Channel change,sediment transport,and fish habitat in a coastal stream: Effects of an extreme event

A study on sediment transport and channel change was conducted on Zayante Creek and the lower San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz County, California. A rainstorm with a recurrence interval locally in excess of 150 years occurred during the study year, 1982 WY. Stream surveys indicated that significant aggradation occurred during and after the peak flood. Upper study reaches were substantially recovered after high flows of early April, but the lower study reaches still had significant filling of pools and burial of riffles by sand. Increases in width-depth ratio were minor and localized in upper reaches, but were significant in lower reaches. Large inputs of sand, primarily from landsliding, altered the sediment transport regime. A higher proportion of the bedload is now transported by lower flows than before the January event. Roads and sand quarries contributed significantly to sediment input to the stream. A proposed dam may alter the sediment transport regime of Zayante Creek. Mitigating the effects of this dam on downstream fish habitat may require occasional bankfull discharges.     

PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD ESTIMATION-EASTERN UNITED STATES1

In 1982, the National Weather Service (NWS) published criteria for developing the spatial and temporal precipitation distribution characteristics of Probable Maximum Storms. The criteria, which are intended for use in the United States east of the 105th meridian, involve four variables: (1) location of the storm center, (2) storm-area size, (3) storm orientation, and (4) temporal arrangement of precipitation amounts. A computer program has been developed which applies the NWS criteria to produce hyetographs of spatially-averaged precipitation for a basin, or for each subbasin if the basin is subdividided. The basis and operational characteristics of the program are described, and an application is illustrated in which the program is used in conjunction with a precipitation-runoff simulation program (HEC-1) to compute a Probable Maximum Flood.     

Natural disasters in Australia

The history of natural hazards in Australia and their physical, economic and social consequences are discussed in this paper. The lack of any national programme for hazard mitigation is identified, alongside an overview of Australia as a country where major disasters are accepted as a part of everyday life.     

Evaluation of natural radioactivity in soil, sediment and water samples of Niger Delta (Biseni) flood plain lakes, Nigeria

This paper presents the findings of a baseline study undertaken to evaluate the natural radioactivity levels in soil, sediment and water samples in four flood plain lakes of the Niger Delta using a hyper pure germanium (HPGe) detector. The activity profile of radionuclides shows low activity across the study area. The mean activity level of the natural radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K is 20 ± 3, 20 ± 3 and 180 ± 50 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. These values are well within values reported elsewhere in the country and in other countries with similar environments. The study also examined some radiation hazard indices. The mean values obtained are, 76 ± 14 Bq kg⁻¹, 30 ± 5.5 ηGy h⁻¹, 37 ± 6.8 μSv y⁻¹, 0.17 and 0.23 for Radium Equivalent Activity (Ra_eq), Absorbed Dose Rates (D), Annual Effective Dose Rates (E_ff Dose), External Hazard Index (H_ex) and Internal Hazard Index (H_in) respectively. All the health hazard indices are well below their recommended limits. The soil and sediments from the study area provide no excessive exposures for inhabitants and can be used as construction materials without posing any significant radiological threat to the population. The water is radiologically safe for domestic and industrial use. The paper recommends further studies to estimate internal and external doses from other suspected radiological sources to the population of the Biseni kingdom.     

抑制城市内涝的有效措施:雨水资源化

频繁发生的城市内涝灾害,成为城市建设管理工作中讫待解决的的重大问题。地面明流超量、城市大量蓄水场地被侵占、城市路面下渗能力降低是引发内涝的主要原因。城市雨水资源化是从雨水源头做起,增加雨水收集利用量,优化排蓄组合,增大渗透量。既有效地实现雨水资源化,又达到减排与缓排洪水流量,抑制城市内涝的目的。     

Developing a GIS based integrated approach to flood management in Trinidad, West Indies

Trinidad and Tobago is plagued with a perennial flooding problem. The higher levels of rainfall in the wet season often lead to extensive flooding in the low-lying areas of the country. This has lead to significant damage to livestock, agricultural produce, homes and businesses particularly in the Caparo River Basin. Clearly, there is a need for developing flood mitigation and management strategies to manage flooding in the areas most affected. This paper utilizes geographic information systems to map the extent of the flooding, estimate soil loss due to erosion and estimate sediment loading in the rivers in the Caparo River Basin. In addition, the project required the development of a watershed management plan and a flood control plan. The results indicate that flooding was caused by several factors including clear cutting of vegetative cover, especially in areas of steep slopes that lead to sediment filled rivers and narrow waterways. Other factors include poor agricultural practices, and uncontrolled development in floodplains. Recommendations to manage floods in the Caparo River Basin have been provided.     

太湖流域1991年洪涝灾害的原因分析与治理对策建议

本文扼要叙述了太湖流域1991年的灾害概况,从气候、地形和水系特征等方面说明太湖流域存在发生洪涝灾害的自然条件,指出人为不恰当活动是加剧洪涝灾害的不可忽视的原因.最后对治理对策提出了六点建议.     

从《清史稿》看清代淮河流域的水灾——兼述1991年淮河水灾的历史原因

本文对《清史稿·河渠志》及《清史稿·灾异志》中有关淮河流域的水灾资料进行了系统的整理和分析,从中可以窥出清代淮河流域水灾规律之大概。     

Use of computer models of flood inundation to facilitate communication in flood risk management

It is now widely recognised that good communication between multi-disciplinary stakeholders is central to effective flood risk management. Recent developments in Geographical Information Systems, increased availability of accurate digital terrain models from remotely sensed data sources and improved graphical computer interfaces have made the outputs from computer models of flood inundation easily accessible to the stakeholder community. As a consequence, predictions from such models are now being used routinely as a means of communication between engineers and other stakeholders in flood risk management. This paper provides a review of the modelling methods most appropriate for flood risk communication. These are one-dimensional models which are suitable for simulating flood risk at a catchment or sub-catchment scale and appropriate for communicating the impact of strategic flood management decisions and two-dimensional models which can be applied across a range of scales but, are now being regularly applied at the relatively small scale, less than 10 km², where they have the potential to inform and communicate disaster management decisions. The role of such models in communicating between modellers and non-modellers by providing a means for immediate visualisation of “the future” is discussed and illustrated by application to two case studies.     

保护生态环境是根治洪涝灾害的战略措施

从分析我国1998年抗洪救灾的事实出发,探讨了洪涝灾害产生的原因,分析了生态环境严重破坏带来的严重影响;据此,确立保护生态环境是根治洪涝灾害的战略措施,并从城市可持续发展的高度提出了建议。