Chapter
Apr 26, 2012
Estimation of Rational Runoff Coefficients for Texas Watersheds
Authors: Nirajan Dhakal [email protected], Xing Fang [email protected], Theodore G. Cleveland [email protected], David B. Thompson [email protected], and Luke J. Marzen [email protected]Author Affiliations
Publication: World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010: Challenges of Change
Abstract
The rational method introduced in 1880s is often considered simplistic and still frequently used for estimating peak discharges for small drainage areas. The runoff coefficient (C) is a key parameter for the rational method, and typical C values are given and listed in various design manuals and textbooks for different land use conditions. Actually, these C values were developed without much support of observed data. This paper presents an in-depth literature review on the rational method and developed literature-based runoff coefficients estimated from land use data in 1992 and 2001 for 90 watersheds in central Texas. There is no statistically significant change on C values derived from two land use data. Runoff coefficients were also estimated from observed rainfall and runoff data of more than 1600 events in these watersheds. Distributions of runoff coefficients and watershed mean values are analyzed. Using watershed parameters (e.g., drainage area, slope, and channel length) and regression equations of discharge at different return periods we estimated runoff coefficients in these watersheds for the return periods of 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-years. The rational runoff coefficients increase with the return period and the rate of increase is much larger than what typically recommended in design manuals.
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© 2010 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Apr 26, 2012
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Research Assistant and Associate Professor, respectively, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5337,. E-mail: [email protected]
Research Assistant and Associate Professor, respectively, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5337,. E-mail: [email protected]
Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023,. E-mail: [email protected]
Director of Engineering, R.O. Anderson Engineering, Inc., Minden, Nevada 89423,. E-mail: [email protected]
Associate Professor, Department of Geology and Geography, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849,. E-mail: [email protected]
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