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Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 Hydrology National Engineering Handbook Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 National Engineering Handbook Issued November 2015 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete theUSDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_fil- ing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Inde- pendence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program. [email protected] Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) Acknowledgments National Engineering Handbook, Section 4 (NEH-4), Chapter 6, Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units, was originally prepared by Victor Mockus (deceased) in 1964 and was reprinted with minor revisions in 1969. It was updated by the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under the guidance of Donald E. Woodward (retired), and released as 210–NEH, Part 630, Chapter 6, in 1998. Jon Fripp, stream mechanics civil engineer, NRCS, Fort Worth, TX, under the guidance of Claudia Hoeft, national hydraulic engineer, Washington, DC, led a team that reviewed and prepared this update to chapter 6. Team members who provided source information and expert reviews were Nathaniel Todea, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Salt Lake City, UT; and Karl Visser, hydraulic engineer, Phuc Vu, design civil engineer, and Richard Weber, wetland hydraulic engineer, all of NRCS, Fort Worth, TX. Additional reviews and comments were provided by Ruth Book, state conservation engineer, NRCS, Champaign, IL; Thomas Bourdon, (retired); Scott Gong, design engineer, NRCS, Jackson, MS; Annette Humpal, hy- draulic engineer, NRCS, Appleton, WI; William Merkel, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Beltsville, MD; Helen Fox Moody, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Belts- ville, MD; Quan D. Quan, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Beltsville, MD; Arlis Plummer, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Lincoln, NE: Ed Radatz, hydraulic engineer, Salina, KS; Nick Reynolds, design engineer, NRCS, Bismarck, ND; Tim Ridley, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Morgantown, WV; Chris Ritz, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Indianapolis, IN; Jacob Robison, civil engi- neer, NRCS, Lincoln, NE; Terri Ruch; state conservation engineer, NRCS, Raleigh, NC; Barry Rankin (retired); Jim Stafford, hydraulic engineer, NRCS, Bowling Green, OH; and Barry Southerland, fluvial geomorpholo- gist, NRCS, Portland, OR. The Technical Publications Team, Wendy Pierce, illustrator, and Suzi Self, editorial assistant, NRCS, Fort Worth, TX, prepared the document for publication. (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 National Engineering Handbook 6–ii (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Contents 630.0600 Introduction 6–1 630.0601 Reaches 6–1 (a) Location ...........................................................................................................6–2 (b) Measurement ..................................................................................................6–5 (c) Length ..............................................................................................................6–5 (d) Profile ............................................................................................................... 6–5 (e) Hydraulic roughness ......................................................................................6–5 (f) Reach data input for computer programs ...................................................6–5 (g) National geospatial data for stream reaches ...............................................6–5 630.0602 Project Benefits Estimation on Alluvial Fans 6–6 630.0603 Hydrologic units 6–7 630.0604 References 6–9 Tables Table 6–1 Reach and cross section data 6–3 Figures Figure 6–1 Example cross sections oriented perpendicular to flow direction 6–1 Figure 6–2 Hydrologic unit sample watershed having detail for use as a sample 6–2 watershed Figure 6–3 Hydrologic map developed using ArcGIS software 6–4 Figure 6–4 Sample map with stream locations from NHD 6–6 Figure 6–5 Strahler Stream Order system 6–8 Figure 6–6 Sample small watershed from Montana illustrating stream locations 6–8 and HU from the NHD (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) 6–iii Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 National Engineering Handbook 6–iv (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units 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 reaches, and the watershed into hydrologic units (HU), of study. It contains a specified feature that is either for the convenience of work as a part of a hydrologic fairly uniform throughout, such as hydraulic/geomor- or hydraulic study. This chapter provides some details phic characteristics or flood damages, or that re- on the selection of reaches for hydrologic or economic quires special attention in the study, such as a bridge. studies, presents alternative means for studies of al- Reaches are generally shorter for hydraulic studies luvial fans, and briefly describes a hydrologic unit and than for other types of studies, so it is best to consider its use in a study. hydraulic needs first when selecting reaches and then combine the hydraulic reaches into longer ones for the other studies. Reaches are physically defined throughout their length and 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 sec- tion should include enough of the flood plain to extend beyond whatever flood limits the engineer expects to impact the study. A cross section is both straight and perpendicular to the major path of flow in the valley, or it is a connected series of segments each of which are perpendicular to the flows in their vicinity. An example is shown in figure 6–1. Figure 6–1 Example cross sections oriented perpendicu- lar to flow direction (210–VI–NEH, Amend. 77, November 2015) 6–1 Chapter 6 Stream Reaches and Hydrologic Units Part 630 National Engineering Handbook The head and foot of a reach are the upstream and The use of geographical information system (GIS) downstream ends respectively. In some studies, the packages can greatly facilitate watershed visualiza- head is referred to as the top and the foot is referred tion and assessment. Figure 6–3 provides an example to as the bottom of the reach. Right bank and left bank of an initial watershed evaluation. This figure was are generally designated looking downstream. For generated using Esri® ArcGIS, ArcInfo, and ArcScene. reference, reaches and cross sections are identified Hydrologic characteristics were generated using the numerically or alphabetically in a simple and consis- USACE’s HEC-Geographical Hydrologic Modeling Sys- tent way, such as the example shown in figure 6–2 and tem (HEC-GeoHMS). The watershed illustrated in this table 6–1. If a computer program is used, the number- figure is based on real topography. The grade stabiliza- ing follows the system specified in the program. For tion structure and floodwater retarding structures are example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) not actual structures, but are used in this hypothetical Hydrologic Engineering Center—River Analysis Sys- example to illustrate cross-sectional and reach place- tem (HEC–RAS) computer program numbers the river ment. In an actual study, as the study progresses, the stations starting at the downstream end so that river illustration would be modified to show subareas termi- stations increase in the upstream direction. nating at the structures. Global positioning systems (GPS) are both highly use- ful and commonly used tools for identifying specific reach locations and applying attributes. Systems vary significantly from engineering grade systems, such as real time kinematic (RTK) surveying units, to basic Figure 6–2 Hydrologic unit sample watershed having units designed to navigate within
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