A Crest-Stage Gage Network to Fill Data Gaps in Ohio's Peak Flow Database July 2021-June 2025

In 2019, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) published a report (Koltun, 2019) in which regression equations were developed for estimating flood-frequency statistics for ungaged locations on rural Ohio streams. The dataset used to develop those equations was associated with a pool of long term continuous-record and partial-record gages on unregulated drainages where sufficient streamflow data had been collected to compute flood-frequency statistics. That dataset was examined to determine if there were any spatial and/or basin characteristic gaps that might be filled in the future to potentially improve estimation. Some gaps in the spatial distribution of gages were identified as well as a few ranges of drainage areas that presently are under-represented. Specifically, there were 29 counties in Ohio with two or fewer stream gages included in the analyses and gages with drainage areas in the following ranges appear to be under-represented: 40-60 mi2, 100-120 mi2, 180-190 mi2, and 220-480 mi2. These gaps in data can cause increased uncertainty when computing peak streamflow statistics. The goal of this research is to establish a network that uses crest-stage gages to collect peak-flow information in the underrepresented areas of Ohio. ODOT uses this data to enhance the USGS regression equations used to predict peak hydraulic discharges at bridges and culverts. This project could be an important first step in having representative and well distributed long term, peak-flow information, which will make future peak-flow analysis more representative and possibly decrease uncertainty in peak flow statistics.

• Record URL:
  https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/Research/reportsandplans/Lists/Final%20Reports%20All/AllItems.aspx?View={7D4D0273-6FC5-48A5-AD17-9CC3A7E83DA0}&FilterField1=State%5fx0020%5fJob%5fx0020%5f%5fx0023%5f&FilterValue1=136403&InitialTabId=Ribbon%2ERead&VisibilityContext=WSSTabPersistence

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $577516
• Contract Numbers:

  115163

  136403

  21NFTAA02111816

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Research Program
  1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223
• Project Managers:

  Fout, Vicky

• Performing Organizations:

  US Geological Survey

  6460 Busch Blvd.
  Columbus, OHIO  United States  43229
• Principal Investigators:

  Vonlns, Branden

  Vonlns, Branden

• Start Date: 20210809
• Expected Completion Date: 20250809
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Culverts; Databases; Mathematical prediction; Measuring instruments; Peak discharge; Rural areas
• Identifier Terms: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01778721
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 115163, 136403, 21NFTAA02111816
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 5 2021 11:33AM