Hydrologic Routing

• Consists of computing the outflow hydrograph corresponding to a given inflow

hydrograph.
• Hydrographs may be routed through a reservoir, stream or river reach.

Figure 1 Reservoir Routing

Figure 2 Stream or Channel Routing

• The relationship of storage (S), Inflow (I), and Outflow (O) at an instant:
dS
= I−O
dt
• For a time interval ∆t, it may be written in terms of average terms:
∆S
= I−O
∆t
• The area between the inflow and outflow hydrographs for a given time interval ∆t
represents a change in storage volume.
• For computational purposes:
S 2 − S1 I 1 + I 2 O 1 + O 2
= − Eq.1
∆t 2 2
 Subscripts 1 and 2 refer to beginning and end of computational time interval.

For each time step, I1, I2, and S1 are known, O2 and S2 are unknown.

Hydrologic Routing is based on combining the above equation with a relationship

between storage and discharge.

Figure 2 Hydrologic Routing Concept

• Routing Methods:

1. Storage-Outflow- based on the premise that storage is a unique function of

outflow. Often used with reservoir.
2. Muskingum Routing- relates storage to a linear function of weighted inflow and
outflow. Developed specifically for streams and rivers.

Storage-Outflow Method for Hydrologic Routing

• Basic premise is that outflow is known for any amount of storage.

• A storage outflow relationship is combined with the above continuity equation,
sometimes called modified Puls routing.
• Also called level-pool reservoir routing when used with a storage-outflow
relationship for a reservoir.
• Routing algorithm:

 2S 2   2S1  Eq.2
 ∆ t + O 2  = I1 + I 2 +  ∆ t − O 1 
   
At each time step, the terms to the right of the equal sign are known and the (2S/∆t + O)
term on the left is computed.
As the computational algorithm advances to the next time step, (2S/∆t - O) is determined
as,

 2S   2S  Eq.3
 ∆t − O  =  ∆t + O  − 2 O

A relationship between the term on the left of Eq.2 and outflow O

2S
+O versus O is required to determine O.
∆t

This relationship may be in the format of a table, graph, or equation.

• Storage-outflow relationship for a reservoir:

An elevation versus storage volume relationship is developed from a topographic

map of a reservoir site.
The horizontal area A enclosed by each contour and the dam is determined.
The incremental storage volume ∆S between two contours is computed as:
 A bottom + A top 
∆S =   * (∆contour ) Eq.4
 2 
The total reservoir storage S below a given contour elevation is the sum of all
incremental volumes below that elevation.
An elevation versus outflow relationship, often called an outlet rating curve, is
developed based on the hydraulics of the outlet structures.
Flow through spillways and other outlets can be related to the water surface
elevation in the reservoir by weir and/or orifice equations.
For uncontrolled outlet structures, there is a single elevation-outflow relationship
while for gated outlet structures, the elevation outflow relationship varies with gate
openings.
The S versus elevation and O versus elevation relationships are combined to
develop a relationship between S and O.
This relationship allows simple computation of a relationship between O and
(2S/∆t + O).

Example: A dam has an uncontrolled weir spillway 10 m wide with a crest elevation of
548.0 m and a discharge coefficient of 2.0. The reservoir water surface
elevation versus area relationship developed from a topographic map is shown
 in the Table 1 below. The elevation versus discharge relationship will be
computed using weir equation. Route the inflow hydrograph provided in the
Table 2 below. The starting water surface elevation in the reservoir is 544.0 m.

Table 1 Area vs. Elevation

Elevation (h) Area (A)

m m2 Table 2 Inflow Hydrograph
530 0
532 1,000 Time (t) Inflow (I) Time (t) Inflow (I)
3
534 2,000 hrs m /s hrs m3/s
536 5,000 0 10 11 125
538 9,000 1 90 12 100
540 20,000 2 300 13 75
542 35,000 3 400 14 65
544 60,000 4 500 15 50
546 110,000 5 450 16 40
548 200,000 6 400 17 30
550 330,000 7 300 18 20
552 430,000 8 250 19 10
554 550,000 9 200 20 0
556 700,000 10 150 21 0
558 900,000

Answer:

Reservoir Storage-Outflow Relationship Computation

Elevation (h) Area (A) Storage (S) Head (H) Outflow (O) 2S/∆
∆t + O
2 3 3 3
m m m m m /s m /s
530 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
532 1,000 1,000 0.0 0.0 0.6
534 2,000 4,000 0.0 0.0 2.2
536 5,000 11,000 0.0 0.0 6.1
538 9,000 25,000 0.0 0.0 13.9
540 20,000 54,000 0.0 0.0 30.0
542 35,000 109,000 0.0 0.0 60.6
544 60,000 204,000 0.0 0.0 113.3
546 110,000 374,000 0.0 0.0 207.8
548 200,000 684,000 0.0 0.0 380.0
550 330,000 1,214,000 2.0 56.6 731.0
552 430,000 1,974,000 4.0 160.0 1256.7
554 550,000 2,954,000 6.0 293.9 1935.0
556 700,000 4,204,000 8.0 452.5 2788.1
558 900,000 5,804,000 10.0 632.5 3856.9
Storage-Outflow Routing Table

Time (t) Inflow (I) 2S1/∆

∆ t - O1 2S2/∆
∆t + O2 Outflow (O)
3 3 3
hrs m3/s m /s m /s m /s
0 10 113.0 113.0 0.0
1 90 213.0 213.0 0.0
2 300 531.1 603.0 35.9
3 400 921.2 1231.1 155.0
4 500 1278.3 1821.2 271.5
5 450 1531.4 2228.3 348.5
6 400 1627.5 2381.4 376.9
7 300 1593.7 2327.5 366.9
8 250 1478.2 2143.7 332.7
9 200 1343.0 1928.2 292.6
10 150 1200.7 1693.0 246.2
11 125 1069.2 1475.7 203.3
12 100 959.4 1294.2 167.4
13 75 862.5 1134.4 135.9
14 65 782.5 1002.5 110.0
15 50 718.9 897.5 89.3
16 40 665.1 808.9 71.9
17 30 620.3 735.1 57.4
18 20 576.8 670.3 46.8
19 10 533.7 606.8 36.5
20 0 490.9 543.7 26.4
21 0 455.2 490.9 17.9
22 0 430.9 455.2 12.1
23 0 414.5 430.9 8.2
24 0 403.4 414.5 5.6
25 0 395.9 403.4 3.8

Storage-Outflow Routing
600
Discharge in CMS

500

400 Inflow

300 Outflow

200

100

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
Time (hrs)