FLOOD DAMAGES IN CHANGING FLOOD PLAINS: A FORENSIC‐HYDROLOGIC CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: Hydraulic modification of flood plains by human activity is the primary cause of rising flood damages throughout the world. As flood‐plain hydraulic roughness increases, so does the water level for a fixed flow rate. This raises the flood damage associated with a flood of given return period, and thus, magnifies the flood risk. This article presents an approach that integrates climatic, hydrologic, and hydraulic principles and presents models to discern the probable causes of flood damage in a basin that undergoes flood‐plain development. The article documents key factors that govern flood damage and presents a case study that illustrates the principles of forensic hydrology in an impacted flood plain. The study demonstrates flood level rise caused by hydraulic alteration of a flood plain between 1969 and 1995 and apportioned the increased water level among agricultural and structural factors located in the study area.     

BANKFULL DISCHARGE RECURRENCE INTERVALS AND REGIONAL HYDRAULIC GEOMETRY RELATIONSHIPS: PATTERNS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST,USA1

ABSTRACT: The model bankfull discharge recurrence interval (annual series) (T_a) in streams has been approximated at a 1.5‐year flow event. This study tests the linkage between regional factors (climate, physiography, and ecoregion) and the frequency of bank‐full discharge events in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Patterns of Ta were found to be significant when stratified by EPA Ecoregion. The mean value for T_a in the PNW is 1.4 years; however, when the data is stratified by ecoregion, the humid areas of western Oregon and Washington have a mean value of 1.2 years, while the dryer areas of Idaho and eastern Oregon and Washington have a mean value of 1.4 to 1.5 years. Among the four factors evaluated, vegetation association and average annual precipitation are the primary factors related to channel form and T_a. Based on the results of the T_a analyses, regional hydraulic geometry relationships of streams were developed for the PNW, which relate variables, such as bank‐full cross‐sectional area, width, depth, and velocity, to bankfull discharge and drainage area. The verification of T_a values, combined with the development of regional hydraulic geometry relationships, provides geographically relevant information that will result in more accurate estimates of hydraulic geometry variables in the PNW.     

REGIONAL NITRATE LEACHING VARIABILITY: WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO

ABSTRACT: The high spatial variability of nitrate concentrations in ground water of many regions is thought to be closely related to spatially-variable leaching rates from agricultural activities. To clarify the relative roles of the different nitrate leaching controlling variables under irrigated agriculture in northeastern Colorado, we conducted an extensive series of leaching simulations with the NLEAP model using best estimates of local agricultural practices. The results of these simulations were then used with GIS to estimate the spatial variability of leachate quality for a 14,000 ha area overlying the alluvial aquifer of the South Platte River. Simulations showed that in the study area, differences in soil type might lead to 5–10 kg/ha of N variation in annual leaching rates while variability due to crop rotations was as much as 65 kg-N/ha for common rotations. Land application of manure from confined animal feeding operations may account for more than 100 kg-N/ha additional leaching. For a selected index rotation, the simulated nitrogen leaching rates across the area varied from 10 to 299 kg/ha and simulated water volumes leached ranged from 13 to 76 cm/yr depending on soil type, irrigation type, and use of manure. Resulting leachate concentrations of 3.5–140 mg/l NO₃ as N were simulated. Land application of manure was found to be the most important factor determining the mass flux of nitrate leached and the combination of sprinkler irrigation and manure application yields the highest leachate concentrations.     

白石砬子自然保护区几种主要植被类型土壤入渗特性研究

为了深入研究辽东山区森林土壤的水源涵养功能,以白石砬子自然保护区内的6种主要植被类型下土壤为研究对象,采用野外双环试验和室内理化性质分析相结合的方法,研究了不同植被类型下土壤入渗能力及其与理化性质的关系。结果表明,不同植被类型土壤的初渗率、稳渗率、平均入渗率、渗透总量均表现为下层低于上层,最大值是最小值的近3倍;不同植被类型间土壤入渗能力差异较大,其中A层初渗率排列顺序为原生红松阔叶混交林>红松人工林>鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>农地>蒙古栎林>杂木林,B层初渗率排列顺序为鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>农地>杂木林>红松人工林>原生红松阔叶混交林>蒙古栎林,A层稳渗率排列顺序为红松人工林>鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>原生红松阔叶混交林>杂木林>蒙古栎林>农地,B层稳渗率以杂木林最大,为3.8 mm?min-1,原生红松阔叶混交林最小,仅为1.1 mm?min-1,其他4种植被类型土壤稳渗率几乎无差异,A层平均入渗率排列顺序为红松人工林>原生红松阔叶混交林>鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>杂木林>蒙古栎林>农地,B层平均入渗率排列顺序为杂木林>鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>红松人工林>蒙古栎林>农地>原生红松阔叶混交林,A层的渗透总量以红松阔叶混交林和红松人工林最大,蒙古栎林和农地相对较低,B层的渗透总量以杂木林最大,红松阔叶混交林最小;主成分分析评价的土壤入渗能力排序为红松人工林>鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林>原生红松阔叶混交林>杂木林>蒙古栎林>农地,初渗率、稳渗率、平均入渗率和渗透总量等4个指标综合起来能够很好的表达土壤入渗能力,其主成分方差的累积贡献率为90.662%;不同层次土壤入渗速率与入渗时间均存在良好的幂函数关系;土壤的稳渗率、平均入渗率、渗透总量与非毛管孔隙度呈显著正相关关系,初渗率与非毛管孔隙存在相关性,但不显著。与容重存在负相关关系,但不显著。     

北江流域水文特征变异研究

水文特征变异研究是水文学研究中的重点之一。水文特征变异不仅包括时间、空间上的概念,还包括属性上的概念。研究水文序列在属性、时间及空间上的变异,才能够全面地反映水文序列的变异情况。论文探讨了水文特征变异的内涵,提出水文特征变异是研究对象或现象在属性、时间和空间上的变异量度。以北江流域径流量及降雨量资料为基础,全面分析了属性范畴下及时空范畴下北江流域水文序列的变异情况。结果表明:1992-2006年的径流量序列和1973-2006年的径流量序列相对于1956-1972年的径流量序列都发生了变异;从重心移动方向来看,北江流域在1959、1967、1975和1983年移动方向发生了转折,从重心移动的距离来看,降雨重心离多年平均较远的年份分别是1967、1975、1983和2000年。     

潮河流域降雨径流事件污染物输出特征

在半干旱半湿润地区,非点源养分污染的发生主要由降水径流事件驱动,伴随这些短暂脉冲事件流失的养分量决定着一年总的污染排放负荷,因此研究汛期降雨径流事件下水体污染动态特征是半干旱半湿润地区污染负荷模拟及控制的关键.以北京市密云水库上游的潮河流域为研究区域,2018年和2019年汛期进行古北口站和下会站的降雨径流过程水质水量同步监测.结果表明：①监测的3场降雨事件（E1、E2和E3）中,E1的降雨量和强度最大,相应的流量和污染物浓度最高;②不同降雨事件下,污染物浓度及其变化不同.大暴雨事件和暴雨事件（E1、E3）下,总氮（TN）、氨氮（NH₄⁺-N）、硝氮（NO₃^--N）、总磷（TP）和悬浮物（TSS）的浓度与流量变化过程相似;大雨事件下（E2）,总氮（TN）、氨氮（NH₄⁺-N）、总磷（TP）和悬浮物（TSS）的浓度与流量变化过程相似,硝氮（NO₃^--N）浓度变化与流量相反;③不同降雨事件下,不同形态污染物浓度及其变化不同.降雨侵蚀强烈（E1、E2）,颗粒态污染物浓度变化明显,与悬浮物（TSS）呈显著正相关关系;降雨未引起土壤侵蚀（E3）,氮磷形态以溶解态氮（TDN）和溶解态磷（TDP）为主,浓度变化主要与流量有关;④不同降雨事件下,不同站点的流量和污染物浓度不同.强降雨侵蚀事件在古北口表现更明显,引起流量和总磷（TP）、悬浮物（TSS）的变化幅度更大.以上结果可以用来确定降雨事件引发的非点源污染物输出特征,为该地区的汛期水质预测与控制提供参考.     

降雨径流对柴河水库总磷、总氮的水质影响分析

为研究降雨产生的地表径流对水库水质中总磷、总氮的影响,以铁岭市入柴河水库的柴河流域集雨面积内的降雨径流为研究对象,分别在雨季汛期的三个时期(雨前、雨时及雨后)对柴河流域下游入库前的柴河堡断面采集水样进行分析,以期为铁岭市柴河水库的面源污染治理提供科学依据。     

新沟河排水对太湖水环境影响研究

太湖西北部尤其是梅梁湖水质较差,新沟河延伸拓浚工程实施后,可通过外排梅梁湖水改变太湖的水动力水质环境.利用Mike21建立太湖二维水动力水质数学模型,研究该工程实施后对太湖水动力水质的影响.研究得到:新沟河工程实施后,可有效改善梅梁湖的水动力条件,梅梁湖换水周期缩短13.3％;同时,梅梁湖CODMn、 TP、TN等主要...     

USING FIELD SCALE MODELS TO PREDICT PEAK FLOWS ON AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS1

The goal of this study was to develop a methodology for generating storm hydrographs at a watershed scale based on daily runoff estimates from a field scale model. The methodology was evaluated on a small agricultural watershed using the ADAPT field scale process model. A comparison of observed and predicted peak flows for 11 of the largest events that occurred in a three year period gave r² values of 0.84, 0.82, and 0.81 when the watershed was subdivided into 1, 5, and 10 sub watersheds. However, all other statistical measures improved when the watershed was subdivided into at least five sub watersheds. Guidelines need to be developed on the use of the procedure but it first needs to be evaluated on several watersheds that exhibit a range in sizes, land uses, slopes, and soil properties.     

POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON MOUNTAIN WATERSHEDS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST1

ABSTRACT: Global climate change due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has serious potential impacts on water resources in the Pacific Northwest. Climate scenarios produced by general circulation models (GCMs) do not provide enough spatial specificity for studying water resources in mountain watersheds. This study uses dynamical downscaling with a regional climate model (RCM) driven by a GCM to simulate climate change scenarios. The RCM uses a subgrid parameterization of orographic precipitation and land surface cover to simulate surface climate at the spatial scale suitable for the representation of topographic effects over mountainous regions. Numerical experiments have been performed to simulate the present-day climatology and the climate conditions corresponding to a doubling of atmospheric CO₂ concentration. The RCM results indicate an average warming of about 2.5°C, and precipitation generally increases over the Pacific Northwest and decreases over California. These simulations were used to drive a distributed hydrology model of two snow dominated watersheds, the American River and Middle Fork Flathead, in the Pacific Northwest to obtain more detailed estimates of the sensitivity of water resources to climate change. Results show that as more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow in the warmer climate, there is a 60 percent reduction in snowpack and a significant shift in the seasonal pattern of streamflow in the American River. Much less drastic changes are found in the Middle Fork Flathead where snowpack is only reduced by 18 percent and the seasonal pattern of streamflow remains intact. This study shows that the impacts of climate change on water resources are highly region specific. Furthermore, under the specific climate change scenario, the impacts are largely driven by the warming trend rather than the precipitation trend, which is small.