ESTIMATION OF FLOOD PEAKS FROM CHANNEL CHARACTERISTICS IN OHIO

Regression equations were developed to estimate flood peaks with selected recurrence intervals of 2 to 100 years for Ohio streams with alluvial and bedrock channels. Channel-geometry characteristics, rather than basin characteristics, were used as independent variables. Width of active channel was the only channel-geometry characteristic significant at the 5-percent level in the estimating equations for alluvial channels. Standard errors of estimate for those equations range from 42 percent for the 2-year flood peak to 55 percent for the 100-year flood peak. The equations were developed from data collected at 142 gaging stations that have active-channel widths ranging from 2 to 495 feet. For streams with bedrock or firm channels, depth of the bankfull channel and active-channel width were statistically significant characteristics at the 5-percent level for all but the 2-year recurrence interval flood-peak equation, for which only active-channel width was statistically significant. Standard errors of estimate range from 33 percent for the 5-year flood peak to 40 percent for the 100-year flood peak when both significant variables are included in the equations. Standard errors of estimate range from 36 percent to 46 percent when only the active-channel width independent variable is used. These equations are based on channel-geometry data collected to 20 gaging stations that have active-channel widths ranging from 14 to 240 feet and average bankfull-channel depths ranging from 2.5 to 9.2 feet. Channel-geometry characteristics also were measured at 168 ungaged sites to provide information that can be used to better define the geographic-area boundaries in three areas of Ohio where the boundaries were previously defined in a fllod magnitude and frequency report. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Geological Survey

  F Street Between 18th and 19th Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20244

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  25 South Front Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43215

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Roth, D K
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 67 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alluvium; Bedrock; Channels (Waterways); Equations; Estimating; Floods; Regression analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Flood peaks
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00454474
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 85-4175
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1986 12:00AM