An analysis of estimation of threshold level of floods in upper Wieprz catchment

Abstract

Understanding of the causes and process of flooding formation in rivers has a great importance, both scientific and practical, especially considering use management and flood protection. We can find many different definitions and criteria that can be used in determining floods. A great number of different criteria is caused by different purposes of hydrological studies on floods, as well as different environmental conditions of investigated catchments and hydrological regimes of rivers. The primary method of floods definition and identification is threshold level method (TLM). This method defines flood as time when the flow is higher than established threshold flow level. Its determination can be based on hydrological, statistical or economic criteria (Ozga-Zielińska, Brzeziński 1997; Jokiel 2007). For specified research approach there are different values of threshold level adopted. It can be observed for example on hydrological criteria, among which values can reach LAMF, HAA F (Ozga-Zielińska, Brzeziński 1997; Byczkowski 1999; Kaznowska et al. 2015), median of AMF, MAMF (Kaznowska, Chudy 2006; Nowicka 2009) or ½(LAMF+HAA F). Among statistical criteria we can meet values of flows of specific exceedance probability obtained from flow duration curve (FDC). In connection with the use of a variety of criteria the selection border get different flow characteristic values describing the flood (including the incidence, duration, volume). The use of different flow limits is difficult and essentially impossible to direct the collation and comparison of documented research. The aim of the study was to compare different methods of determining the floods, analyze the results and determine the optimum for the upper catchment Comprehensive research approach, together with an indication of its advantages and disadvantages the article presented and compared was the most commonly used in clinical methods of determining floods.