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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Flood potential of Topopah Wash and tributaries, eastern part of Jackass Flats, Nevada Test Site, southern Nevada

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:59622
Guidelines for evaluating potential surface facilities to be used for the storage of high-level radioactive wastes on the Nevada Test Site in southern Nevada include the consideration of the potential for flooding. Those floods that are considered to constitute the principal flood hazards for these facilities are the 100- and 500-year floods, and the maximum potential flood. Flood-prone areas for the three floods with present natural-channel conditions were defined for the eastern part of Jackass Flats in the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site. The 100-year flood-prone areas would closely parallel most stream channels with very few occurrences of out-of-bank flooding between adjacent channels. Out-of-bank flooding would occur at depths of less than 2 feet with mean velocities as much as 7 feet per second. Channel flood depths would range from 1 to 9 feet and mean velocities would range from 3 to 9 feet per second. The 500-year flood would exceed the discharge capacities of all channels except for Topopah Wash and some channels in the upstream reaches of a few tributaries. Out-of-bank flows between adjacent channels would occur at depths as much as 3 feet with mean velocities of more than 7 feet per second. Channel flood depths would range from 1 to 12 feet and mean velocities would range from 3 to 13 feet per second. The maximum potential flood would inundate most of the study area. Excluded areas would be those located immediately east of the upstream reach of Topopah Wash and between upstream channel reaches of some tributaries. Out-of-bank flows between adjacent channels would occur at depths as much as 5 feet with mean velocities as much s 13 feet per second. Channel flood depth would range from 2 to 23 feet and mean velocities would range from 4 to 26 feet per second.
Research Organization:
Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (United States). Water Resources Div.
DOE Contract Number:
AI08-78ET44802
OSTI ID:
59622
Report Number(s):
USGS-OFR--80-963
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English