TITLE

Catchment modelling with HEC-HMS

OBJECTIVE

To model the watershed with HEC-HMS and generate the outflow hydrograph at location out

INTRODUCTION

The catchment of any point in the landscape is that area which provides water to the point through
lateral flow over the surface and underground. The HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Modeling System) is
designed to act out the precipitation runoff of dendritic basins HEC-HMS needs three input
components such as the basin model, the meteorological model, and the control specifications.
The basin model is the representation of real-world objects with parameters describing their
behavior. The basin model elements are sub basin, reach, junction, source, sink, reservoir,
diversion, river reach, point of intersection of river reaches, input flow point to basin system,
outlet of the basin system, reservoir, and diversion for a reach in the real world, respectively. Each
of these elements needs some parameters to define their behavior in a hydrologic system. Each
element stores the element downstream to it to facilitate the flow of water and to create a dendritic
network.

Snyder unit hydrograph method, Clark unit hydrograph method, loss method, the SCS Curve
Number method can be used. In this modeling SCS curve method was used.

Program layout

Desktop area where the work is performed.

Message log the procedure of the work performed is contained here. Errors are notified.
Watershed explorer the selected components can be easily demarcated.
Component editor the data should be added to the relevant spaces provided.

1
LITERATURE REVIEW

In the Muskingum method it is allowable to change the Muskingum x value in between 0 0.5
Therefore parameters can be estimated with the help of observed inflow and outflow hydrographs.

SCS unit hydrograph is applied for estimating direct runoff. The basin lag time is the parameter
of SCS UH model which is 0.6 times the time of concentration, Value of Tc is computed as
suggested by Panigrahi (2013).

PROCEDURE
1 The basin model was created including sub basin, reach and junctions.
2 Given values were added for each sub basin (area, initial abstraction, curve number) according
to the soil type.
3 The meteorological model was created.
4 Time series data was created and simulation run was created.
5 The global summary table and the hydrograph were taken by changing the values of initial
abstraction, Muskingum value, curve number and the soil type.
.

2
RESULTS

Preliminary Data

The following graph was drawn initially with relevant to the data provided in the Lab sheet

Figure 1 -Graph for the initial data

Figure 2- results for the initial data

3
Adjustment of parameters

Sub Area Initial Adjusted Initial Adjuste

catchmentI (km2) Abstractio Abstractio Soil d Soil
D n (mm) n (mm) Group Group

SB 1 34.41 1.7 4.4 A D

SB2 25.2 1.4 4.3 A D

SB3 29.63 2.3 4.0 C C

SB4 24.2 1.8 4.8 D C

Table 1

Loss Method SCS Curve number method

Transform Method SCS Unit hydrograph method

Catchment cover status Grass cover < 50 %

Muskingum k 1.5

Initial Muskingum x 0.15

Adjusted Muskingum x 0.395

Table 2

Figure 3-calibrated graph

 Figure 4- results for the calibrated graph
Results

Peak flow = 3.5 m3/s

Time to Peak = 900 min (1500h)
Peak shift = 60 min (0.3 m3/s)

DISCUSSION

5
A catchment is an area of land where water collects when it rains, often bounded by hills. As the
water flows over the landscape it finds its way into streams and down into the soil, eventually
feeding the river. Some of this water stays underground and continues to slowly feed the river in
times of low rainfall. Every inch of land on the Earth forms part of a catchment.

The Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is designed to simulate the precipitation

runoff processes of dendritic drainage basins. It is designed to be applicable in a wide range of
geographic areas for solving the widest possible range of problems. This includes
large river basin water supply and flood hydrology, and small urban or natural watershed
runoff. Hydrographs produced by the program are used directly or in conjunction with other
software for studies of water availability, urban drainage, flow forecasting,
future urbanization impact, reservoir spillway design, flood damage
reduction, floodplain regulation, and systems operation.

The program is a generalized modeling system capable of representing many different

watersheds. A model of the watershed is constructed by separating the water cycle into
manageable pieces and constructing boundaries around the watershed of interest. Any mass or
energy flux in the cycle can then be represented with a mathematical model. In most cases,
several model choices are available for representing each flux. Each mathematical model included
in the program is suitable in different environments and under different conditions. Making the
correct choice requires knowledge of the watershed, the goals of the hydrologic study,
and engineering judgment.

HEC-HMS needs three input components such as the basin model, the meteorological model, and
the control specifications. The basin model is the representation of real-world objects with
parameters describing their behavior. The basin model elements are sub basin, reach, junction,
source, sink, reservoir, diversion, river reach, point of intersection of river reaches, input flow
point to basin system, outlet of the basin system, reservoir, and diversion for a reach in the real
world, respectively. Each of these elements needs some parameters to define their behavior in a
hydrologic system. Each element stores the element downstream to it to facilitate the flow of
water and to create a dendritic network. In Muskingum method X and K parameters must be
evaluated. Theoretically, K parameter is time of passing of a wave in reach length and X
parameter is constant coefficient that its value varies between 0 - 0.5. Therefore parameters can be
estimated with the help of observed inflow and outflow hydrographs.

6
Snyder unit hydrograph method, Clark unit hydrograph method, loss method, the SCS Curve
Number method can be used. In this modeling SCS curve method was used. In this program it is
not random where a parameter is represented, when a normal distribution with a mean and
variance. All methods included in the program use deterministic techniques where the parameter
values are fixed and the same for every simulation. All parameter values are taken as constant in
time, even for long simulations. Dendritic stream systems are those where once streams combine,
they do not split again. The program is not designed to work with looped or braided systems.
The diversion element has a limited ability to split flow out of the stream. All computations are
carried out from the headwaters to the outlet.

7
CONCLUSION

The Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is designed to simulate the precipitation-

runoff processes of dendritic drainage basins. It is designed to be applicable in a wide range of
geographic areas for solving the widest possible range of problems. This includes
large river basin water supply and flood hydrology, and small urban or natural watershed
runoff. There are some advantages and disadvantages of Hydraulic modeling system.

8
REFERENCES

1. Catchment modeling [ONLINE] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4150420/

[17.03.2017]

2. Modeling Catchment Hydrology pdf by Mulligan [18.03.2017]

3. Evaluation of Catchment Modeling

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.5158/abstract [19.03.2017]