The performance of five curve number based methods, generally employed for estimation of runoff, viz. National Engineering Handbook (NEH-4), storm event (SE), rank order (RO), lognormal frequency (LF) and s-probability (SP), was evaluated using runoff data recorded from three small watersheds in a semi-arid region of India. The most effective and reliable curve number method for runoff estimation was selected based upon several tests of goodness of fit including coefficient of determination (R2), index of agreement (D), root mean square error (RMSE) and relative bias (RB). The LF method was adjudged as the most promising curve number method for estimating runoff from small watersheds in the semi-arid regions of India. The runoff predicted by the LF method was in close agreement with the observed runoff for all four tests of goodness of fit. Though the performance of the SE, RO and NEH-4 methods was almost comparable to each other, the SP method registered higher deviation from the observed runoff values. From the analysis, it is concluded that the LF method can be successfully employed for estimation of curve number based runoff from small watersheds in the semi-arid regions of India.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
June 01 2008
A comparison of curve number based methods for runoff estimation from small watersheds in a semi-arid region of India
Shakir Ali;
1Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Kota, 324002, (Rajasthan), India
Tel.: +91 744 246 2642 Fax: +91 744 246 0853; E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
V. N. Sharda
V. N. Sharda
2Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, 248195, (Uttrakhand), India
Search for other works by this author on:
Hydrology Research (2008) 39 (3): 191–200.
Article history
Received:
May 14 2007
Accepted:
December 18 2007
Citation
Shakir Ali, V. N. Sharda; A comparison of curve number based methods for runoff estimation from small watersheds in a semi-arid region of India. Hydrology Research 1 June 2008; 39 (3): 191–200. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2008.045
Download citation file: