USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

Thomas J. Zembrzuski

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas J. Zembrzuski.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1994

Factors affecting accuracy of slope-area discharge determination of the September 1992 flood in Raven Fork, Western North Carolina

For the flood of September 10, 1992, in Raven Fork, Swain County, North Carolina, a peak discharge of 460 cubic meters per second was computed by using the slope-area method. Accuracy of this determination depends on suitability of the selected reach and, in particular, selection of Manning's roughness coefficients, interpretation of the high-water marks, number and placement of cross sections, presence of large expansions or contractions, state-of-flow transitions, and magnitude of the change in water-surface elevation. Some of these factors can contribute to greater uncertainties for measurements in steep mountain streams than for measurements in streams with flatter gradients.

North Carolina↗
USGS1981

Flow routing in the Susquehanna River Basin: Part IV - Routing reservoir releases in the eastern Susqehanna river basin in New York State

Flow-routing models for six reaches of major streams in the eastern Susquehanna River basin in New York were developed and used to trace releases of water from East Sidney Lake and Whitney Point Lake to gaged points downstream. Daily streamflow during 1942-77 was modeled for the following reaches: Susquehanna River--Unadilla to Conklin, Conklin to Vestal, and Vestal to Waverly; Chenango River--Sherburne to Greene, and Greene to Chenango Forks; Tioughnioga River--Cortland to Itaska. The models were developed with convolution techniques and were based on the unit-response method of flow routing, assuming the diffusion analogy and using multilinearization. Overall accuracy of the models, as measured by the average difference between observed and simulated daily flows over the base period, was within the stated accuracy of published gaging-station records. As an example of one application of the models, hypothetical releases from East Sidney Lake and Whitney Point Lake during low flow were traced downstream to the Waverly gaging station at the lower end of the area studied. The leading edge of the East Sidney release arrived in 4 days, and the full release arrived in 6 days. The leading edge of the Whitney Point release arrived in 1 day, and the full release arrived in 3 days. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1979

Techniques for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods on rural unregulated streams in New York State excluding Long Island

Techniques are presented for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods at ungaged sites on unregulated rural streams in New York, excluding Long Island. The discharge-frequency data and basin characteristics of 220 stream-gaging stations in New York and adjacent States were used in developing multiple linear regression equations for floods ranging in recurrence interval from 2 to 100 years. Separate equations were developed for northern, southeastern, and western New York. Standard errors of estimate of the 100-year flood range from 32.9 percent in the southeastern region to 42.8 percent in the western region. Drainage area is the independent variable needed in all equations; other variables needed, depending on region, are main-channel slope, storage index, and mean annual precipitation. A method is given for obtaining improved discharge-frequency relationships at gaged sites by weighting log-Pearson type III and regression estimates according to their variances. Basin characteristics, log-Pearson type III statistics, and regression and weighted estimates of the frequency-discharge relationship, are tabulated for the gaging stations used in the regression analyses. (Kosco-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1976

Floodflow characteristics at proposed bridge site on Mohawk River in towns of Frankfort and Schuyler, Herkimer County, New York

An evaluation of floodflow characteristics at a proposed bridge site on Mohawk River in the towns of Frankfort and Schuyler, Herkimer County,N.Y. revealed that: The 100-year design discharge is 22,500 cubic feet per second (637 cubic metres per second), of which 21,200 cubic feet per second (600 cubic metres per second) flows in the Mohawk River and 1,300 cubic feet per second (37 cubic metres per second) flows in the Erie (Barge) Canal. The existing bridge and road would be submerged and would cause no backwater during the 100-year flood. The normal elevation for the 100-year flood at the approach section is 406.3 feet (123.8 metres) referred to mean sea level, datum of 1929. Three alternate bridge designs, 1, 2, and 3, would cause a 2.1-, 0.5-, and 0.3-foot (0.64-, 0.15-, and 0.09-metre) increase in water level, respectively, at the approach section during the 100-year flood. The combination of alternate bridge design 2 and three overflow culverts would cause a 0.4-foot (0.12-metre) increase in water level at the approach section during the 100-year flood.

New York↗
USGS1976

Floodflow characteristics at proposed bridge site on Fishkill Creek, Fishkill, New York

An evaluation of floodflow characteristics of Fishkill Creek at the proposed bridge site at Fishkill, N.Y., was made for the 50- and 100-year floods. The flood-frequency analysis revealed that the magnitude of the 50- and 100-year floods are 8,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and 10,000 cfs, respectively. The normal water-surface elevation at the approach cross section was determined by the slope-conveyance method to be 209.8 feet during a 50-year flood and 210.8 feet during a 100-year flood. Also included is an analysis of the effect of the existing bridge and of two alternative bridge designs on the profiles of floods having recurrence intervals of 50 and 100 years. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1976

Floodflow characteristics at proposed bridge site above Sherwood Road on West Branch Delaware River, Delhi, New York

An evaluation of floodflow characteristics for a 50- and 100-year flood was made for a proposed bridge site across West Branch Delaware River in Delaware County, N.Y. Several design conditions were analyzed for their effect on the 100-year profile. Analyses were made to determine the effect of both removal and retention of the existing Sherwood Road bridge and roadway embankment 750 feet downstream from the proposed site. The normal water-surface elevation (without the bridge) at the proposed site would be 1,345.2 feet for the 50-year flood and 1 ,345.6 feet for the 100-year flood if the existing Sherwood Road bridge and embankment were retained, and would be 1,344.8 feet and 1,345.1 feet for the 50- and 100-year flood, respectively, if the bridge and roadway embankment were removed. The magnitudes of the 50- and 100-year floods at the proposed site would be 8,300 cubic feet per second and 9,300 cubic feet per second, respectively. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗