Design Flood Estimation Using GIS Supported GIUHApproach

Quantitative understanding and prediction of theprocesses of runoff generation and its transmission to theoutlet represent one of the most basic and challenging areasof hydrology. Traditional techniques for design floodestimation use historical rainfall-runoff data for unithydrograph derivation. Such techniques have been widelyapplied for the estimation of design flood hydrograph at thesites of gauged catchment. For ungauged catchments, unithydrograph may be derived using either regional unithydrograph approach or alternatively GeomorhologicalInstantaneous Unit Hydrograph (GIUH) approach. The unithydrograph thus derived may be used for the simulation offlood events for the ungauged catchments. In this study Gambhiri dam catchment located inRajasthan, India is selected for applying this approach. Gambhiri river is a small tributary of the Berach/Banasriver of the Chambal basin in Rajasthan, India. Theobjective of the present study is to apply GeographicalInformation System (GIS) supported GIUH approach for theestimation of design flood. A mathematical model has beendeveloped at the National Institute of Hydrology, whichenables the evaluation of the Clark Model parameters usinggeomorphological characteristics of the basin. This modelhas been applied for the present study.From this study it is observed that the peakcharacteristics of the design flood are more sensitive tothe various storm pattern as well as method of criticalsequencing followed for the computation of design stormpatterns. Earlier estimates for the peak and time to peakhydrograph was 9143.74 cumec and 18 hrs. respectively.However, the estimates for the peak characteristics ofdesign flood hydrograph obtained from the GIUH basedapproach are 11870.6 cumec and 19 hrs. respectivelyconsidering the same design storm pattern. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2000