Journal of Environmental Hydrology

Journal of Environmental Hydrology

ISSN 1058-3912

Quarterly electronic journal of the International Association for Environmental Hydrology
On the World Wide Web at http://www.hydroweb.com
JEH VOLUME 4 (1996)
EFFECT OF HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT ON FLOODING -A CASE STUDY

Vijay P. Singh and Cesar A. Quiroga
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
ABSTRACT
A heavy rainfall occurred in northwest Louisiana in May, 1989. The rainfall was particularly severe between May 17 and 18. As a result, an extensive area was flooded. Questions linking the presence of Interstate I-49 with the extent of flooding were raised. The Tapalcat Bayou watershed at a point east of the town of Allen was used for the analysis. The temporal rainfall distribution was defined and the effective rainfall (ER) hyetograph using the SCS-CN method was computed. The watershed was divided into small, uniform subareas. Unit hydrographs, based on Snyder�s model, were defined for each subarea. By means of convolution of the unit hydrographs with the ER hyetograph, the runoff hydrograph was obtained. This hydrograph was routed through a pool-level reservoir to determine water levels. Scenarios with and without I-49 were considered. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the influence of various parameters.
HOME