Flood frequency in Texas; calculation of peak-streamflow frequency at gaging stations

Abstract

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a 5-year study of floods in Texas. The study, which is being done in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, uses streamflow data collected at streamflow-gaging stations to assess Texas flood characteristics. Two major objectives of the study are to determine for unregulated, rural basins (1) the most reliable method to calculate peak-streamflow frequency for Texas stations; and (2) a method to estimate peak-streamflow frequency at any Texas stream site (gaged or ungaged) using pertinent peak-streamflow information from nearby stations. This fact sheet pertains to the first objective of the study.