DEPRESSION

STORAGE

DEPRESSION STORAGE
The volume, in inches that must
be filled prior to the occurrence
of runoff. It represents the loss or
"initial abstraction" caused by
such phenomena as surface
ponding, surface wetting,
interception and evaporation.
may be treated as a calibration
parameter, particularly to adjust
runoff volumes.

 When a subarea impervious% value > 0 is

used the subarea is divided into two
components representing the impervious
and pervious portions. Horton or Green
Ampt losses are only applied to the
PERVIOUS PORTION of the subarea. In
some runoff procedures including the EPA
runoff, kinematic wave method, and some
unit hydrograph methods currently
excluding the time/area method also
include additional depression storage loss.
IMPERVIOUS DEPRESSION storage loss
is the only loss applied to the impervious
portion.

 Separate Horton or Green Ampt

losses can be applied to both
impervious and pervious
portions of a sub-catchment by
defining two subareas each with
impervious% set to 0 (zero).
Then use the pervious
parameters within the infiltration
dialog to define each impervious
and pervious area respectively.

 Impervious Depression Storage

-Water stored as depression storage
on impervious areas is depleted by
evaporation.
Pervious Depression Storage
-Water stored as depression storage
is subject to both infiltration and
evaporation. This parameter is best
represented as an interception loss,
based on the type of surface
vegetation.

Depression storage
Important factor governing water
flow in the landscape including:
*Erosion potential
*Infiltration
* Overland runoff

Depression storage
=>Theoretical investigations of
relationships with:
Roughness
Tortuosity
Slope

Abundant field data for crop fields,

but very little data for natural "land uses

Vegetation & depression storage

During Oldfield succession, how does
vegetation influence micro relief
development?
Hypotheses:
Micro relief, depression
storage,
& plant litter
increase over succession
Land use management
reduces
micro relief & depression
storage

Roughness
clinometer