Flooding from Rain-on-Snow Events in the Sierra Nevada

by Richard Kattelmann,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: North American Water and Environment Congress & Destructive Water

Abstract:

The most damaging floods in rivers of the Sierra Nevada of California have occurred during warm storms when rain fell in snow covered catchments. These large floods in the major tributaries to the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers have inundated communities and farms in California's prime agricultural region. Rain-on-snow events of smaller magnitude have also caused considerable damage within the mountains, especially to roads and bridges. Channel erosion and mass movement are other common results from rain-on-snow events in the Sierra Nevada. Forecasting of runoff from rain-on-snow events has been difficult for managers of dams and power plants within the Sierra Nevada and for downstream flood control agencies.

Subject Headings: Snow | Rainfall | Floods | Rivers and streams | Power plants | Catchments | Agriculture | United States | Nevada | California

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