Abstract

CAMPOS-ARANDA, Daniel F.. N Number identification through the TUH method, in fifteen rural watersheds of two geographical zones in Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2009, vol.43, n.8, pp.763-775. ISSN 2521-9766.

This study highlights the importance of floods or design floods in rural watersheds, since they are the basis for dimensioning hydraulic infrastructure built or reviewed in them. Then, the complexity of hydrological processes that these floods generate is described. Because of this, calibration of any flood prediction method will lead to its most reliable estimation. Next, the triangular unit hydrograph (TUH) method is described in detail, as well as the estimation of its design storm based on Chen's formula, and the strategy necessary for identifying the N number associated to each of the six return periods processed. Identification or calibration was carried out in eight rural watersheds in the Hydrological Region No. 10 (Sinaloa), and seven in Partial Hydrological Region No. 12 (Rio Santiago), whose watershed areas varied from 97 to 1645 km. Later, various factors that influence the results are listed. Finally, conclusions are proposed which highlight the importance of this study's numerical results and their systematic regional application during processes of flood estimation in watersheds with no gauging.

Keywords : Triangular unit hydrograph; Chen's formula; daily rain and maximum flow predictions.