Leszek Hejduk

Curve Number Estimation for a Small Urban Catchment from Recorded Rainfall-Runoff Events

Abstract Runoff estimation is a key component in various hydrological considerations. Estimation of storm runoff is especially important for the effective design of hydraulic and road structures, for the flood flow management, as well as for the analysis of land use changes, i.e. urbanization or low impact development of urban areas. The curve number (CN) method, developed by Soil Conservation Service (SCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for predicting the flood runoff depth from ungauged catchments, has been in continuous use for ca. 60 years. This method has not been extensively tested in Poland, especially in small urban catchments, because of lack of data. In this study, 39 rainfall-runoff events, collected during four years (2009–2012) in a small (A=28.7 km2), urban catchment of Służew Creek in southwest part of Warsaw were used, with the aim of determining the CNs and to check its applicability to ungauged urban areas. The parameters CN, estimated empirically, vary from 65.1 to 95.0, decreasing with rainfall size and, when sorted rainfall and runoff separately, reaching the value from 67 to 74 for large rainfall events.

Effectiveness of Straw Mulch on Infiltration, Splash Erosion, Runoff and Sediment in Laboratory Conditions

Abstract Mulches have extraordinary potential in reducing surface runoff, increasing infiltration of water into the soil and decreasing soil erosion. The straw mulches as a biological material, has the ability to be a significant physical barrier against the impact of raindrops and reduce the detachment of soil aggregates. The present study is an attempt to determine the efficiency of straw mulch as conservation treatment in changes in the splash erosion, time-to-runoff, runoff coefficient, infiltration coefficient, time-to-drainage, drainage coefficient, sediment concentration and soil loss. The laboratory experiments have been conducted for sandy-loam soil taken from deforested area, about 15 km of Warsaw west, Poland under lab conditions with simulated rainfall intensities of 60 and 120 mmh–1, in 4 soil moistures of 12, 25, 33 and 40% and the slope of 9%. Compared with bare treatments, results of straw mulch application showed the significant conservation effects on splash erosion, runoff coefficient, sediment concentration and soil loss and significant enhancement effects on infiltration and drainage. The results of Spearman-Rho correlation showed the significant (p < 0.05) correlation with r = –0.873, 0.873, 0.878 and 0.764 between rainfall intensity and drainage coefficient, downstream splash, sediment concentration and soil loss and with r = –0.976, 0.927 and –0.927 between initial soil moisture content and time-to-runoff, runoff coefficient and infiltration coefficient, respectively.

Effects of rain intensity and initial soil moisture on hydrological responses in laboratory conditions

Abstract Although the possibility of measuring and analysing all parts of the rainfall, infiltration, runoff, and erosion process as a natural hydrologic cycle in field conditions is still one of the more unattainable goals in the hydrological sciences, it can be accomplished in laboratory conditions as a way to understand the whole process. The initial moisture content is one of the most effective factors on soil infiltration, runoff, and erosion responses. The present research was conducted on a 2 m2 laboratory plot at a slope of 9% on a typical sandy-loam soil. The effects of the initial soil moisture content on the infiltration, runoff, and erosion processes were studied at four levels of initial soil moisture content (12, 25, 33, and 40 volumetric percentage) and two rainfall intensities (60 and 120 mm h-1). The results showed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) correlation between rainfall intensity and downstream splash, with r = 0.87. The results reflected the theory of hydrological responses, showing significant (p ≤ 0.05) correlations with r =-0.93, 0.98, -0.83, 0.88, and 0.73 between the initial soil moisture content and the time-to-runoff, runoff coefficient, drainage as a part of the infiltrated water, downstream splash, and total outflow sediment, respectively.

Predicted small catchment responses to heavy rainfalls with SEGMO and two sets of model parameters

Abstract Predicted small catchment responses to heavy rainfalls with SEGMO and two sets of model parameters. The study tests the ability of hydrological part of SEGMO (SedimentGraph Model), i.e. lumped parametric rainfall-runoff procedure of SEGMO to simulate design storm runoff in a Korean catchment. The aim of the investigation is to predict responses of small catchment of the Jeungpyeong river, located in central part of South Korea, with the area of 133.6 km2, to 100-year rainfall events, applying SEGMO and using two parallel approaches for model parameter estimation. The fi rst approach is based on catchment characteristics and USDA-SCS procedures, which is suitable for ungauged basins, and the other one is based on rainfall-runoff measurements. The way of estimation of model parameters has been demonstrated. Finally, the model outputs are compared. The difference in largest peak discharges obtained from SEGMO with the two sets of model parameters, i.e. when estimated on the base of catchment characteristics and USDA-SCS procedures, and on the base of rainfall-runoff measurements were relatively small, approaching 37%. This investigation can be seen as checking the uncertainties in model parameter estimation and their infl uence on fl ood fl ows. Streszczenie Przewidywane reakcje zlewni rzecznej na wysokie opady przy wykorzystaniu modelu SEGMO z dwoma zbiorami parametrów. Powodzie powodują straty społeczne, środowiskowe oraz ekonomiczne. Ryzyko związane z wystąpieniem powodzi wzrasta wraz z obserwowanymi zmianami klimatu i dotyczy coraz szerszego kręgu mieszkańców globu. W związku z tym, politycy, planiści i projektanci potrzebują informacji o skali zjawiska, które może wystąpić. Informacja ta musi być jednocześnie jak najbardziej wiarygodna. W zlewniach obserwowanych hydrologicznie istnieje możliwość zastosowania metod statystycznych w celu oszacowania przepływów maksymalnych prawdopodobnych. Alternatywą w małych zlewniach, gdzie zwykle brak wieloletnich danych pomiarowych, a które są również bardziej podatne na zmiany wpływające na ich reakcje, jest stosowanie modeli opad - - odpływ. W pracy przedstawiono zastosowanie modelu SEGMO do wyznaczenia reakcji rolniczo- leśnej zlewni Jeungpyeong, o powierzchni około 134 km2, położonej w centralnej części Korei Południowej na opad prawdopodobny o p = 1% i różnym czasie trwania. Obliczenia wykonano w dwóch wariantach, określając parametry modelu: (1) na podstawie charakterystyki zlewni (jak dla zlewni nieobserwowanej) oraz (2) na podstawie pomiarów opad-odpływ. Przeprowadzone badania potwierdziły użyteczność modelu do symulacji reakcji zlewni na opady maksymalne, wysoką zgodność parametru CN wyznaczania opadu efektywnego, ustalonego jako wartość tablicową z wartości z danych pomiarowych, oraz dobrą zgodność wyników (maksymalnych przepływów) uzyskanych z zastosowania dwóch ww. sposobów ustalenia parametrów modelu. Wskazano na istotne elementy dalszych badań