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<br />FUTURE FLOODS <br /> <br />This section of the report discusses the Intermediate <br /> <br /> <br />Regional Flood and the Standard Project Flood and some of the hazards <br /> <br /> <br />of floods. <br /> <br />Severe as the maximum known flood may have been on a <br /> <br /> <br />stream, it is generally accepted that a larger flood can occur. Only <br /> <br /> <br />in rare instances has a stream experienced the largest flood that is <br /> <br /> <br />possible. Larger floods have been experienced on streams with geo- <br /> <br /> <br />graphical and physiographical characteristics as those streams in the <br /> <br /> <br />study area. Severe storms undoubtedly will recur in the Arkansas <br /> <br /> <br />River watershed to cause future floods that can equal or surpass known <br /> <br /> <br />historic floods. In any determination of future floods that may <br /> <br /> <br />occur, it is desirable to consider all storms and floods that have <br /> <br /> <br />occurred in the region on similar watersheds. The Corps of Engineers, <br /> <br /> <br />in cooperation with the NOAA Weather Service, has made comprehensive <br /> <br /> <br />studies and investigations based on vast records of experienced <br /> <br /> <br />storms and floods and has evolved generalized procedures for estima- <br /> <br /> <br />ting the flood potential of waterways. <br /> <br />Intermediate Regional Flood <br /> <br /> <br />The Intermediate Regional Flood is defined as having an <br /> <br /> <br />average frequency of occurrence of once in 100 years at a designated <br /> <br /> <br />location, although it may occur in any year and possibly even in <br /> <br /> <br />successive years. It is representative of floods that have occurred <br /> <br /> <br />in the past and those that may be expected to recur in the future. <br /> <br /> <br />The magnitude of the Intermediate Regional Flood on the <br /> <br /> <br />Arkansas River and tributary study reaches was determined from sta- <br /> <br /> <br />tistical analysis of regional annual peak flow records. Also, the <br /> <br /> <br />variable rainfall and runoff characteristics of watersheds in the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />general region were compared, adjusted when necessary, and used for <br /> <br /> <br />the analysis. The Intermediate Regional Flood on the Arkansas <br /> <br /> <br />River with a peak discharge of 82,000 cubic feet per second is com- <br /> <br /> <br />parable with the flood of June 1921 that had a peak discharge of <br /> <br />App. 4 <br />16 <br />