Route flood hydrographs through channel reaches using the Muskingum method. Calculate peak attenuation, translation time, and outflow hydrograph for rivers and streams. Professional hydrology tool for civil engineers.
The Muskingum method routes flood hydrographs through channel reaches by modeling storage as a combination of prism storage (proportional to outflow) and wedge storage (proportional to inflow-outflow difference).
Key equations:
K represents the travel time through the reach (hours). X is a weighting factor (0-0.5) that describes the relative importance of inflow vs outflow in determining storage.
| Parameter | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| K (storage constant) | 0.5 - 6 hours | Approx. reach travel time |
| X (weighting factor) | 0.1 - 0.3 | Natural channels: 0.2-0.3 |
| X = 0 | - | Pure reservoir (level pool) |
| X = 0.5 | - | Pure translation (no attenuation) |
Source: USACE EM 1110-2-1417, Chow et al. (1988).
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