floodplan2010-usgsarkansaswatersciencecenter（48页）.doc

Flood Plan 2012 Arkansas Water Science Center, Little Rock, Arkansas Dan Wagner, Hydrologist 10/1/2011 INTRODUCTION The southern Midwestern United States has been recognized as a hotspot for flooding, given its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (O’Connor and Costa, 2003). The state of Arkansas is particularly prone to extreme flooding because of the steep, rugged nature of the topography of the Ouachita Mountains and the Ozark Plateaus and the nearly flat nature of the topography of the Mississippi River delta. The purpose of this plan is to establish a set of guidelines to be followed by Arkansas Water Science Center (WSC) Field Services Unit personnel in the collection of streamflow and water quality data during flood events. During floods, a special urgency exists because good time management is critical to obtaining discharge measurements, water quality samples, and high water marks where they are needed. Rigid rules cannot be established for flood situations because no two floods or the same or cover the same geographic area; however, these guidelines will provide a framework within which the WSC can operate flexibly in a flood situation. The plan includes information to assist field and office personnel in planning for a flood, determining where discharge measurements are needed during a flood, and in communicating flood information to interested agencies or individuals as rapidly as possible. RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES The Arkansas WSC’s Field Services Unit personnel in the Little Rock office and the Fayetteville Field Office are responsible for the planning and execution of data-collection activities during high-water or flood events. In the case of localized or routine high-water events, data collection activities are carried out by the office and individuals assigned to field sites in th