Generalized Skew Update and Regional Study of Distribution Shape for Texas Flood Frequency Analyses

The research herein, performed under joint collaboration between researchers at Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, aimed to update the Texas generalized skew map and its mean-square error for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Hydraulic Design Manual. The research was conducted using at least 30 years of streamflows acquired from 444 USGS streamgages in Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico. A novel application of a generalized additive model is used for 2-dimensional spatial regression on station-skew values from the streamgages to create predictions of generalized skew on the 1-kilometer USGS National Hydrogeologic Grid clipped to the study area. Training examples on flood frequency analysis oriented around Bulletin 17C for Texas watersheds are included. Emergent studies of (1) climate sensitivity of peak streamflows, (2) evaluation of USGS multiorder hydrologic position metrics, and (3) experimental accommodation of effects of regulation are presented. The report and data are archived at the Texas Digital Library at https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/SVLCOQ, and—along with the three USGS publications resulting from the research—establish a comprehensive update of generalized skew and set a foundation for future statistical research into Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico flood hydrology.

• Dataset URL:
  https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/SVLCOQ
• Record URL:
  https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=39932
• Summary URL:
  https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=39933
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/60662
• Dataset URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/61992
• Supplemental Notes:
  • August 2021; published December 2021. Supporting datasets available at: https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/SVLCOQ; https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/61992
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Tech University, Lubbock

  Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation
  P.O. Box 41023
  Lubbock, TX  United States  79409-1023

  University of Texas, Arlington

  Arlington, TX  United States  76010

  U.S. Geological Survey, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

  ,    

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office
  125 E 11th Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78701-2483

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Cleveland, Theodore G
  • 0000-0002-2232-2110
  • Fang, Nick Z
  • 0000-0001-9871-8405
  • Asquith, William H
  • Yesildirek, Monica V
  • McDowell, Jeremy S
  • Zhang, Jiaqi
  • Landers, Raven N
  • Otto, Lindsay D
• Publication Date: 2021-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Technical Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 148p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Floods; Regression analysis; Skewed distributions; Spatial analysis; Stream gages; Streamflow
• Identifier Terms: United States Geological Survey
• Geographic Terms: New Mexico; Oklahoma; Texas
• Subject Areas: Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01833338
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-21/0-6977-1, 0-6977-1
• Contract Numbers: 0-6977
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 21 2022 4:47PM