Hydrology Tools:

** developed in MSWord 2000

NOTE - The "base set" file information is required with this application.

Introduction:

Hydrology Tools (HYDRO), as the name implies, is a collection of tools or routines that are used in the evaluation of the hydrology for a watershed. In this instance hydrology is defined as "the scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the earth's surface … " Most of the capabilities of an earlier program titled "RUNOFF" are contained within this program.

Many of the terms and procedures used in this program can be found in Section IV of the NRCS National Engineering Handbook or Chapter 2 of the NRCS National Engineering Field Handbook.

Some of the features or tools contained in the program are as follows:

• an associated database of soil properties that provides for the automated retrieval of the "hydrologic soils groups" for many soil types. (This database can be modified or maintained by using a separate program titled "data_ed.exe".)
  
  
• automatic retrieval of frequency based rainfall data from a database that is also maintainable using the "data_ed.exe" program.
  
  
• automated computation of the "runoff curve number" that is commonly associated with the NRCS soil cover complex method for determining runoff. This curve number eventually leads to the volume and rate of runoff that will be generated by a specific rainfall amount.
  
  
• a variety of procedures for determining the time of concentration for a watershed.
  
  
• computation of an array of peak discharges for a watershed. Also included in this calculation are peak discharges associated with drainage needs. These calculations are consistent with those found in Chapters 2 and 14 of the NRCS National Engineering Field Handbook.
  
  
• computation of the coordinates of a hydrograph for a specific storm event and viewing a graphical presentation of these coordinates.
  
  
• comparison of two hydrographs in an effort to evaluate the impacts of changes that might be made to the hydrologic characteristics of a watershed. These changes are most often associated with developing areas or urbanization.
  
  
• the ability to maintain the information for several watersheds in computer memory at one time as well as the ability to copy data between watersheds in order to facilitate data entry.

    Files included with this application are: