Author(s): Meredith Carr; Carrie M. Vuyovich; Andrew M. Tuthill
Linked Author(s): Meredith Carr
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Oil City, located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Oil Creek in Pennsylvania (PA), experienced frequent ice jam and ice jam flooding events prior to the design and installation of two ice control structures (ICS) in the 1980’s. Since the installation of these structures Oil City has experienced minimal flooding due to ice jams. In designing flood control projects, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers must show that the proposed project provides a flood damage reduction benefit as well as an economic benefit. The benefits for these ice control structures, however, have not been calculated because of the uncertainty associated with ice-affected flooding. This paper presents a quantitative method for assessing the financial benefits of the structures since installation. Financial damages in each case are derived from the estimated peak stage resulting from an ice jam event. Benefits are then calculated by comparing financial damages resulting from the peak stage with the structure in place to that without the structure for the same event. A hydraulic model, HEC-RAS, was calibrated to model ice conditions during the pre-ICS time period to known ice jam stages. Using historical ice jam data, criteria were developed to estimate when a jam was likely to occur. Those criteria were applied to the post-ICS period, and dates when an ice jam was likely were modeled with and without an ICS in place. Based on the resulting stages at several damage locations, the ICS has provided an estimated $60 million in flood damage protection to Oil City since installation.
Year: 2010