Estimation of Channel Bankfull Occurrence from Instantaneous Discharge Data
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 12, Issue 5
Abstract
Bankfull discharge occurrence has predominantly been described with the annual maximum exceedance random variable, , however the wide availability of daily peak streamflow (DPS) data allows for the description of occurrence with two alternative random variables. The two alternative random variables are: (1) flow duration, , the probability that daily discharge is at, or exceeds, and (2) partial duration, , the probability that an independent daily discharge is at, or exceeds, . In this research, statistics for and use DPS data, whereas is estimated with four statistics using either DPS or annual peak streamflow (APS) data. Analyses of approximately of DPS and of APS at 46 bankfull surveyed gauges in Maryland, North Carolina, and New York were performed to illustrate differences between the four statistics and the three random variables, , , and . For the analysis, non-log Pearson type-III (non-LPT3) statistics generated median recurrence intervals (RI) for that were 9% longer than LPT3 statistics. Processing the DPS data with the partial duration estimator shows events arrive 1.5 times per year on average and 8 times per year maximum . The flow duration estimator shows has durations of on average and maximum. Although the DPS record is approximately shorter than the APS record, the DPS data capture the frequency of the longer APS record. Statistics for , , and inform the river manager to the likelihood of three distinct phenomena: Annual maximum occurrence, daily duration of events, and daily time between events.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writer is grateful to the U.S. Geological Survey staff that provided the instantaneous streamflow data for Maryland, North Carolina, and New York, and the state agencies that recorded and provided bankfull recurrence interval values for their regional streams. External reviewers provided much guidance with presentation of the statistical material. Data processing provided by SUNY ESF graduate student Janet Tordesillas, funded by the Foreign Fulbright Graduate Student Program, is greatly appreciated.
References
ASCE River Restoration Subcommittee on Urban Stream Restoration. (2003). “Urban stream restoration.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 129(7), 491–493.
Dingman, S. L. (1994). Physical hydrology, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISRWG). (1998). “Stream corridor restoration—Principles, processes, and practices.” NTIS: PB98-158348INQ, Washington, D.C.
Harrelson, C. C., Rawlins, C. L., and Potyondy, J. P. (1994). “Stream channel reference sites: An illustrated guide to field technique.” General Technical Rep. No. RM-245, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colo.
Knighton, D. (1998). Fluvial forms and processes: A new perspective, Oxford University Press, New York.
Langbein, W. B. (1949). “Annual runoff in the United States.” U.S. Geological Survey Circular No. 5, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D.C.
Leopold, L. B., Wolman, M. G., and Miller, J. P. (1964). Fluvial processes in geomorphology, Dover, New York.
Malakoff, D. (2004). “Profile: The river doctor.” Science, 305 (August 13), 937–939.
Mitsch, W. J., and Jorgensen, S. E. (2004). Ecological engineering and ecosystem restoration, Wiley, New York.
North Carolina Stream Restoration Institute and North Carolina Sea Grant (NCSRI and NCSG). (2001). Stream restoration: A natural channel design handbook, Raleigh, N.C.
Powell, R. O., Miller, S. J., Westegard, B. E., Mulvihill, C. I., Baldigo, B. P., Gallagher, A. S., and Starr, R. R. (2004). “Guidelines for surveying bankfull channel geometry and developing regional hydraulic-geometry relations for streams of New York state.” Open-File Rep. No. 03-92, U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, N.Y.
Riley, A. L. (1998). Restoring streams in cities: A guide for planners policymakers and citizens, Island Press, Washington, D.C.
Rosgen, D. L. (1994). “A classification of natural rivers.” Catena, 22, 169–199.
Rosgen, D. L. (1996). Applied river morphology, Wildland Hydrology, Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Rosgen, D. L. (2001). River restoration and natural channel design, training manual, Wildland Hydrology, Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Searcy, J. K. (1959). “Flow-duration curves.” Geological survey water-supply paper 1542-A: Manual of hydrology, Part 2., U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
Shields, F. D. J., Copeland, R. R., Klingeman, P. C., Doyle, M. W., and Simon, A. (2003). “Design for stream restoration.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 129(8), 575–584.
Stedinger, J. R., Vogel, R. M., and Foufoula-Georgiou, E. (1993). “Frequency analysis of extreme events.” Handbook of hydrology, Chap. 18, D. R. Maidment, ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (1999). HEC-FFA version 3.0: Flood frequency analysis program, Institute for Water Resources Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, Calif.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (2004) “Welcome to the First National Conference on ecosystem restoration.” 1st National Conf. on Ecosystem Restoration, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS). (2003). Identifying bankfull stage in forested streams in the eastern United States, W. W. Emmett, ed., Stream Systems Technology Center, Fort Collins, Colo.
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (2002). “Maryland stream survey: Bankfull discharge and channel characteristics of streams in the Piedmont hydrologic region.” CBFO-S01-01, Cheasapeake Bay Field Office, Annapolis, Md.
US Geological Survey (USGS). (2005). Daily streamflow conditions, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Water Resources Council (USWRC). (1981). “Guidelines for determining flood flow frequency.” Bulletin No. 17B, the Hydrology Committee, Washington, D.C.
Westegard, B. E., Mulvihill, C. I., Ernst, A. G., and Baldigo, B. P. (2005). “Regionalized equations for bankfull-discharge and channel characteristics of streams in New York state: Hydrologic region 5 in central New York.” Scientific Investigations Rep. No. 2004-5247, United States Geological Survey, Troy, N.Y.
Wolman, M. G., and Miller, J. P. (1960). “Magnitude and frequency of forces in geomorphic processes.” J. Geol., 68, 54–74.
Yochum, S. (2004). “NRCS log-Pearson frequency analysis spreadsheet.” Natural Resources Conservation Service Northern Plains Engineering Team, Denver.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 18, 2005
Accepted: Nov 27, 2006
Published online: Sep 1, 2007
Published in print: Sep 2007
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.