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Estimate the annual water balance (budget) in a watershed with the following characteristics: Annual precipitation: 800 mm Annual streamflow out: 450 mm Annual groundwater flow in: 350 mm Monthly groundwater flow out: 85 mm Daily evapotranspiration: 0.4 mm Please show the calculation for full points.

User Chaosfire
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Final answer:

The estimated annual water balance of the watershed is a deficit of 466 mm/year. This is calculated by subtracting the total annual water output (1616 mm/year, including streamflow out, groundwater flow out, and evapotranspiration) from the total annual water input (1150 mm/year, including precipitation and groundwater flow in).

Step-by-step explanation:

To estimate the annual water balance, or budget, for a watershed, we consider all inputs and outputs of water. The given values are:

  • Annual precipitation: 800 mm
  • Annual streamflow out: 450 mm
  • Annual groundwater flow in: 350 mm
  • Monthly groundwater flow out: 85 mm
  • Daily evapotranspiration: 0.4 mm

First, let's calculate total annual outputs by considering streamflow, groundwater flow out, and evapotranspiration. To convert daily evapotranspiration to annual, we multiply by 365 days:

Annual evapotranspiration = 0.4 mm/day × 365 days/year = 146 mm/year

Next, we convert monthly groundwater flow out to annual by multiplying by 12 months:

Annual groundwater flow out = 85 mm/month × 12 months/year = 1020 mm/year

Now, we can add all outputs:

Total annual water output = Streamflow out + Groundwater flow out + Evapotranspiration = 450 mm + 1020 mm + 146 mm = 1616 mm/year

The total annual input is just the sum of annual precipitation and groundwater flow in:

Total annual water input = Precipitation + Groundwater flow in = 800 mm + 350 mm = 1150 mm/year

To find the water balance, we subtract the total output from the total input:

Annual Water Balance = Total input - Total output = 1150 mm/year - 1616 mm/year = -466 mm/year

The negative water balance suggests that the watershed has a deficit of 466 mm/year.

User FWDekker
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