KINEMATIC WAVE MODELLING OF A SEMI-URBAN WATERSHED

Abstract

Kinematic wave routing method, adopted in this dissertation relates basin and flow characteristics directly to two routing parameters a and m. These parameters are directly related to measurable geographic features of the basin such as slopes, drainage length, boundary roughness for both channel and overland flow surface. In the case of channel a also relates to the channel geometry. In this exercise, the primary objective is to produce a model that would emulate the watershed behaviour as closely as possible. As such the model has to be essen- tially a distributed one rather than a lumped model. Distri-buted model is more versatile than a lumped one because minor modifications, such as changing a channel geometry or size in a subbasin can be done without reevaluation of the overall watershed characteristics. However, a fair amount of simplifi-cation has to be done to make the model efficient and econo-mical to execute. As such the distributed model obtained is actually a composite of lumped model of subbasins of the watershed. Roorkee watershed, that is the area east of Ganga Canal has been chosen to be studied. The area is some 2.93 square kilometers and allows easy access to confirm drainage pattern, length and other physical features.