Study of propagation and floods routing in north-western region of Algeria

Abstract

The watershed of the studied region, part of the large basin of Macta situated in the north-west of Algeria, is submitted to flash floods and is particularly dangerous. Facing to the recurring of those catastrophic events, the understanding of hydrologic process constitutes a strategic axis of prevention against floods. Functioning indicators of the basin have been searched for by modelling of the flow on different floods observed at level of the stations established along Mekkera wadi. Among hydrologic models, the Muskingum model has been chosen for floods propagation study and estimations of flows, and the QdF model is used to evaluate the extreme quintiles and build the hydrographs of different return periods. The floods episodes observed at level of stations of Sidi Ali Benyoub and of Sidi Bel Abbes are characterised by importance of damages caused. The town of Sidi Bel Abbes built in the major bed of Mekkera and so the communes situated in the plains are the most exposed to these sudden floods.