Flood Profiles of Iowa Streams
PROJECT PERIOD: Continuous since 1957
PROJECT CHIEF: David Eash 
STUDY AREA: Statewide
COOPERATING AGENCY: Iowa Highway Research Board and the Project Development Division of the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT Project HR-140)
NEED FOR STUDY:
Flood peak and water-surface-elevation profile information is needed for the economical and safe location and design of bridges and other structures on or over streams and the adjacent flood plains. Defining the limits of flood inundation and establishing encroachment limits on flood plains are related problems needing this information. Data for major floods are needed to compute flood-peak discharges and calibrate water-surface-elevation profile models at ungaged sites along streams.
OBJECTIVES:
Define the water-surface-elevation profiles and corresponding discharges along streams in basins with at least 100 mi2 of drainage area for selected floods. Evaluate the flood characteristics and hydraulics at existing and proposed flow structures in basins of all sizes when requested.
PROGRESS:
A new flood-profile report was published in November 2012. The report documents the August 11-16, 2010, flood on the South Skunk River in central and southeast Iowa. The report citation is:
Barnes, K.K., and Eash, D.A., 2012, Flood of August 11-16, 2010, in the South Skunk River Basin, central and southeast Iowa: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1202, 27 p. with appendix. [Available online at URL http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1202/]
ONLINE INFORMATION:
Map and Chronology of Iowa flood-profile reports prepared by the USGS.
