FLOODPLAIN ANALYSIS,SIMPLIFIED VS. COMPLEX METHODS: A CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: The accurate and reliable determination of floodplains, floodway boundaries, and flood water elevations are integral requirements of Flood Insurance Studies. These studies are intended to be used for determining the flood insurance rates. Therefore, the accuracy of the water surface profiles are important. To ensure the high degree of accuracy, the HUD Flood Insurance Administration has developed standards which must be met in the analysis of water surface profiles. A somewhat less accurate study is required for the preparation of Flood Emergency Plans. As part of the flood insurance studies of eight locations in the State of North Dakota, various flood hazard and floodplain information reports were reviewed. The hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, especially the computation of the 100-year water surface profiles, were completed using both simplified and complex hydraulic computation methods. Significant differences were found (1 to 3 feet) between the profiles computed by the SCS simplified method and those computed by HEC-2 computer program. However, the floodplain boundaries determined by both methods were found to be similar. Approximate methods are recommended for rapid determination of the floodplain, floodway boundaries, and inundation area mapping, while sophisticated computer programs (HEC-2) are recommended to be used for developing areas where the 100-year flood elevation has a significant impact on the cost of land development.     

美国的洪泛平原管理

美国开展洪泛平原管理已有约40年历史，洪水保险计划是美国泛平原管理的主要措施。了解并借鉴他们的思路与具体策略，将有助于我国洪泛平原管理政策的制定。     

APPLICATION OF THE U.S.G.S. DIFFUSION HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL FOR URBAN FLOODPLAIN ANAYSIS1

ABSTRACT: The two-dimensional Diffusion Hydrodynamic Model, DHM, is applied to the evaluation of floodplain depths resulting from an overflow of a leveed river. The environmental concerns of flood protection and high flow velocities can be better studied with the help of the two-dimensional DHM flow model than by use of the one-dimensional modeling techniques. In the test case, some of the predicted flood depth differences between the DHM and the one-dimensional approach (i.e., HEC-2) are found to be significant. Although the DHM generates considerable information, it is easy to use and does not require expertise beyond that required for use of the one-dimensional approaches.     

A COMPARISON OF SINGLE‐CELL AND MULTICELL CULVERTS FOR STREAM CROSSINGS1

ABSTRACT: Single‐barrel culverts are a common means of roadway crossings for smaller streams. While this culvert design provides an economical solution for a crossing, the adverse effects of conveying the stream through a single opening can be far reaching. The single‐barrel culvert is typically sized for a design storm much greater than the channel forming discharge. This oversizing causes an interruption of the normal flow patterns and sediment transport for the system. Shallow depths at low flow in the pipe and perching at the outlet can impede fish passage. Multicell culverts (where the main culvert at the channel invert is sized for bankfull discharge, and additional pipes are placed at the floodplain elevation to convey overbank flow up to the design discharge) have been recommended as a best management practice to minimize erosion and improve fish passage. This flume study scaled a prototype single‐barrel culvert to both a single‐cell model, and a multicell design to compare outlet scour and flow depths within the culvert. The results provide designers and planners with evidence of the benefits of multicell culverts to justify the higher cost of installation compared to single‐barrel culverts.     

A Faster and Economical Approach to Floodplain Mapping Using Soil Information

Flood inundation maps play a key role in assessment and mitigation of potential flood hazards. However, owing to high costs associated with the conventional flood mapping methods, many communities in the United States lack flood inundation maps. The objective of this study is to develop and examine an economical alternative approach to floodplain mapping using widely available soil survey geographic (SSURGO) database. In this study, floodplain maps are developed for the entire state of Indiana, and some counties in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington states by identifying flood‐prone soil map units based on their attributes. For validation, the flood extents obtained from SSURGO database are compared with the extents from other floodplain maps such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs), flood extents observed during past floods, and flood maps derived using digital elevation models. In general, SSURGO‐based floodplain maps (SFMs) are largely in agreement with other flood inundation maps. Specifically, the floodplain extents from SFMs cover 78‐95% area compared to FIRMs and observed flood extents. Thus, albeit with a slight loss in accuracy, the SSURGO approach offers an economical and fast alternative for floodplain mapping. In particular, it has potentially high utility in areas where no detailed flood studies have been conducted.     

向海洪泛湿地土壤全氮、全磷和有机质含量及相关性分析

对霍林河流域向海国家级自然保护区内天然洪泛湿地在距主河道不同距离处分层采集土壤样品,对其全氮、全磷和有机质含量的空间变化规律进行分析探讨.结果显示,全氮、全磷和有机质的含量在空间上的变化趋势为随距离河道距离的增加和采样土层深度的增加而降低,表明洪泛作用对洪泛湿地土壤中全氮、全磷和有机质含量的影响随着距离河道距离的增加和土层深度的增加而降低.对全氮、全磷和有机质含量的相关性进行了分析,结果显示相互间的相关性在距主河道一定距离范围内非常显著.      

The U.S. Flood Control Program at 75: Environmental Issues1

Black, Peter E., 2012. The U.S. Flood Control Program at 75: Environmental Issues. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 244‐255. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00609.x Abstract: Recent, recurring, and increased magnitude floods adversely challenge long‐held and erroneous concepts of flood control. This article focuses on the environmental issues with comprehensively reviewed essentials of the United States (U.S.) riverine Flood Control Program, including news reports, scientific articles, books, and landmark treatises. For the past three‐quarters of a century, U.S. floods have continued (and will continue) to occur, causing increasing property damage with growing fiscal loss. Reasons include inattention to fundamental principles of physics, hydrology, and ecology. There are also important challenges involving environmental policy, economics, and common sense. Measures afforded by the existing program encourage and enable investment in floodplains while violating a variety of natural principles that make the situation worse. This detailed review includes the questionable (actually untrue) justification in the document‐setting policy for the 1936 Omnibus Flood Control Act. The well‐documented evidence is overwhelming. An alternative approach is presented that would enable and celebrate natural floods, managing their ecological and hydrological values, and not attempting to control them.     

鄱阳湖水体垂向分层状况调查研究

湖泊水体混合或分层对环境和生态具有显著指示意义,能够提高对未来湖泊水环境状况的评价与管理。针对洪泛鄱阳湖水位季节性变化显著等特点,基于剖面温度和稳定氢氧同位素的调查分析来探明多因素影响下鄱阳湖水体垂向分层或混合状况。结果发现:鄱阳湖枯水期和洪水期水体垂向温差大多处于0~1.0℃,大部分水域温差小于0.5℃,但偶见洪水期部分水域会达到1.5℃的较大温差。总体表明,在季节变化尺度上,鄱阳湖具有较为稳定的等温层,没有明显温度分层特征。同位素分析结果得出,枯水期和洪水期的氢氧稳定同位素值在深度剖面上呈均一分布,表明鄱阳湖水体混合状况较好或完全混合。虽然湖区气象条件和水文条件均是影响鄱阳湖水体分层或混合的重要因素,但鄱阳湖入流和出流等水文条件是影响鄱阳湖水体垂向混合的主要因素。鄱阳湖水体混合同时对湖泊水环境因子的垂向分布特征可能产生重要的影响或控制作用。首次基于大量野外监测有针对性地开展鄱阳湖水体分层研究,结果有助于对湖泊水流结构的深入认识,可为湖区水体污染物的输移模拟与作用机制阐释等方面提供科学参考。     

西北干旱区黄河沿岸典型工业带表土磁性特征及其环境意义

对西北干旱区黄河沿岸典型工业带中两个工业城市乌海和石嘴山表土样品进行了系统的环境磁学参数的测量,分析了表土磁性矿物的含量、种类、颗粒大小,并对其环境指示意义进行研究.结果表明,表土的磁性矿物以假单畴-多畴磁铁矿为主.磁性矿物的浓度和颗粒大小在不同功能区表现出一定的差异,工业区表土磁性矿物的浓度最高,颗粒最粗,农业区次之,原煤区浓度最低,颗粒最细.环境磁学监测手段对于因化石燃料燃烧而造成的污染指示较为敏感,而对未经燃烧原料的污染指示作用并不显著.χlf、SIRM、SOFT是指示城市土壤污染状况的有效指标,环境磁学方法是监测和评价城市土壤污染状况的一种重要手段.     

Climate Change and Floodplain Delineation in Two Southern Quebec River Basins1

Laforce, Serge, Marie‐Claude Simard, Robert Leconte, and François Brissette, 2011. Climate Change and Floodplain Delineation in Two Southern Quebec River Basins. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):785‐799. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00560.x Abstract: A methodology is presented for mapping the flooded extent of rivers under projected climate change. The methodology follows a top‐down modeling approach, where future climate projections generated by global climate models (GCMs) are downscaled to the watershed scale and used as input to hydrological and hydrodynamic models for predicting future river flows and associated open water levels. A range of possible future climate responses are taken into account, allowing quantification of flood‐mapping uncertainties resulting from GCM structure and greenhouse gas emission scenarios (GHGES). Probabilistic projections of future flood zones are developed by assuming that all GCMs and GHGES be equally weighted. The proposed methodology was applied to two river basins located in southern Quebec, Canada, for the time horizons 2020 and 2080. Twenty‐ and hundred‐year floods were computed and corresponding flood maps have been produced. Results indicate that there is a general trend toward an increased spring peak discharge for the Châteauguay River Basin and a decrease for the du Nord River Basin at the 2020 horizon. A less obvious trend was observed for the 2080 horizon, some GCM‐GHGES producing an increase in spring peak flows, whereas others would result in a less severe spring flood. These uncertainties in flood flows have cascaded into uncertainties in the corresponding flooded extent and represented as probabilistic flood maps.