Channel and dynamic flow characteristics of the Chattahoochee River, Buford Dam to Georgia Highway 141
Detailed flow and cross-section data for a 17-mile reach of the Chattahoochee River in northeast Georgia are described and summarized. Flow data include measurements of highly dynamic stage and discharge at five stations during the period March 21-23, 1976. Flow data were collected at 5-minute intervals and are listed accordingly. Coordinate data for 39 cross sections in the study reach are also listed. A mathematical model is developed and applied whereby stage data collected at a single station can be used to compute highly dynamic discharge at the station. The model is based on the continuity and momentum equations that describe unsteady, one-dimensional flow in open channels. Both equations are transformed to a single quadratic equation which describes mean flow velocity at a single station. Flow-geometry parameters used by the model are computed using cross-section coordinates and the equation which describes the area of an irregular polygon. Use of the model in conjunction with highly dynamic stage data collected on March 23, 1976, provided close agreement between measured and computed discharges. The model was also used to investigate the sensitivity of highly dynamic discharge to channel and flow parameters. Computed discharge was most sensitive to changes in channel roughness and slope.