Channel Routing and Storage

If we know the discharge data at the upstream and

downstream, how to plot the water storage in the stream
against time ? (see Example 1)

Example 1

The unit is ft3/sec. The time interval is t = 1 unit

1
Consider the following equations

(1a)

(1b)
where S is the water storage
S S

2
t should be much less than the peak storage time;
otherwise the accuracy is poor

3
If we know the water depth and cross section properties
of the channel, how can we calculate the discharge rate at
that section ? (see Example 2)

Example 2: Mannings Equation

A rectangular channel section has a width of 80 ft, a
roughness coefficient of 0.04, and a slope of 0.005. Use
Mannings Equation to find the discharge rate for
various water depths

(2a)

when (w >> 2h)

(2b)
where q = discharge rate, A = cross section area, V = flow
velocity, w = channel width, h = water depth , So=
channel slope, n = roughness coefficient. See below for
the explanation of Rh

4
Note that the above table is called Rating Table; the
curve of q plotted against h is called Rating Curve. The
general form representing Rating Curve is
q = xAm (2c)
where x and m are constants determined from the
Mannings equation (i.e. and ) or site
measurement data

If we know the discharge data I(t) at the upstream, how

to find the discharge rate at the downstream O(t) ?
1) Convex routing method
2) Muskingum method
3) Modified ATT-IN method

Example 3a Convex routing method

Upstream flow rate : {0, 12, 27, 56, 53, 47, 38, 23, 15, 8,
4, 0}. Use the routing equation in the Convex routing
method to find the downstream discharge rates
Ot+1=C It+(1-C) Ot (3)

5
Assume the downstream discharge rate = 0 at the
beginning and C = 0.25. Ot+1 and Ot= the downstream
discharge rates at the time steps t+1 and t, respectively;
1t = the upstream discharge rate at the time step t. Note
that when C is not given, it can be calculated from
C = t/K (4)
where K=the ratio of the reach length L to the flow
velocity V; =t time interval

If the upstream and downstream discharge data is

available, how to find the coefficient C in the Convex
routing method?

6
Example 3b: Find coefficient C
The upstream and downstream discharge data is given.
Find the coefficient C in the Convex routing method
using the regression formula.

(5)
Downstre
Upstream Downstream Ot+1- (Ot+1-Ot) am from
(I), (ft3/sec) (O), (ft3/sec) Ot Ot-It (Ot-It) (Ot-It)2 (3)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 3 10 30 100 0
35 3 11 32 352 1024 4
75 14 22 61 1342 3721 14
1188
145 36 38 109 4142 1 36
1849
210 74 48 136 6528 6 75
1060
225 122 40 103 4120 9 122
165 162 3 3 9 9 159
160 165 -5 -5 25 25 163
175 160 4 15 60 225 163
185 164 8 21 168 441 165
130 172 -14 -42 588 1764 171
90 158 -25 -68 1700 4624 157
60 133 -25 -73 1825 5329 134
40 108 -22 -68 1496 4624 107
20 86 -24 -66 1584 4356 84
10 62 -18 -52 936 2704 63
0 44 -14 -44 616 1936 44
0 30 -10 -30 300 900 28
0 20 -8 -20 160 400 19
0 12 -5 -12 60 144 13
0 7 -4 -7 28 49 8
0 3 -3 -3 9 9 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 2
7
 7337
26078 0
Therefore, C= 26078/73370=0.355

From (3), Ot+1 =0.355It +0.647Ot

Example 3c: Another method to find C

A rectangular channel with n = 0.035 has a bed slope of
0.5%. The hydraulic radius is 1 ft. The reach length=
18,000ft. The following flood hydrology was measured
at a downstream section {10, 10, 10.6, 12.2, 14, 15, 14.9,
14.6, 14.1} ft3/sec; and t = 0.5hr. Find the upstream
discharge rates. Note that the initial upstream discharge
rate is equal to the initial downstream discharge rate

Use (2a) and (4) to find C

(2a)

C = t/K (4)
where K=the ratio of the reach length L to the flow
velocity V; =t time interval

Use (3) to find the upstream discharge rates

9
Example 4a Muskingum method
Upstream flow rate : {0, 12, 27, 56, 53, 47, 38, 23, 15, 8,
4, 0}. Assume the downstream discharge rate = 0 at the
beginning. Use the routing equation in the Muskingum
method to find the downstream discharge rates

Ot+1=Co It+1+ C1 It+ C2 Ot (6)

where Ot+1 and Ot= the downstream discharge rates at the

time steps t+1 and t, respectively; 1t+1 and 1t = the
upstream discharge rates at the time steps t+1 and t,
respectively.

(7a-c)

where K=the ratio of the reach length L to the flow

velocity V; =t time interval; x = the constant in the
general equation of Rating curve (see (2c))
q = xAm (2c)
In this example, x=0.25; K=0.75hr; t=0.25hr

10
Use (6), Ot+1=Co It+1+ C1 It+ C2 Ot
Upstream, I Downstream, O
Time (min) (cfs) (cfs)
0 0 0.0
15 12 -1.1
30 27 2.3
45 56 8.7
60 53 26.2
75 47 36.5
90 38 41.1
105 23 41.4
120 15 35.4
135 8 28.6
150 4 21.5
165 0 15.5

Example 4b: Find coefficients Co, C1, C2

A set of upstream and downstream discharge data is
given. Find the coefficients Co, C1, C2 in the Muskingum
method using the regression formulas.
C o I 2t +1+C 1 I t I t +1+C 2 Ot I t +1= Ot +1 I t +1 C o I t I t +1 +C 1 I 2t + C2 Ot I t = Ot +1 I t

C o Ot I t +1+C 1 Ot I t +C 2 O2t = Ot Ot +1

(8a-c)

Time Upstream, I Downstream, O

11
 (min) (cfs) (cfs)
0 0 0
20 10 0
40 35 3
60 75 14
80 145 36
100 210 74
120 225 122
140 165 162
160 160 165
180 175 160
200 185 164
220 130 172
240 90 158
260 60 133
280 40 108
300 20 86
320 10 62
340 0 44
360 0 30
380 0 20
400 0 12
420 0 7
440 0 3
460 0 0

2 2 2
I t +1 I t I t +1 Ot I t +1 Ot +1 I t+ 1 It Ot I t Ot +1 I t Ot Ot Ot +1

0 0 0 0 0 0
12
100 350 0 0 100 0 0 0 0
1225 2625 225 105 1225 105 30 9 42
5625 10875 2030 1050 5625 1050 490 196 504
2102 2102
5 30450 7560 5220 5 5220 2700 1296 2664
4410 4410 1554
0 47250 16650 15540 0 0 10730 5476 9028
5062 5062 2745 1488
5 37125 20130 27450 5 0 25620 4 19764
2722 2722 2673 2624
5 26400 25920 26730 5 0 36450 4 26730
2560 2560 2640 2722
0 28000 28875 26400 0 0 27225 5 26400
3062 3062 2800 2560
5 32375 29600 28000 5 0 25600 0 26240
3422 3422 3034 2689
5 24050 21320 30340 5 0 28700 6 28208
1690 1690 2236 2958
0 11700 15480 22360 0 0 31820 4 27176
1422 2496
8100 5400 9480 14220 8100 0 20540 4 21014
1768
3600 2400 5320 7980 3600 7980 11970 9 14364
1166
1600 800 2160 4320 1600 4320 6480 4 9288
400 200 860 1720 400 1720 3440 7396 5332
100 0 0 620 100 620 1240 3844 2728
0 0 0 0 0 0 440 1936 1320
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 900 600
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 400 240
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 84
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 49 21
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
0 0 0
= = = = = = = = =
2710 26000 2710 2120 2264
75 0 185610 212055 75 55 233475 05 221747

Once the summation terms are known, the 3 coefficients

Co, C1, C2 can be found by (8a-c) using excel.
13
From (6) Ot+1=-0.024 It+1+ 0.384 It+ 0.64 Ot
Besides, K=the ratio of the reach length L to the flow
velocity and x = the constant in the general equation of
Rating curve can be found by

(8a-b)

Example 4c: Muskingum method, another method to

find Co, C1, C2
A portion of a river is modeled with two reaches: A and
B.
Reach A extends from section 1 to section 2
L = 15000ft, n =0.07, So =1%, Rh = 4ft, P =34.8ft
Reach B extends from section 2 to section 3
L = 17000ft, n =0.05, So =0.5%, Rh = 5ft, P =34.8ft
The hydrograph at section 1 is
{200,300,700,600,500,400,350,300,250,25,210,205,200}
ft3/sec, t = 10min.
Assume the initial discharge at downstream sections is
200.
14
(i) Calculate the values of the discharge from section
1 to section 2
(ii) Calculate the values of the discharge from section
2 to section 3
(iii) Calculate the values of the discharge from section
1 to section 3 using the averages of the n, S and Rh
Use (2a) and (7a-c) to find Co, C1, C2
(2a)

where K=the ratio of the reach length L to the flow

velocity V; =t time interval

From (2c) x = =0.2 for all cases

From (7a-c)

15
 (7a-c)
(i)

From (6) Ot+1=Co It+1+ C1 It+ C2 Ot

Section 1 Section 2
Time Upstream (I), Downstream (O) ,
(min) ft3/s ft3/s
0 200 200.0
10 300 189.8
20 700 175.1
30 600 309.7
40 500 388.7
50 400 425.3
60 350 424.4
70 300 411.9
80 250 390.5
90 225 359.7
100 210 329.3
110 205 301.5
120 200 279.2

16
(ii)

Section 2 Section 3
Time Upstream Downstream
(min) (I) (O)
0 200.0 200.0
10 189.8 201.0
20 175.1 199.8
30 309.7 180.4
40 388.7 203.5
50 425.3 244.3
60 424.4 287.8
70 411.9 321.9
80 390.5 345.6
90 359.7 359.4
100 329.3 362.6 Peak
110 301.5 357.4
120 279.2 346.2

(iii)

17
 Section 1 Section 3
Time Upstream Downstream
(min) (I) (O)
0 200 200.0
10 300 183.1
20 700 130.7
30 600 221.6
40 500 287.7
50 400 332.2
60 350 349.5
70 300 358.0
80 250 358.9 Peak
90 225 349.0
100 210 335.4
110 205 319.9
120 200 305.8

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Example 5a Modified ATT-IN method
The upstream flow data is given.
Upstream (I),
Time (hr) ft3/s
0.00 0
0.25 250
0.50 500
0.75 800
1.00 1100
1.25 1450
1.50 1800
1.75 1900
2.00 2000
2.25 1900
2.50 1800
2.75 1600
3.00 1400
3.25 1250
3.50 1100
3.75 1000
4.00 900
4.25 650
4.50 400
4.75 200
5.00 0
5.25 0
19
 5.50 0

Assume the downstream discharge rate = 0 at the

beginning. Use the routing equation in the Modified
ATT-IN method to find the downstream discharge rates

Ot+1=Cm It+ (1- Cm )Ot (8a)

2t
Cm =
where 2K +t (8b)
L
K=
mV (8c)

L = reach length, V = velocity at the peak discharge, m =

the constant in the general equation of Rating curve (2c)
q = xAm (2c)
Other given information: m = 1.6, x =0.1, L = 10000ft

From (2c), find the cross section area when the

discharge is peak

20
From (8b-c)

Upstream (I), Dnstream (O),

Time (hr) ft3/s ft3/s
0.00 0 0
0.25 250 0
0.50 500 114
0.75 800 290
1.00 1100 523
1.25 1450 786
1.50 1800 1089
1.75 1900 1413
2.00 2000Peak 1635
2.25 1900 1801
2.50 1800 1846Peak
2.75 1600 1825
3.00 1400 1723
3.25 1250 1575
3.50 1100 1427
3.75 1000 1278
4.00 900 1151
4.25 650 1037
4.50 400 860
4.75 200 650
5.00 0 445
5.25 0 242
5.50 0 132

21
There is one more checking step in Modified ATT-IN
method for the downstream result in the table (see
next page).

Checking step : whether tps > tp,

if yes, the downstream result is OK

if no, shift the downstream result by tp-tps on the time

axis

where tps = the difference between the times of the

upstream and downstream peak discharges (in this
example, it is 0.5 hr)
tp = the kinematic travel time given by

(9a)

22
qI and qpo are the upstream and downstream peak
discharges
(9b)

(9c)

In this example

From (9a)

Then, tps = 0.5> tp =0.46

The downstream result is OK !

23
Example 5b Modified ATT-IN method (Class
assignment)
Repeat Example 5a except L = 20000ft
Ans:

=0.886 hr
24
25
 Upstream (I), Dnstream (O),
Time (hr) ft3/s ft3/s
0.00 0 0
0.25 250 0
0.50 500 64
0.75 800 176
1.00 1100 337
1.25 1450 533
1.50 1800 768
1.75 1900 1034
2.00 2000Peak 1256
2.25 1900 1447
2.50 1800 1564
2.75 1600 1624Peak
3.00 1400 1618
3.25 1250 1562
3.50 1100 1482
3.75 1000 1384
4.00 900 1285
4.25 650 1186
4.50 400 1048
4.75 200 882
5.00 0 707
5.25 0 525
5.50 0 390

Then, tps = 0.75 < tp =0.858 hr (tp-tps = 0.858 -0.75

=0.108 hr)
Shift the downstream result by tp-tps on the time axis

26
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