Basin Characteristics + case study

What basin hydrological characteristics do we need to know to help quantify and mitigate?

1.) How much rainfall? 

Does a climate-driven system control the basin?

2.) How much evaporation?

This affects the precipitation input and water resource availability 

This also affects the antecedent moisture status, which is related to the flood peak

3.) What is the internal state (inside the basin)?

What is the antecedent moisture status?

What is the residence time in the ground? How does this affect the river water quality?

What are the catchment pathways (soil, regolith, rock)? How does the water interact with the physical landscape (slopes)? How does the water move through the physical landscape?

4.) How much water runoff?

 What is the catchment integrated response?

Catchment Characteristics (using FEH statistical procedure for flood estimation)

The above questions can then illustrate the statistical answer to flood estimation of a basin. The equation is:

QMED = 8.3062AREA^0.85100.1536^1000/SAARFARL^3.44510.0460^BFIHOST

With,

8.3062AREA^0.8510         being the contributory area

0.1536^1000/SAAR             being the rainfall

FARL^3.4451                     being the surface storage of the basin (lakes/reservoirs)

0.0460^BFIHOST               being the underground storage of the basin ( soil, regolith & rock type)

Catchment water budget

It's also possible to work out the possible water budget. The water budget is the basic calculation to find out the overall change in the catchment storage.

I = input (flow) m³/s

dS/dt = change in catchment storage over time m³/s

O = output…