Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
R.D. JARRETT
U. S. Geological Survey-
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A
INTRODUCTION
HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH
A multidisciplinary approach based on analyses of stream-
flow and precipitation data and the use of paleohydrolo-
gic techniques was used to improve the understanding of
flood hydrology in Colorado (Jarrett and Costa, 1983;
Jarrett, 1987a). The study area included the foothills
and high mountains:.'- of Colorado. Flooding on rivers
in these areas results from rapid snowmelt, excessive
rainfall, or a combination of both; hence, flood peaks
exhibit a mixed-population process. The need for this
study was emphasized by the 1976 Big Thompson River
flash flood in the foothills of eastern Colorado. This
flood, the largest natural disaster in Colorado history,
killed 144 people and resulted in over $35 million in
property damages. The subsequent difficulties in interpre-
tation of this and other catastrophic floods, using con-
ventional techniques, indicate that new methods, or
modifications to existing procedures, are needed.
Separation and mixed-population analyses of annual
peaks into rainfall-runoff and snowmelt-runoff flows
were made for 6 9 streamflow-gaging stations in the foot-
hills and mountains of Colorado. Four flood-frequency
curves were developed and are shown in Fig. 1 for analy-
ses of: annual peak flows; annual snowmelt peak flows;
annual rainfall peak flows, and; a composite curve of the
snowmelt and rainfall curves. When snowmelt- and rain-
generated annual peak flows are examined separately,
flood-frequency analyses (using guidelines of Interagency
Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1981) indicate distinc-
tive trends based on elevation. Above about 2,300 meters,
low-magnitude snowmelt flows predominate; rain generally
does not contribute to the flood potential as shown for
a higher elevation site in Figure la. Maximum snowmelt
flows at elevations above 2,300 meters have unit dischar-
ges of less than 2.2 cubic meters per second per square
kilometer. Below about 2,300 meters, large magnitude
rainfall-produced floods predominate, as shown for a
lower elevation site in Figure lb. Maximum rainfall
floods below 2,300 meters have unit discharges greater
than 22 cubic meters per second per square kilometer.
109 Hydrologie and hydraulic research in mountain rivers
EXCEEDANCE PROBABILITY
where
S in meter per meter, is the slope of the energy gradient
(or friction slope)
R in meters, the hydraulic radius, is a measure of the
boundary area that causes friction per unit of flow.
If the channel is relatively uniform, water surface or
bed slope can be used in Equation (1). Regime flow
equations for predicting velocity and discharge in moun-
tain rivers also were developed (Jarrett, 1984).
The standard error of estimate of equation 1 was 28
percent for the Colorado data. The equation had the same
accuracy when other data for higher gradient rivers of
the world (slopes as high as 0,052 meter per meter) were
used. Paul and Dhillon (1987) verified the accuracy of
Equation 1 with other higher gradient, mountain river
data of the world. Equation (1) is applicable for rela-
tively clear water flow instable channels with minimal
bank vegetation, regular banks, and few obstructions.
Equation (1) is defined for slopes from 0.002 to 0.052
meter per meter and for hydraulic radii from 0.15 to 2.2
meters.
Existing methods for determining the mean flow velo-
city in the vertical do not address the conditions
present in high gradient, shallow-depth rivers that are
common to mountainous areas. The Price AA current meter
registers vertical-velocity components under turbulent
conditions (Townsend and Blust, 1960); hence, recorded
velocity is greater than the actual longitudinal velo-
city. However, the vertical-velocity component has been
considered minimal for most measured rivers. Vertical-
velocity profile, water-surface slope, and bed-material
size were collected for 11 streamflow-gaging stations in
Colorado using a standard Price AA current meter and a
prototype Price PAA current meter (Marchand and others,
1984). The Price PAA current meter incorporates a Lexan
polycarbonate polymer, solid-cup bucket wheel in place
of the open-cup metal bucket wheel common to the Price
type AA meter. The prototype current meter virtually
eliminates the registration of vertical-velocity compo-
nents in turbulent rivers. Vertical-velocity profiles
(with 8 to 10 point velocities) were measured with the
Price AA and Price PAA current meters at 3 to 4 locations
at each river cross section for a total of 94 velocity
profiles. The investigation included wading, cable, and
bridge measurements.
For vertical, velocity profiles were made using data
from each type of meter. A typical profile, with a loga-
rithmic velocity profile superimposed,- is shown in Fig. 2.
113 Hydrologie and hydraulic research in mountain rivers
0.0
\ Logarithmic curve
Water surface
1 /
0.2
o
h-
0- >
LU - .
Q 3r Price A A Current M e t e r ,
Z Œ 0.4 (V = 0.82 meters per second)
O UJ
v
Price PAA Current Meter
< y/Y=0.5,
> ( V = 0.74 meters per second)
DC
CO
S 0.6 -
1Vv\/Y=0.6
o i
o
h-
<
0.8
Y = 0.67 meter
_L _L j_
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
0.2
X
-Price Meter
<<
£5
0.8
1.0
0.2 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.2 1.6
RATIO OF POINT VELOCITY TO MEAN
VELOCITY IN THE VERTICAL Iv/V)
CONCLUSIONS
The goal of this U.S.Geological Survey research is to
improve the understanding of hydrologie and hydraulic
processes in mountain rivers. Continued hydrologie,
hydraulic, and paleohydrologic research on mountainous
areas is needed and will benefit a broad range of hydro-
logic research projects and investigations. An improved
understanding of basic hydrologie and hydraulic processes
will improve methods of assessing the quantity and quali-
ty of surface water. These related studies rely on accu-
rate data and hydrologie methods. Improved hydraulic
methods can be incorporated into numerical simulation
models of surface-water systems to be used to improve
the analyses of hydrologie processes. The results of
this research are applicable to other mountain rivers.
REFERENCES
Barnes, H.H.,Jr. (1967) Roughness characteristics of
natural channels: U.S.Geological Survey Water-supply
Paper 1849, 213 p.
Chow, V.T. (1959) Open-channel hydraulics: New York,
McGraw Hill, 68 0 p
Costa, J.E. (1978a) Holocene stratigraphy in flood-fre-
quency analyses: Water Resources ^search v.14, no.4,
p.626-632
Jarrett, R.D. (1978b) Colorado Big Thompson Flood, Geolo-
gic evidence of a rare hydrologie event: Geology v.6,
p. 617-632
Jarrett, R.D. (1986) A history of paleoflood hydrology
in the United States, 1800-1970: America! Geophysical
Union, v.67, no.17, p. 428-430
Costa, J.E. and Jarrett, R.D. (1981) Debris flows in
small mountain stream channels of Colorado and their
hydrologie implications: Bulletin of the Association
of Engineering Geologists v.18, no.3, p. 309-322
Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data (1981)
117 Hydrologie and hydraulic research in mountain rivers