Development of Flood-Inundation Mapping and Components for a Flood-Warning System for the City of Marietta, Ohio and Selected Communities along the Lower Muskingum River By Matthew T. Whitehead and Chad J. Ostheimer 2014 Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5195 ABSTRACT: Digital flood-inundation maps for lower reaches of the Muskingum River and a reach of the Ohio River in southeast Ohio were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and the City of Marietta, Ohio. To complete the inundation maps, Ohio River and lower Muskingum River bathymetry was updated and two streamgages, one on the Ohio River upstream of Marietta near Sardis, Ohio, and one on the Muskingum River in Beverly, Ohio, were added as basic components of the flood-warning system. An updated hydraulic model component also led to the new flood-inundation maps. The maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to water levels (stages) at one or more of the following USGS streamgages: Muskingum River at McConnelsville, Ohio (03150000); Muskingum River at Beverly, Ohio (03150500); and Ohio River at Marietta, Ohio (03150700). The maps can be used in conjunction with National Weather Service flood-forecast data to show areas of estimated flood inundation associated with forecasted flood-peak stages. Flood profiles for selected reaches were prepared by calibrating steady-state step-backwater models to selected streamgage rating curves. The step-backwater models were used to determine water-surface-elevation profiles for up to 12 flood stages at a streamgage with corresponding streamflows ranging from approximately the 10- to 0.2-percent chance annual-exceedance probabilities for each of the 3 streamgages that correspond to the flood-inundation maps. Additional hydraulic modeling was used to account for the effects of backwater from the Ohio River on water levels in the Muskingum River. The computed longitudinal profiles of flood levels were used with a Geographic Information System digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging) to delineate flood-inundation areas. Digital maps showing flood-inundation areas overlain on digital orthophotographs were prepared for the selected floods. DISCLAIMERS: Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also contains copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items for other than personal use must be secured from the copyright owner. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. PURPOSE AND SCOPE: Flood-warning systems typically involve many major elements including streamflow and precipitation gage networks, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, flood-inundation mapping, and various means of disseminating flood-warning information. This report describes a study of components for improving the flood-warning system for selected reaches of Muskingum River and Ohio River in southeast Ohio. The study included the enhancement of the streamgage network , hydraulic modeling, and development of new flood-inundation mapping. A primary goal of this study was to develop tools to provide advanced flood warning for the communities of McConnelsville, Malta, Stockport, Beverly, Waterford, Coal Run, Lowell, Devola, Oak Grove, and Marietta, Ohio. This report describes (1) the installation of one new streamgage on the Ohio River upstream of Marietta near Sardis, Ohio and (2) one new streamgage on the Muskingum River in Beverly, Ohio, (3) collection of updated bathymetric data for a 75-mi reach of the Ohio River, (4) collection of bathymetric and bridge geometric data for development of a hydraulic model for the Muskingum River, (5) development of flood-inundation boundaries depicting the areal extent of flooding expected to occur for selected stages at selected USGS streamgages based on steady-state model estimates and (6) the flood-inundation boundaries provided to the FIM and NWS for inclusion on their respective Web pages. A brief description of the contents: readme_FIM.txt - this readme document depth_grids - subfolder containing 228 depthgrids for Beverly, 10 depthgrids for Marietta and 12 depthgrids for McConnelsville polygons - subfolder containing 2 shapefiles for Beverly, one shapefile for Marietta, and one shapefile for McConnelsville DATA ACCESS: The data files can be downloaded via the web from http://http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2014/5195/pdf/sir2014-5195.pdf. The Report is in Portable Document Format (.pdf) which requires Adobe Acrobat for viewing. Acrobat software runs on a variety of systems, and is available for download free of charge from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com. REQUIRED SOFTWARE: Adobe Acrobat (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x), or Adobe Acrobat Pro (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x), or the free Adobe Reader (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x), 8.x is preferred. ArcGIS 10.1 preferred, older versions may also work. For the Muskingum River at Beverly (03150500) streamgage the following tables can be used to 1) identify which (in the bev0h48 shapefile) for which the mapped stage is exceeded due to backwater for particular combinations of stages on the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers: Grid Table (for all grids) Grid Muskingum River Ohio RiverStage, ft ID Stage, ft Stage, ft 1 26 18 2 26 20 3 26 22 4 26 24 5 26 26 6 26 28 7 26 30 8 26 32 9 26 34 10 26 36 11 26 38 12 26 40 13 26 42 14 26 44 15 26 46 16 26 48 17 26 50 18 26 52 19 26 54 20 28 18 21 28 20 22 28 22 23 28 24 24 28 26 25 28 28 26 28 30 27 28 32 28 28 34 29 28 36 30 28 38 31 28 40 32 28 42 33 28 44 34 28 46 35 28 48 36 28 50 37 28 52 38 28 54 39 30 18 40 30 20 41 30 22 42 30 24 43 30 26 44 30 28 45 30 30 46 30 32 47 30 34 48 30 36 49 30 38 50 30 40 51 30 42 52 30 44 53 30 46 54 30 48 55 30 50 56 30 52 57 30 54 58 32 18 59 32 20 60 32 22 61 32 24 62 32 26 63 32 28 64 32 30 65 32 32 66 32 34 67 32 36 68 32 38 69 32 40 70 32 42 71 32 44 72 32 46 73 32 48 74 32 50 75 32 52 76 32 54 77 34 18 78 34 20 79 34 22 80 34 24 81 34 26 82 34 28 83 34 30 84 34 32 85 34 34 86 34 36 87 34 38 88 34 40 89 34 42 90 34 44 91 34 46 92 34 48 93 34 50 94 34 52 95 34 54 96 36 18 97 36 20 98 36 22 99 36 24 100 36 26 101 36 28 102 36 30 103 36 32 104 36 34 105 36 36 106 36 38 107 36 40 108 36 42 109 36 44 110 36 46 111 36 48 112 36 50 113 36 52 114 36 54 115 38 18 116 38 20 117 38 22 118 38 24 119 38 26 120 38 28 121 38 30 122 38 32 123 38 34 124 38 36 125 38 38 126 38 40 127 38 42 128 38 44 129 38 46 130 38 48 131 38 50 132 38 52 133 38 54 134 40 18 135 40 20 136 40 22 137 40 24 138 40 26 139 40 28 140 40 30 141 40 32 142 40 34 143 40 36 144 40 38 145 40 40 146 40 42 147 40 44 148 40 46 149 40 48 150 40 50 151 40 52 152 40 54 153 42 18 154 42 20 155 42 22 156 42 24 157 42 26 158 42 28 159 42 30 160 42 32 161 42 34 162 42 36 163 42 38 164 42 40 165 42 42 166 42 44 167 42 46 168 42 48 169 42 50 170 42 52 171 42 54 172 44 18 173 44 20 174 44 22 175 44 24 176 44 26 177 44 28 178 44 30 179 44 32 180 44 34 181 44 36 182 44 38 183 44 40 184 44 42 185 44 44 186 44 46 187 44 48 188 44 50 189 44 52 190 44 54 191 46 18 192 46 20 193 46 22 194 46 24 195 46 26 196 46 28 197 46 30 198 46 32 199 46 34 200 46 36 201 46 38 202 46 40 203 46 42 204 46 44 205 46 46 206 46 48 207 46 50 208 46 52 209 46 54 210 48 18 211 48 20 212 48 22 213 48 24 214 48 26 215 48 28 216 48 30 217 48 32 218 48 34 219 48 36 220 48 38 221 48 40 222 48 42 223 48 44 224 48 46 225 48 48 226 48 50 227 48 52 228 48 54 Mapped limits exceeded table (bevoh48 shapefile) GRID Muskingum River Ohio River ID Stage, ft Stage, ft 14 26 44 15 26 46 16 26 48 17 26 50 18 26 52 19 26 54 33 28 44 34 28 46 35 28 48 36 28 50 37 28 52 38 28 54 52 30 44 53 30 46 54 30 48 55 30 50 56 30 52 57 30 54 71 32 44 72 32 46 73 32 48 74 32 50 75 32 52 76 32 54 90 34 44 91 34 46 92 34 48 93 34 50 94 34 52 95 34 54 109 36 44 110 36 46 111 36 48 112 36 50 113 36 52 114 36 54 128 38 44 129 38 46 130 38 48 131 38 50 132 38 52 133 38 54 146 40 42 147 40 44 148 40 46 149 40 48 150 40 50 151 40 52 152 40 54 165 42 42 166 42 44 167 42 46 168 42 48 169 42 50 170 42 52 171 42 54 184 44 42 185 44 44 186 44 46 187 44 48 188 44 50 189 44 52 190 44 54 202 46 40 203 46 42 204 46 44 205 46 46 206 46 48 207 46 50 208 46 52 209 46 54 221 48 40 222 48 42 223 48 44 224 48 46 225 48 48 226 48 50 227 48 52 228 48 54 Any questions regarding this report may be directed to: Matt Whitehead US Geological Survey, Ohio Water Science Center 6480 Doubletree Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43229 mtwhiteh@usgs.gov or Chad Ostheimer US Geological Survey, Ohio Water Science Center 6480 Doubletree Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43229 ostheime@usgs.gov