STORM-CELL PROPERTIES INFLUENCING RUNOFF FROM SMALL WATERSHEDS

In much of the western United States, runoff from small watersheds is dominated by occasional short-duration, extremely variable, high-intensity thunderstorm rainfall. These runoff-producing events are important in highway-culvert and small-bridge design, erosion and sedimentation studies, evalautions of range management and renovation programs, and studies on urbanizing watersheds. A kinematic-cascade model (KINEROS) was adapted in this study for use on a small rangeland watershed to determine the influences of thunderstorm rainfall variability in time and space on peak discharge and runoff volume. Model parameters were developed with existing rainfall and runoff data, and the hydrographs were generated from simulated rainfall distributions. The study showed that for small rangeland watersheds (less than a square mile), spatial and temporal rainfall distributions exert approximately equal influences on peak discharge and the influences tend to be additive. Further studies on the interrelationship between rainfall variability and watershed size are indicated, because where the storm is centered becomes increasingly important with increasing watershed size. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/922/922-004.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=STORM-CELL+PROPERTIES+INFLUENCING+RUNOFF+FROM+SMALL+WATERSHEDS&author=H.+Osborn&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309036119
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Hydrology, Hydraulics, and Water Quality. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Osborn, Herbert B
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 24-32
• Monograph Title: Improving Estimates from Flood Studies
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 922
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Peak discharge; Rainfall; Runoff; Variables; Volume; Watersheds
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00382950
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309036119
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 30 1984 12:00AM