Final Report
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Skagit River Basin Skagit River Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study FINAL REPORT HYDROLOGY TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION August 2013 HYDROLOGY TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Important Note on Elevations and Vertical Datum ............................................................. i 1.0 Background ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 General ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purpose of Documentation .................................................................................. 1 1.3 Study Area .......................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Study and Technical Review Chronology .......................................................... 2 2.0 General Basin Characteristics ................................................................................. 4 2.1 Topography ......................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Geology ............................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Sediment ............................................................................................................. 5 2.4 Climate ................................................................................................................ 6 2.4.1 Temperature .................................................................................................... 6 2.4.2 Precipitation .................................................................................................... 9 2.4.3 Snowfall .......................................................................................................... 9 2.4.4 Wind ................................................................................................................ 9 2.4.5 Storms ........................................................................................................... 10 2.4.6 Channel Characteristics ................................................................................ 14 2.4.7 Streamflow Characteristics ........................................................................... 15 2.4.8 Streamgage Stations ...................................................................................... 16 2.4.9 Floods ............................................................................................................ 18 3.0 Hydrologic Study of the Skagit River Basin ........................................................ 25 3.1 Upper Skagit River Basin Above Concrete, WA to Ross Dam ........................ 25 3.2 Baker River ....................................................................................................... 25 3.3 Sauk River ......................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Cascade River and Local Flow from Marblemount to Concrete ...................... 28 3.5 Local Flow from Newhalem to Marblemount .................................................. 30 3.6 Thunder Creek and Local Flow from Ross Dam to Newhalem ........................ 30 3.7 Skagit River Above Ross Dam ......................................................................... 31 4.0 Skagit River near Concrete Frequency Analysis .................................................. 33 4.1 Developing a Consistent Record ....................................................................... 33 4.1.1 Methodology Used to Estimate Unregulated Peak Annual Discharge from Regulated Discharges for the Skagit River Near Concrete ....................................... 34 4.1.2 Determining the Relationship between Historical 1-day Flows and Historical Peak Flows ................................................................................................................ 39 4.2 Winter Flood Frequency Curve ........................................................................ 39 4.3 Hypothetical Unregulated Hydrographs for Skagit River near Concrete ......... 40 4.4 Regulated Frequency Curve at Concrete .......................................................... 41 4.4.1 Data Available with Existing Flood Control Operation ............................... 41 4.4.2 Development of Regulated Lower Frequency Events .................................. 41 4.4.3 Confidence Limits for The Regulated Frequency Curve at Concrete .......... 48 Skagit River Basin, WA Final Report Flood Risk Management Study i August 2013 5.0 Lower Skagit River Basin from Concrete, WA to Mouths of the North and South Forks of the Skagit River .................................................................................................. 49 5.1 Local Flow from Concrete to Sedro-Woolley .................................................. 49 5.2 Nookachamps Creek ......................................................................................... 53 5.3 Samish River ..................................................................................................... 54 5.4 Development of Hypothetical Hydrographs for Lower Basin .......................... 55 5.5 Timing of Lower Basin Flows .......................................................................... 55 6.0 Hydrologic Results ............................................................................................... 57 6.1 Comparison with Previous Study Results ......................................................... 59 7.0 Limits of Downstream Flood Protection............................................................... 62 APPENDICES A. Chronological Listing of Selected Hydrology Reports and Review or Re-Evaluation Documents B. Summary of Stream Gage Information C. Schematics for the Methods Used to Unregulate Peak Flows for the Skagit River near Concrete D. Skagit River Basin Frequency Analyses E. Unregulated and Regulated Hydrographs for Skagit River near Concrete F. Skagit River Basin Regression Analyses G. Impact of Seasonal Variation in Flood Storage on Regulated Peak Flows Skagit River Basin, WA Final Report Flood Risk Management Study ii August 2013 Hydrology Technical Documentation Important Note on Elevations and Vertical Datum Elevations in this document are reported to a variety of vertical datums including NGVD29, NAVD88 and local datums, and are provided for general context or general information purposes only; elevations should be checked before being used for any other purpose. Skagit River Basin, WA Final Report Flood Risk Management Study i August 2013 Hydrology Technical Documentation 1.0 Background 1.1 General Authority for the Skagit River, Washington, flood risk management feasibility study is derived from Section 209 of the Flood Control Act of 1962 (Public Law 87-874). Section 209 authorized a comprehensive study of Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters, including tributaries such as the Skagit River, in the interest of flood risk management, navigation, and other water uses and related land resources. The current feasibility study was initiated in 1997 as an interim study under this statutory authority. Skagit County is the local sponsor of the feasibility study and is providing a combination of cash and in- kind services equaling 50 percent of the total study effort. The purpose of the study is to formulate and recommend a comprehensive flood risk management plan for the Skagit River floodplain that will reduce flood risk in Skagit County with a focus on downstream of Sedro-Woolley. The authorization for the Skagit River Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study necessitated hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of the Skagit River basin. This allows for a basin-wide, systematic evaluation of the Skagit River. These analyses incorporate historical rainfall-runoff, reservoir operations, and flow along the major river systems to effectively evaluate the hydraulic performance of the flood management systems. The models can be used to assess the performance of the current systems or modified systems under a wide range of hydrologic conditions. 1.2 Purpose of Documentation The main goal of the hydrologic analysis is to provide the hydrologic inputs necessary to adequately evaluate potential flood risk management measures. The main product components of this effort include: Description of the hydrologic analysis methodology Development of flows necessary to characterize the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 75-, 100-, 250-, and 500-year flood events for the Skagit River Basin 1.3 Study Area The study area encompasses the mainstem Skagit River from Skagit Bay to Ross Dam, the Baker River from the confluence with the Skagit to Upper Baker Dam, the Sauk River from the confluence with the Skagit to the Sauk River at Sauk gage, and the Cascade River from the confluence of the Skagit to the old Cascade River at Marblemount gage. The Skagit River basin has a drainage area of 3,115 square miles. Skagit River Basin, WA Final Report Flood Risk Management Study 1 August 2013 Hydrology Technical Documentation 1.4 Study and Technical Review Chronology Draft Hydrology Technical Documentation for the Skagit River Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study was produced by the Seattle District USACE in August 2004, with technical review by the Hydrologic Engineering Center. Hydrologic analyses for the study were subsequently revised and updated by the Seattle District primarily to incorporate additional hydrologic data and to account