Watershed Response

In the case of a watershed, the streamflow fluctuations following a

storm with variable intensities over time can be calculated as the sum
of the unit response to precipitation inputs
 Watersheds are not Drums

Does the Unit Hydrograph Concept reflect the physics of

rainfall/runoff and runoff routing in a watershed?
To answer this question, we need to take a step back and look at the
spatial structure of the River Network
 The Width Function

The width function W(x) of a network is defined as the number of links at a distance x from
the outlet. Distance can be defined in the typical geometrical sense (i.e. meters, kilometers)
or as a count of number of links. The first one is called the geometric width function and the
second one is called the topologic width function.

W(x)
Number of channel links

Distance to the Outlet

Thought Experiment (Pinball Game)
In real life water transport is more complicated
than pinballs, but the underlying idea stands

Hydrograph
Width Function
(25 mm in 1 hour)

Soap Creek

Chequest Creek
 When are hydrographs needed?
Let’s examine the concentration times associated to river basins of
different size:
Basin Area Main Channel Travel Time Travel Time Travel Time Concentration Concentration Concentration
(km^2) Length (m) (min) (hr) (days) Time (min) Time (hr) Time (days)
0.01 100.00 11.67 0.19 0.01 53.67 0.89 0.04
0.10 398.11 21.60 0.36 0.02 99.38 1.66 0.07
1.00 1,584.89 61.16 1.02 0.04 281.35 4.69 0.20
10.00 6,309.57 218.65 3.64 0.15 1,005.80 16.76 0.70
100.00 25,118.86 845.63 14.09 0.59 3,889.89 64.83 2.70
1,000.00 100,000.00 3,341.67 55.69 2.32 15,371.67 256.19 10.67
10,000.00 398,107.17 13,278.57 221.31 9.22 61,081.43 1,018.02 42.42
100,000.00 1,584,893.19 52,838.11 880.64 36.69 243,055.29 4,050.92 168.79

Q: How long does it have to rain for a basin of size X to reach equilibrium (i.e. steady state)?

Q=CIA is no longer a good upper bound. It’s too large

For basins larger than 10 km we need to understand to events that last significantly less than
the concentration time
Hydrology (CIVL:3750)