Territory Stories

Alice Springs Flood Investigation and Floodplian Mapping Study

Details:

Title

Alice Springs Flood Investigation and Floodplian Mapping Study

Creator

WRM Water & Environment Pty Ltd; Northern Territory. Department of Lands, Planning & the Environment

Editor

Roads, Greg

Collection

E-Publications; PublicationNT; E-Books; EXTA1463

Date

2015-10-12

Location

Alice Springs

Description

Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).; WRM Water & Environment (WRM) was commissioned by the Department of Lands & Planning (DLP) to undertake a flood study of the Todd River in the Alice Springs area. The aim of the study is to develop a 2 dimensional flood model, which allows flood flow in a complex flood plain to be modelled, to determine the extent and severity of riverine flooding in the town of Alice Springs and the Alice Springs rural area south of Heavitree Gap. The purpose of the study is to produce floodplain maps of the Alice Springs and its rural area for land use planning and counter – disaster purposes. This study is an extension of the Alice Springs Farms Area Floodplain Mapping Study (WRM, 2006), undertaken by WRM on behalf of the Department of Planning & Infrastructure in 2006 in order to develop detailed Todd River floodplain maps for the rural area south of Alice Springs.

Table of contents

1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION -- 3. AVAILABLE DATA -- 4. CALIBRATION AND AND VERIFICATION EVENTS -- 5. HYDROLOGIC MODEL CALIBRATION AND VERIFICATION -- 6. HYDRAULIC MODEL DEVELOPMENTLOPMENT -- 7. HYDRAULIC MODEL CALIBRATION -- 8. FLOOD FREQUENCY ANALYSIS -- 9. DESIGN EVENT HYDROLOY -- 10. DESIGN FLOOD LEVELS AND EXTENTS -- 11. CONCLUSION -- 12. REFERENCES

Language

English

Subject

Flood control -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs; Flood damage prevention -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs; Floodplain management -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs; Alice Springs Flood Investigation; Floodplain Mapping

Publisher name

WRM Water & Environment Pty Ltd

Place of publication

Darwin (N.T.)

Series

EXTA1463

Format

vii, 95 pages : colour maps ; 30 cm.

File type

application/pdf.

Copyright owner

Check within Publication or with content Publisher.

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/259732

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/494349

Page content

0269-02-C1 12 October 2015 14 3.4.2 Todd River at Wigley Gorge (G0060046) Water level data at Wigley Gorge has been recorded since October 1962. This station is located about 8 km upstream of the Anzac Oval Station. At this station, a total of 28 gaugings for discharges greater that 10 m3/s have been made, and 3 gaugings for discharges greater than 100m3/s. The highest gauged discharge at Wigley Gorge (229 m3/s) was recorded in January 1991. The Wigley Gorge high flow rating curve was updated in 1996, after a comprehensive review undertaken as part of the Todd River flood studies (GHD, 1996). The updated rating curve has been used in GHD (1996) and GHD (2001). Although marginally different, for all practical purposes, the rating curve provided by NRETA appears to be the same as the GHD (1996) curve. It is believed that NRETA may have fine tuned the high-flow rating curve using the results of the GHD (1996) study. Figure 3.2 shows the adopted rating curve and recorded gaugings for the Wigley Gorge stream gauging station. The quality codes attached to the adopted rating curve indicate that the Wigley Gorge rating curve is reliable up to the highest rated discharge (1180m3/s). It is noted that the highest recorded flood level during the period of record (March/April 1988 flood) is within the rated range. Based on the available data, the most reliable rating curve available for use in this study is for the Wigley Gorge station. Figure 3.2 Stage-Discharge Curve adopted at Wigley Gorge, Todd River (G0060046) 3.4.3 Charles River at Big Dipper (G0060047) Recording of water level data in the Charles River at Big Dipper commenced in July 1958, however the station was closed between 1987 and 1990. The gauging station is located approximately 6.5km upstream of the confluence of the Charles and Todd rivers at Anzac Hill in Alice Springs. A total of 26 gaugings for discharges greater than 10 m3/s have been made,