Abstract

Data in Texas from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) physical stream flow and channel property measurements for gaging stations in the state of Texas were used to construct relations between observed stream flow, topographic slope, mean section velocity, and several other hydraulic factors, to produce three methods to assess "if hydraulic model results are way off." A generalized additive modeling technique was used to develop two equations, QGAM and VGAM, that estimate discharge and velocity at a location in Texas from a cross sectional flow area, topwidth, location (latitude and longitude), and mean annual precipitation. The data were also analyzed to develop conditional distributions of hydraulic parameters based on location related values to extend the utility of the QGAM and VGAM models The data, and ancillary properties developed in the research were used to develop dimensionless bankfull depth-discharge and similar charts as a way to evaluate anticipated behavior in streams in Texas.

Project PI: Theodore G. Cleveland

Research Assistants:

Rudy Herrmann
Wade Barnes

Student Assistants: Steven Wolf