REGIONAL FLOOD FREQUENCY

THE PRACTICE OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN DETERMINING THE MAGNITUDE AND FREQUENCY OF FLOODS IS PRESENTED. THE FLOOD FREQUENCY ANALYSES DESCRIBED HEREIN ARE BASED ON THE DISCHARGE RECORDS THAT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AS A PART OF THEIR NATION-WIDE STREAM-GAGING PROGRAM. A METHOD OF COMPUTING FLOOD FREQUENCIES AT A GAGING STATION IS FIRST DESCRIBED. THE ANNUAL FLOOD METHOD RATHER THAN THE PARTIAL DURATION SERIES METHOD IS RECOMMENDED FOR ITS SIMPLICITY. A DEFINITE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND VALUES ON A PARTIAL DURATION SERIES BASIS, USEFUL IN THE DESIGN OF OVERFLOW TYPE OF BRIDGE APPROACH, CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE STUDY OF ANNUAL FLOODS. IT IS SHOWN HOW GAGING STATION RECORDS MAY BE COMBINED TO GIVE A FREQUENCY RELATIONSHIP APPLICABLE FOR A REGION. THIS METHOD PROVIDES A MEANS FOR ESTIMATING FLOOD FREQUENCIES ON UNGAGED STREAMS. TWO CURVES USUALLY RESULT FROM THE REGIONAL STUDY, ONE SHOWING THE RATIO OF THE MEAN ANNUAL FLOOD TO A FLOOD OF ANY SELECTED FREQUENCY AND THE OTHER SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MEAN ANNUAL FLOOD AND SOME FUNCTION OF THE DRAINAGE AREA, USUALLY THE SIZE. FROM THESE TWO CURVES THE MAGNITUDE AND FREQUENCY OF A FLOOD AT ANY LOCATION ON ANY STREAM IN THE REGION MAY BE DETERMINED. AN EXAMPLE IS WORKED OUT SHOWING APPLICATION OF THE METHOD TO THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN IN OHIO, INDIANA AND MICHIGAN. A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY RELATING TO BOTH STATISTICS AND FLOODS COMPLETES THE PAPER. /AUTHOR/

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    • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
  • Corporate Authors:

    Highway Research Board (HRB)

    Washington, DC   
  • Authors:
    • Dalrymple, Tate
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 1950-12

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 17p
  • Monograph Title: Surface drainage
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00204408
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: May 22 1972 12:00AM