ASCE will be sunsetting the Civil Engineering Database (CEDB) in the coming months. We encourage you to start using the ASCE Library to perform content searches. In the ASCE Library, you can save your search results as well as receive email content alerts when new content relevant to your area of interest is published. Try it out today at https://ascelibrary.org.

 

Federal Levee Effects on Flood Heights Near St. Louis

by Gary R. Dyhouse, Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Hydraulic Engineering

Abstract:

A physical model of the Middle Mississippi River was used to perform quantitative analyses of Federal levee effects on flood heights. Contrary to some opinions of the general public, these tests showed that today's stage-frequency relationship at the St. Louis gage is not greatly different than that existing prior to the onset of man's changes, beginning in the 1820's. Federal levees do result in increased flood heights upstream of the protected area, but these increases are offset by flood reductions resulting from Federal flood control reservoirs. The model tests also found that the key historical flood discharges of 1844 and 1903, used in current levee design, may be overestimated by up to 33%.

Subject Headings: Levees and dikes | Rivers and streams | Floods | Flood frequency | Federal government | Water discharge | Reservoirs | Mississippi River | Mississippi | United States

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search