A new method for estimating flood peak discharge and extreme rainfall: Case study for Firat basin.

Abstract

The commonly-used design parameter for hydraulic structures is the annual maximum instantaneous streamflow recorded by conventional gauging stations. Increased hydroclimatic variability in recent years and the resultant flooding raise questions concerning the flood risk estimations from the short flow records in Turkey. The method described in this study has been selected according to the likely estimates for the peak flow values at different return periods for the gauged basins. Hence, estimation of the peak flow values for regions with poor or rich discharge datasets could be implemented. In theory, this developed method may be used to estimate the peak flow values at any point on a river network, and not only at basin outlets. In this research, a case study has been conducted on Firat basin, on which the largest dams in Turkey have been built, by employing a novel approach for developing a new method that calculates the peak flood flows and extreme rainfall. The results demonstrate that the approach is sound and can be employed in prediction of peak rainfall and flow parameters in river basins.