Characterizing Change in Baseflow Interactions with Urbanization Through Event-Based Hydrograph Separation and Analysis
1. Characterizing change in baseflow
interactions with urbanization through
event-based hydrograph separation and
analysis
Peter John Thompson
Earthfx Inc.
Dr. William K. Annable
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Waterloo
IAH 2012 Congress
September 21, 2012
2. Effects of
Urbanization
• Increase in impervious area
• Shorter events
• Larger peak discharge
• Infiltration
• Changes to frequency
• Channelization
• Change in vegetative cover
• Habitat degradation
• Erosion
• Poor water quality
• Failure of engineered structures
2
3. AAfafdas
Hydrograph Change with Urbanization
Time (T) Time (T)
Rainfall(L)
Discharge(L/T3)
After
Urbanization
Original
Lag time after
urbanization
Hydrograph
of streamflow
Lag time
Center of mass
of runoff
and of rainfall
Discharge(L/T3)
Rainfall
•Changes to event hydrograph with urbanization...?
after Leopold (1968)
5. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 1954
Forested Cover - 1955
Urbanized Area - 1954
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
1954
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
6. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 1960
Urbanized Area - 1960
1960
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
7. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 1970
Urbanized Area - 1970
1970
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
8. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 1978
Urbanized Area - 1978
1978
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
9. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 1995
Urbanized Area - 1995
1995
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
10. 0 2 4 6 8 101
Kilometers
Effective Catchment Area
Road Network - 2005
Urbanized Area - 2005
2005
Don River at York
Mills
(02HC005)
Little Don River
at Don Mills
(02HC029)
12. Urban Stream Flow Data
• Need high resolution, high frequency data
• Joint project with Water Survey of Canada
• Extracted archived
stream flow data
to create a complete
hydrometric record
from 1969 to
present
12
20. Peak Event Discharge
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh
Laurel Creek at Waterloo ↑
Redhill Creek at Hamilton
Black Creek near Weston ↑
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↑
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑
Don River at York Mills ↑
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden ↑
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↑
Harmony Creek at Oshawa ↑
21. Number of Events per Year
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh
Laurel Creek at Waterloo
Redhill Creek at Hamilton
Black Creek near Weston
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↑
Etobicoke Creek below QEW
Mimico Creek at Islington
Don River at York Mills ↑
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↑
Harmony Creek at Oshawa ↑
22. Event Volume
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh
Laurel Creek at Waterloo ↑
Redhill Creek at Hamilton ↑
Black Creek near Weston
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↑
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑
Don River at York Mills ↓
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden ↑
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill
Harmony Creek at Oshawa
23. Total Event Duration
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh ↓
Laurel Creek at Waterloo
Redhill Creek at Hamilton
Black Creek near Weston ↓
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↓
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑
Don River at York Mills ↓
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden ↓
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↓
Harmony Creek at Oshawa ↓
26. Event Quick Flow
(Direct Runoff) Volume
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh
Oakville Creek at Milton ↓
Credit River near Orangeville
Black Creek near Weston
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↑
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑
Don River at York Mills
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↑
Harmony Creek at Oshawa
MK Trend: Increasing
27. Event Interflow Volume
Station Name Trend
Duffins Creek above Pickering ↑
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh
Oakville Creek at Milton
Credit River near Orangeville
Black Creek near Weston ↑
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑
Don River at York Mills
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑
Don River at Todmorden ↑
Rouge River near Markham ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↑
Harmony Creek at Oshawa ↑
MK Trend: Increasing
28. Zombie Science?
28
“Results from these comparisons show that depending on the
method used, automated baseflow separation underestimates the
simulated baseflow by as much as 28%, or overestimates it by up
to 74%, during rainfall events.” (Partington et al., 2012)
29. Conclusions
• While direct runoff increases in urbanizing
catchments, event contribution to shallow system
may increase or decrease
• Hydrograph separation methods have relevance in
modern hydrology, more work required
• Must work towards integrated SW/GW definitions
• Canada has an large database of high resolution,
instantaneous hydrometric data spanning from 1969
onwards
29
30. Acknowledgements
Dr. Herman Goertz Jeanette Fooks
Paula Hunter Carrie-Lynn Green
Eco-Hydraulics Co-op
Tyler Gale
Victoria Lounder
Ben Plumb
Christina Bright
Water Survey Division, Environment Canada
Tom Arsenault
Aerial Photography Analysis
Robert Leonard
Nikita Tirskikh
Chris McKie
32. WSC
Station ID
Station Name
Area
(km2)
Percent
Urban
(1969)
Percent
Urban
(≈2010)
Percent
Change
02HC019 Duffins Creek above Pickering 93.5 > 5% --
02HC009 East Humber River near Pine Grove 197 > 10% --
02HB004 East Oakville Creek near Omagh 199 > 10% --
02GA024 Laurel Creek at Waterloo 57.5 15 38 23
02HA014 Red Hill Creek at Hamilton 56.3 27 60 33
02HC027 Black Creek near Weston 58 55 78 22
02HC017 Etobicoke Creek at Brampton 63.2 1 18 17
02HC030 Etobicoke Creek below QEW 204 20 55 34
02HC033 Mimico Creek at Islington 70.6 43 82 39
02HC005 Don River at York Mills 88.1 30 69 39
02HC029 Little Don River at Don Mills 130 30 68 38
02HC024 Don River at Todmorden 316 43 73 30
02HC022 Rouge River near Markham 186 7 40 33
02HC013 Highland Creek near West Hill 88.1 47 86 39
02HD013 Harmony Creek at Oshawa 41.6 20 45 25
32
Study Catchments
33. Summary (Warm Weather Trends)
Station Name
Peak
Discharge
Time to
Peak
Event
Duration
Total
Hydrograph
Duration
Event
Volume
Total
Hydrograph
Volume
Flashiness
Duffins Creek above Pickering
East Humber River near Pine Grove
East Oakville Creek near Omagh ↓
Oakville Creek at Milton ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑
Credit River near Orangeville ↑
Laurel Creek at Waterloo ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Redhill Creek at Hamilton ↑
Black Creek near Weston ↑ ↓ ↑
Etobicoke Creek at Brampton ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑
Etobicoke Creek below QEW ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Mimico Creek at Islington ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Don River at York Mills ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑
Little Don River at Don Mills ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Don River at Todmorden ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑
Rouge River near Markham ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Highland Creek near West Hill ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑
Harmony Creek at Oshawa ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑