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An Evaluation of Selected Extraordinary Floods in the United States Reported by the U.S

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An Evaluation of Selected Extraordinary Floods in the United States Reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and Implications for Future Advancement of Flood Science Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5164 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: View looking upstream at slope-area reach in Meyers Canyon, Oregon, August 1956. Insets from left to right: Inset 1: View looking downstream of streamflow-gaging station toward slope-area reach, South Fork Wailua River near Lihue, Hawaii, February 25, 2003. Inset 2: View looking downstream following flood in 1971, Bronco Creek near Wikieup, Arizona. Inset 3: Slope-area discharge reach for West Nueces River at Kickapoo Springs, Texas, May 2003. Peak discharge of 580,000 ft3/s from 402 mi2 in 1935 is a world-record defining flood discharge. An Evaluation of Selected Extraordinary Floods in the United States Reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and Implications for Future Advancement of Flood Science By John E. Costa and Robert D. Jarrett Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5164 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2008 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS--the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Costa, J.E., and Jarrett, R.D., 2008, An evaluation of selected extraordinary floods in the United States reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and implications for future advancement of flood science: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5164, 232 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Evaluation of Floods ......................................................................................................................................4 Overview of Flood Evaluation.......................................................................................................................9 Description of Specific Problems and Errors Recognized in the Floods Reviewed .........................11 Debris Flows ........................................................................................................................................11 Day Creek near Etiwanda, California (Station 11067000) ....................................................12 Big Creek near Waynesville, North Carolina (Ungaged Site) .............................................15 Technical Errors of Interpretation ....................................................................................................16 North Fork Hubbard Creek near Albany, Texas (station 08086150, Discontinued) ..........16 El Rancho Arroyo near Pojoaque, New Mexico (Ungaged Site) .......................................17 South Fork Wailua River near Lihue, Kawai, Hawaii (Station 16060000) ...................................17 Clerical (Arithmetic) Error .................................................................................................................18 Unresolved Problems with Extraordinary Flood Peak Discharges ......................................................20 Bronco Creek near Wikieup, Arizona (Ungaged Site) ..................................................................20 Meyers Canyon near Mitchell, Oregon (Ungaged Site) ...............................................................22 Summary of Remaining Peak Discharges for Extraordinary Floods ...................................................24 Texas Floods ........................................................................................................................................24 Colorado Floods...................................................................................................................................26 Nevada Floods .....................................................................................................................................28 New Mexico Floods ............................................................................................................................29 Oregon Floods......................................................................................................................................29 California Floods..................................................................................................................................31 Utah Flood ............................................................................................................................................32 Missouri Flood .....................................................................................................................................33 Iowa Flood ............................................................................................................................................34 South Dakota Flood.............................................................................................................................35 Washington Flood ...............................................................................................................................35 Maryland Flood....................................................................................................................................36 Illinois Flood .........................................................................................................................................36 Arkansas Flood ....................................................................................................................................36 U.S. Geological Survey and Flood Science Issues ................................................................................37 Process Recognition Issues .............................................................................................................37 Geography Issues ...............................................................................................................................38 Issues with Slope-Area Indirect Discharge Method ....................................................................38 Administrative Issues .........................................................................................................................41 Implication for Other Flood Peaks ....................................................................................................43 Recommendations to Improve and Enhance Flood Science Tools within U.S. Geological Survey ..................................................................................................................44 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................46 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................47 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................48 Appendix A. Individual Evaluations of 30 Peak Discharges from 28 Extraordinary Floods in the United States ...................................................................................................................................53 iv Figures Figure 1. Map showing location of 30 peak discharge measurements for 28 extraordinary floods in the United States investigated for this report …………… 5 Figure 2. Photograph showing very coarse lobate boulder deposits and remnants of natural levees, which are characteristic of debris flows, near slope-area reach of Day Creek, California, 2002 ……………………………………………… 13 Figure 3. Photograph showing location and condition of Day Creek near Etiwanda streamflow-gaging station, California, November 1968 …………………………… 13 Figure 4. Photograph showing deposits filling weir at Day Creek near Etiwanda streamflow-gaging station, California, February 7, 1969 ………………………… 13 Figure 5. Photograph showing view looking upstream of slope-area measurement site after storm of August 1940, Big Creek, North Carolina ……………………… 15 Figure 6. Photograph showing view of right end of bridge across North Fork Hubbard Creek near Albany, Texas, August 1978 …………………………………………… 16 Figure 7. Photograph showing view looking upstream of slope-area site at El Rancho Arroyo near Pojoaque, New Mexico, 2003 ……………………………………… 17 Figure 8. Photograph showing view looking downstream of streamflow-gaging station after the 1963 flood at South Fork Wailua River near Lihue, Hawaii ……… 18 Figure 9. Photograph showing view looking downstream of streamflow-gaging station toward slope-area reach, South Fork Wailua River near Lihue, Hawaii,
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