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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #120974
Title: STREAMFLOW DATA PART 630 HYDROLOGY NATIONAL ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

Author
item WOODWARD, D - NRCS
item Gburek, William
item Hjelmfelt Jr, Allen
item KLUTH, R - RETIRED
item PLUMMER, A - NRCS
item VAN MULLEN, J - NRCS
item HAILEY, J - NRCS

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: WOODWARD, D., GBUREK, W.J., HJELMFELT JR, A.T., KLUTH, R., PLUMMER, A., VAN MULLEN, J., HAILEY, J. STREAMFLOW DATA PART 630 HYDROLOGY NATIONAL ENGINEERING HANDBOOK. BOOK CHAPTER. 1997.

Interpretive Summary: This chapter of the NRCS National Engineering Handbook was first prepared by Victor Mockus in the 1950's and was revised in 1969. In the 30 years since the last revision, many changes have occurred in streamflow record availability and data sources. A table concerning the influence of antecedent soil moisture that appeared in the 1969 revision was found to be einappropriate and removed. The procedure for determining Curve Numbers from rainfall-runoff data has been rewritten to clarify the process. This research will be of benefit to water resources engineers and planners who will use it in the analysis of the effects of improved practices on watershed responses to rainfall events.

Technical Abstract: Streamflow data collected by various agencies describe the flow characteristics of a stream at a given point. Normally, data are collected by using a measuring device commonly called a stream gage. Streamflow data are used to indicate the present hydrologic conditions of a watershed and to check methods for estimating present and future conditions. Specific uses presented in Part 630 are for determining hydrologic soil-cover complex numbers (Chap. 9), frequency analysis (Chap. 18), determining water yields (Chap. 20), and designing flood water retarding structures (Chap. 21). This chapter describes ways to use this information to determine runoff from a specific event, how to use this information with rainfall data to estimate the watershed runoff curve number, and how to use the data to determine volume-duration-probability relationships.