FLOOD02234

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Hydrologic Aspects of Project Planning
• Date: 3/7/1972
• Prepared For: US
• Prepared By: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNIQUES

In the previously referenced paper by Fredrich and Hawkins (2) the
factors which are important considerations in the development of new
techniques are discussed as follows:

"The developers of the methods must have a thorough
understanding of the problem to be solved, the data avail-
able for use in the solution, the time and funds constraints
which will be imposed upon the users, and the potential
uses of the results. The engineers who will actually employ
the techniques must, of course, understand the application
of the technique, develop the r~uired data, be able to
explain how the method was used, and be capable of describ-
ing the accuracy or reliability of the results and the
limitations on their use. The persons responsible for
directing the planning study must insure that the scope
and objectives of the planning are fully understood,
develop chronological schedules and fund allotments which
are consistent with the required hydrologic analyses,
acquire an understanding of the technique and the results
in order to insure proper integration of the results into
the overall effort, and develop a means of presenting the
results in a way which minimizes the possibility of invalid
use of the results without destroying the credibility of
the work for its intended purposes."

Hydrologic investigations would always be in near-perfect harmony
with planning objectives if the above-described guidelines were always
considered. However, it appears that this is not always the case--in
fact, it appears that in some cases the hydrologic engineers and planners
are both intent on extending their respective "spheres of influence" to
cover as much of the other's discipline as possible. This, of course,
will almost always be disastrous. Planning study objectives, which are
often dictated by law, cannot be modified to accommodate an unresponsive
result from a hydrologic investigation, and hydrologic principles cannot
be abandoned to accommodate an unfounded planning supposition.

Developers of new hydrologic techniques must rely on advice and guid-
ance from planners who will use the techniques or the results of the
techniques. If they do not, they may find themselves in the role of a
consultant rather than that of a team member or partner in the planning
study. When this occurs the most likely outcome is that which is so
aptly illustrated by a recent television commercial. The proponent of
a new technique encourages "Try it, you'll like it" and the embittered
user later bemoans "So I tried it. Thought I was going to die."

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