Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in the United States Part 2-A. South Atlantic Slope Basins, Jamer River to Savannah River By PAUL R. SPEER and CHARLES R. GAMBLE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1673 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as follows. U.S. Geological Survey. Magnitude and frequency of floods in the United States. Pt. 2-A-South Atlantic slope basins, James River to Savan­ nah Kiver. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1963- v. maps (part fold.) diagrs., tables. 24cm. (Its Water-supply paper 1673.) 1. Floods James River. 2. Floods Savannah River. 3. Floods U.S. 4. Stream measurements James River. 5. Stream measure­ ments Savannah River. I. Title. II. Title: South Atlantic slope basins, James River to Savannah River. (Series) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract.................................................................. 1 Introduction.............................................................. 1 Purpose and scope..................................................... 1 Acknowledgments....................................................... 3 Application of the method................................................. 3 Magnitude of flood of selected frequency.............................. 4 Illustrative problem.............................................. 5 Main stem streams..................................................... 5 Site flood-frequency curve............................................ 10 Maximum known floods...................................................... 11 Miscellaneous flood data.............................................. 11 Flood-frequency analysis.................................................. 29 Description of the area............................................... 29 Characteristics of flood runoff....................................... 30 Method of analysis ........................................................ 30 Flood frequency at a gaging station................................... 31 Records used...................................................... 32 Fitting frequency graphs .......................................... 33 Regional flood frequency.............................................. 33 Homogeniety test.................................................. 34 Mean annual flood.................................................. 34 Flood equations............................................... 35 Composite frequency curve ......................................... 35 Limits of probable accuracy........................................... 36 Summary................................................................... 37 Flood records at gaging stations.......................................... 38 Explanation of the data............................................... 38 James River basin..................................................... 41 Back Creek near Mountain Grove, Va................................ 41 Jackson River at Falling Spring, Va............................... 41 Jackson River at Covington, Va.................................... 42 Dunlap Creek near Covington, Va................................... 43 Potts Creek near Covington, Va.................................... 44 Smith Creek above old dam, near Clifton Forge, Va................. 44 Cowpasture River near Headwaters, Va.............................. 45 Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge, Va........................... 45 James River at Lick Run, Va....................................... 47 Meadow Creek near Newcastle , Va................................... 48 Meadow Creek at Newcastle, Va..................................... 48 Johns Creek at Newcastle, Va...................................... 49 Craig Creek at Parr, Va........................................... 50 Catawba Creek near Catawba, Va.................................... 51 Catawba Creek near Fincastle, Va.................................. 52 Looney Mill Creek near Buchanan, Va............................... 53 James River at Buchanan, Va....................................... 53 Calfpasture River near West Augusta, Va........................... 55 Calfpasture River above Mill Creek, at Goshen, Va................. 55 Calfpasture River at Goshen, Va................................... 56 Maury River at Rockbridge Baths, Va............................... 56 Kerrs Creek near Lexington, Va.................................... 58 Maury River near Lexington, Va.................................... 59 St. Marys River near Steels Tavern, Va............................ 60 South River near Riverside, Va.................................... 60 Maury River near Buena Vista, Va.................................. 61 Maury River at Buena Vista, Va.................................... 62 Maury River near Glasgow, Va...................................... 63 James River at Balcony Falls, Va.................................. 63 Pedlar River near Pedlar Mills, Va................................ 64 James River at Holcombs Rock, Va.................................. 65 James River at Lynchburg, Va...................................... 66 James River at Bent Creek, Va..................................... 67 Tye River at Roseland, Va......................................... 68 Tye River near Lovingston, Va..................................... 69 Piney River at Piney River, Va.................................... 70 Buffalo River near Norwood, Va.................................... 71 Rockfish River near Greenfield, Va................................ 72 Cove Creek near Covesville, Va.................................... 73 III IV CONTENTS Flood records at gaging stations Continued James River basin Continued Page James River at Scottsville, Va.................................... 73 North Fork Hardware River at Red Hill, Va......................... 74 South Branch of North Fork Hardware River near North Garden, Va... 75 Hardware River near Scottsville, Va............................... 75 Hardware River below Briery Run, near Scottsville, Va............. 76 Slate River near Arvonia, Va...................................... 76 James River at Bremo Bluff, Va.................................... 78 Mechum River near Ivy, Va......................................... 78 North Fork Moormans River near Whitehall, Va...................... 79 South Fork Rivanna River near Earlysville, Va..................... 80 Schenks Branch at Charlottesville, Va............................. 80 Rivanna River below Moores Creek, near Charlottesville, Va........ 81 Rivanna River at Palmyra, Va...................................... 81 James River at Columbia, Va....................................... 82 Willis River at Curdsville, Va.................................... 83 Little Willis River at Curdsville, Va............................. 83 Willis River at Flanagan Mills, Va................................ 84 James River at Cartersville, Va................................... 85 James River at State Farm, Va..................................... 86 Pine Creek at Fine Creek Mills, Va................................ 87 James River near Richmond, Va..................................... 87 James River at Richmond, Va....................................... 88 Falling Creek near Midlothian, Va................................. 89 Falling Creek near Chesterfield, Va................................ 90 Falling Creek near Drewrys Bluff, Va.............................. 90 Appomattox River near Appomattox, Va.............................. 91 Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney, Va............................. 91 Appomattox River at Farmville, Va................................. 92 Appomattox River at Mattoax, Va................................... 93 Flat Creek near Amelia, Va........................................ 93 Deep Creek near Mannboro, Va...................................... 94 Appomattox River near Petersburg, Va.............................. 95 Swift Creek near Chester, Va...................................... 96 Glebe Creek tributary near Charles City, Va....................... 96 Chickahominy River near Providence Forge, Va...................... 97 Collins Run near Providence Forge, Va............................. 98 Dismal Swamp basin.................................................... 98 Lake Drummond in Dismal Swamp, Va................................. 98 Cypress Swamp at Cypress Chapel, Va............................... 99 Polly Swamp near Sunbury, N.C..................................... 99 Chowan River basin..................................................... 100 Nottoway River near Burkeville, Va................................ 100 Nottoway River near Rawlings, Va.................................. 100 Nottoway River near McKenney, Va.................................. 101 Nottoway River near Stony Creek, Va............................... 101 Stony Creek near Dinwiddie, Va.................................... 102 Anderson Branch at Sussex, Va..................................... 103 Nottoway River near Sebrell, Va................................... 103 Blackwater River near Dendron, Va................................. 104 Blackwater River at Zuni, Va...'................................... 104 Seacock Creek near Ivor, Va....................................... 105 Seacock Creek at Unity, Va.......................................