Reconstruction of the snow-melt hydrograph in the Payette River Basin

TitleReconstruction of the snow-melt hydrograph in the Payette River Basin
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1955
AuthorsZimmerman, A. L.
Conference Name23rd Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 23rd Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 1955
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationPortland, Oregon
KeywordsFlood hydrograph development, Forecasting
Abstract

A recently developed method of forecasting runoff of streams where snowmelt is the predominant factor in the flood hydrograph is described. This procedure was developed on the basis of data for the years 1943-45 and 1950-52, which included both large and small seasonal volumes and high and low peak flows. Radiosonde temperatures provided the basis for most of the temperature parameter, and daily increments of total computed runoff from snowmelt and rain were divided into 2 components: surface runoff and ground water runoff. The method permits computation of an entire seasonal hydrograph without reference to the observed hydrograph, once the snowmelt season has begun. Other day-to-day factors are involved. The procedure was tested on the Payette River, Idaho with satisfactory results.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1955Zimmerman.pdf