Flood Plain Filling by a Monoclinal Flood Wave

Abstract

Theoretical equations are derived to estimate the flood wave celerity and the volume of lateral flow leaving the main channel and entering the flood plain for a two-dimensional monoclinal wave. The equations are based on conservation of water mass assuming an idealized compound channel. The parameters that affect the lateral flow volume are the ratio of flood plain depth to the depth in the main channel at the peak discharge, the ratio of the flood plain width to the main channel width, and the ratio of the flood plain roughness to the main channel roughness. The percentage of flood plain volume filled up by lateral flow from the main channel increases as the width ratio decreases, the roughness ratio increases, or as the depth ratio decreases.