Open-channel flow occurs in culverts operating under inlet control only.

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The statement asserts that open-channel flow occurs in culverts operating under inlet control only, which is not accurate. Open-channel flow in culverts can be governed by different control conditions depending on the hydraulic setup and what limits the discharge.
First, inlet control means the flow is limited by the conditions at the culvert entrance; the velocity through the culvert depth can be high while the upstream head controls the discharge. However, this is not the only possible regime. When the outlet conditions or the downstream tailwater depth control the flow, the culvert is under outlet control, and the discharge is restricted by the downstream geometry and tailwater.
Second, there is also the possibility of a situation where the culvert operates under a neutral or through-flow regime where neither inlet nor outlet completely dominates, and the actual flow is determined by the combined hydraulic losses, entrance geometry, and tailwater interaction. Therefore, insisting that open-channel flow always occurs under inlet control ignores these other valid scenarios.
Third, practical culvert design and analysis often involve evaluating both inlet and outlet control cases to determine the range of possible discharges and to identify which condition governs for a given upstream and downstream setup.
Fourth, if the upstream water surface rises while tailwater remains low, inlet control might govern; if tailwater rises or the downstream channel imposes limitations, outlet control becomes governing. In short, open-channel flow is not restricted to inlet control alone; multiple control conditions can govern depending on the boundary conditions and flow regime.
Thus, the claim that open-channel flow occurs only under inlet control is false because outlet control and mixed or neutral conditions can and do occur in culverts as well.

ENGR3851_2025_S1_TON

Open-channel flow occurs in culverts operating under inlet control only.

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