United States

Chapter 6
Department of Part 630 Hydrology Part 630 Hydrology
Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units
National Engineering Handbook
Agriculture

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National Engineering Handbook
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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and

Hydrologic Units

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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 Hydrology
National Engineering Handbook

Issued November 1998

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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 Hydrology
Acknowledgments National Engineering Handbook

Chapter 6 was originally prepared by Victor Mockus (retired) and was

reprinted with minor revisions in 1969. This version was prepared by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under guidance of Donald
E. Woodward, national hydraulic engineer, Washington, DC.

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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 Hydrology
National Engineering Handbook

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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 Hydrology
Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and National Engineering Handbook

Hydrologic Units

Contents: 630.0600 Introduction 61

630.0601 Reaches 61
(a) Location ......................................................................................................... 64
(b) Measurement ................................................................................................. 64
(c) Length ............................................................................................................. 64
(d) Profile ............................................................................................................. 64
(e) Hydraulic roughness ..................................................................................... 65
(f) Reach data for a computer program .......................................................... 65

630.0602 Alluvial fans 65

630.0603 Hydrologic units 66

630.0604 References 67

Table Table 61 Reach and cross-section data 62

Figure Figure 61 Hydrologic unit having detail for use as a 63

sample watershed

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Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Stream Reaches andPart
Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units 630 Hydrology
Hydrologic
National Engineering HandbookUnits

630.0600 Introduction 630.0601 Reaches

The stream system of a watershed is divided into A reach is a length of stream or valley used as a unit of
reaches, and the watershed into hydrologic units, for study. It contains a specified feature that is either
the convenience of work during study. This chapter fairly uniform throughout, such as hydraulic character-
gives some details on the selection of reaches for istics or flood damages, or that requires special atten-
hydrologic or economic studies, presents alternative tion in the study, such as a bridge. Reaches are shorter
means for studies of alluvial fans, and briefly describes for hydraulic studies than for economic ones, so it is
a hydrologic unit and its use in a study. best to consider hydraulic needs first when selecting
reaches and then combine the hydraulic reaches into
longer ones for the economic study.

Reaches are physically defined at each end by cross

sections that usually extend across the valley and
include the channel section as well as a significant
portion of the flood plain. The section should include
enough of the flood plain to extend beyond whatever
flood limits the engineer expects to occur in the study.
A cross section is either straight and at a right angle to
the major path of flow in the valley, or it is a con-
nected series of segments that are at right angles to
flows in their vicinity. The head and foot of a reach are
the upstream and downstream ends respectively.
Right bank and left bank are designated looking down-
stream. For reference, reaches and cross sections are
numbered in any simple and consistent way, such as
the ones in figure 61 and table 61. However, if a
computer program is used, the numbering must follow
the system specified in the program.

The purpose of a reach determines which relation-

ships of the reach must be developed from field sur-
veys. For a hydrologic study the required relationships
include those of stage and discharge (NEH, part 630,
chapter 14), stage and end-area (NEH, part 630, chap-
ters 14 and 17), and, if manual flood routings will be
made, discharge and velocity (NEH, part 630, chapter
14). For an economic study the relationships are stage
and discharge (NEH, part 630, chapter 14), stage and
area-inundated (NEH, part 630, chapter 13), and stage
and damage (National Resource Economics Hand-
book, Part 611, Water Resources (Floodwater)).

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Table 61 Reach and cross-section data

Reach Cross section Cross section Length of Travel Accumulated Runoff curve number 4/
number 1/ number stationing reach 2/ time 3/ drainage area present future
(feet) (hours) (square miles)

4 7,500 0.60 80 78
FR1 2231+00 3.6 5/
HH 2192+00 4.0 6/
GG 2160+00 4.4 7/

6 15,600 1.50 80 78
FF 2138+00 7.5 5/
EE 2100+00 8.0
DD 2054+00 8.4
CC 2016+00 8.8
BB 2014+00 8.8
AA 2012+00 8.9 7/
1/ Reach number is same as subwatershed number.
2/ Channel length of reach.
3/ Travel time of a 2-year frequency flow through the reach.
4/ Runoff curve numbers for the total area above the foot of the reach. They were obtained by weighting (NEH, part 630, chapter 10).
5/ Drainage area at the head of the reach.
6/ The drainage area at this cross section was estimated.
7/ Use drainage area at the foot of the reach if the cross section is located at or near the lower boundary crossing of the stream.

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Figure 61 Hydrologic unit having detail for use as a sample watershed

GS-1

5
2
-2
R

FR-1

FR-2
H
4 H
R-
T.13 N. T.12 N.
G T.12 N.
4
G

F R.50 W.
F
E Location of Hydrologic Unit

Legend
E
GS-1 Grade stabilization structures
6
R-6

D Floodwater retarding structures

FR-2
A A Cross section
D
R-6 Reach designation (number same as subwatershed)

C C
B B 1 Subwatershed designation
A A
Hydrologic unit boundary

Subwatershed boundary

Stream

Range line

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(a) Location selects the locations of cross sections and determines

the intensities of work to be done by the field survey
The head or foot of a reach is at or near one of the crew.
following places on a stream:
Boundary of an agricultural area having flood
damages. (b) Measurement
Boundary where agricultural damages change
significantly. The measurements made during a field survey gener-
Boundary of an urban area or any other area of ally are those necessary to define the changes in
high potential flood damage for which levees or ground elevation in the line of a cross section and the
other local protective works may be proposed. horizontal distances between sections. These include
Junction of a major tributary and the main definition of the flood plain and channel cross section
stream. shape with distance and elevation measurements
Station where streamflow is gaged. along a line perpendicular to the channel flow paths.
Installation controlling streamflow, such as a Mannings n must be estimated for hydraulic computa-
weir or a culvert in a high road fill. tions (NEH, part 630, chapter 14) for each reach. The
Installation restricting streamflow, such as a value of n must represent roughness conditions for the
bridge. full length of the reach. If a cross section is divided
Site proposed for a floodwater-retarding or other into segments, the n for each segment applies to a
structure. strip through the reach between adjacent cross sec-
Section where shape or hydraulic characteristics tions.
of the channel or valley change greatly.
Section where channel control creates large
storage upstream. (c) Length
Major political boundaries.
Point of diversion. The length of a reach is the distance between cross
sections at the head and foot, measured along the
In selecting reaches the method of computing water- sinuous path of flow in the channel or valley. The
surface profiles may specify a maximum permissible channel is nearly always longer than the valley so that
length of reach. Some hydraulic models have a built-in two lengths may be applied in a study:
routine for transposing or interspersing auxiliary cross The channel length when the flow is low (within
sections to avoid stopping the program when an exces- banks of the channel).
sive length of reach is encountered in the data. Even The valley length when the flow is over the flood
these programs have limitations that must be ob- plain.
served.
This means that as a flood rises the reach becomes
Locations for reaches are selected by the hydrologist shorter, a change that may be taken into account when
and others in the evaluation or planning team. Tenta- computing water-surface profiles (NEH, part 630,
tive locations are made during the preliminary investi- chapter 14) and flood damages (NEH, part 630, chap-
gation of a watershed (NEH, part 630, chapter 3) and ter 13). Reach lengths are generally determined using
shown on a base map or aerial photograph. Low- an aerial photograph or a detailed topographic map
altitude aerial reconnaissance may be necessary for because the paths of flow are often complex and not
locating reaches in watersheds without access roads easy to determine in the field.
or where timber, brush, or cultivated crops obstruct
vision at the ground level. If flood damage studies will
be made, flood plain areas with potentially high dam- (d) Profile
age are also located and shown. The map or photo-
graph is later used for identifying the reaches that Elevations of cross sections are related to a common
need most attention in the studies. Once the relative datum if profiles of the valley or channel are needed
importance of the reaches is known, the hydrologist for computation of water-surface profiles by the
standard step method.

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(e) Hydraulic roughness

630.0602 Alluvial fans
Estimates of hydraulic roughness (Mannings n) are
made by the procedure given in NEH-5, Supplement B,
or an equivalent procedure. Publications such as Alluvial fans, also called debris slopes or debris fans,
Barnes, Jr., H.H., Roughness characteristics of natural are sediment deposits formed where the grade of a
channels, U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper mountain stream is abruptly reduced as the stream
1849, 1967; Arcement, G.J., and Schneider, V.R., Guide enters an area of gentler slope, such as the valley of
for selecting Manning's roughness coefficients for another stream. Large fans may be inhabited or have
natural channels and flood plains, U.S. Geological agricultural use. The paths of flood flows shift from
Survey Water Supply Paper 2339, 1989; and Fasken, G., one side to another of a fan so that reaches are useless
Guide for selecting roughness coefficient "n" values for and a special method for project evaluation must be
channels, 1963, give more information on Mannings n adopted. In this method the floodwater damages on
and its variations in natural channels. alluvial fans are related to actual or estimated runoff
volumes that are referenced to an upstream cross
section above the fan, such as a stream gage or other
(f) Reach data for a computer control section. The evaluation of flood damages
program follows this order:
1. Information about the monetary value of dam-
If water-surface profile or similar computations will be ages for each known flood on the fan is ob-
made by an electronic computer, the computer pro- tained by interviews or from historical sources.
gram description should be examined for limitations 2. The volume of flood runoff for each flood is
on the input data, such as length of reach and number determined from streamflow records or esti-
of elements in a cross section. These limitations must mated by use of rainfall and watershed data and
be kept in mind when working instructions are given the methods shown in NEH, part 630, chapter
to the survey crew. Typical limitations are given in 10.
NEH part 630, chapter 31. 3. The relation between flood runoffs and dam-
ages is developed (National Resource Econom-
ics Handbook, Part 611, Water Resources
(Floodwater)).
4. The frequencies of flood-runoff amounts are
estimated (NEH, part 630, chapter 18).
5. A damage-frequency curve is developed (Na-
tional Resource Economics Handbook, Part
611, Water Resources (Floodwater)).
6. The average annual damage is determined
(National Resource Economics Handbook, Part
611, Water Resources (Floodwater)).
7. The effects of a proposed upstream project on
the amounts of runoff are determined. The
amounts (and therefore the flood damages)
decrease when changes in land use and treat-
ment decrease the runoff curve number (NEH,
part 630, chapter 10) or when storage structures
or upstream channel storage increases reduce
flood flows (NEH, part 630, chapter 17).
8. The runoff-damage relation of step 3 is used
with the reduced runoffs of step 7 to estimate
damages still remaining.
9. A modified damage-frequency curve is devel-
oped and plotted on the graph used in step 5.

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10. The difference between present and future

damage-frequency curves is obtained as shown 630.0603 Hydrologic units
in National Resource Economics Handbook,
Part 611, Water Resources (Floodwater) to
estimate the project benefits. When a large watershed or a river basin is studied, the
watershed or basin should be divided into subareas or
subwatersheds, called hydrologic units (HU), and the
study made in terms of these units.

An HU may also be used as a sample watershed; that

is, project costs and benefits within a selected HU are
evaluated in detail and afterward applied to other
similar HUs for which no internal evaluation is made.
The data in the sample evaluation reach or HU can be
expressed as units per mile of reach or per square mile
of HU. Transfer of evaluation to another similar reach
or HU can then be accomplished by simply multiplying
the unit values by stream miles or square miles for the
HU of interest. The small watershed in figure 61 has
enough detail for a sample watershed.

Each HU is the drainage area of a minor tributary

flowing into the main stream or a major tributary.
Areas between minor tributaries are combined and
also used as HUs. Cross sections and reaches are
needed only when an HU is a sample watershed.
Storms in the historical or frequency series (NEH, part
630, chapter 18) are developed on an HU basis, as are
runoff curve numbers and hydrographs. Hydrographs
for present, and with future land use and treatment
conditions, are developed for an entire HU with refer-
ence to its outlet (NEH, part 630, chapter 16).

If an HU contains structural measures that affect the

peak flow rate and/or timing of a hydrograph, the
changes are determined by methods of routing (NEH,
part 630, chapter 17) and the modified hydrograph,
like the others, is referenced to the HU outlet. The
watershed or basin flood routing is carried out on the
major tributaries and main stream, with the HUs
supplying the starting and local inflow hydrographs.

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630.0604 References

Arcement, G.J., and V.R. Schneider, 1989. Guide for

selecting Manning's roughness coefficients for
natural channels and flood plains. United States
Geological Survey. Water supply paper 2339.
Barnes, Jr., H.H. 1969. Roughness characteristics of
natural channels. United States Geological Sur-
vey. Water supply paper 1849.
Cowen, W.L. 1956. National Engineering Handbook 5
(Hydraulics), Supplement B. United States De-
partment of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service.
Fasken, G. 1963. Guide for selecting roughness
coefficient "n" values for channels. United States
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service.

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