Details:

Journal Title:
WIREs Water
Personal Author:
Sanders, Brett F. ; Grant, Stanley B.
Sanders, Brett F. ; Grant, Stanley B. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
NOS (National Ocean Service)
Description:
Ultrahazardous flooding (UHF) occurs on low relief topography at the foot of mountain catchments and is characterized by rapid‐onset, high‐velocity flood flows, large fluxes of sediment and debris, and unpredictable flow paths. 20th century stormwater infrastructure seeks to contain UHF, up to a design level, using combinations of basins, reservoirs and flood control channels. However, these flood control elements may increase the risk of disasters due to: (a) increasingly frequent and intense wildfires that amplify streamflow and debris fluxes beyond infrastructure design capacity; (b) aging and underfunded infrastructure which is susceptible to clogging and failure during extreme events; and (c) expansive urban development where communities are relatively unaware and underprepared for flooding as a consequence of the “levee effect”‐‐the false sense of safety that develops in the presence of flood defenses. 20th century stormwater infrastructure for UHF has also left communities with a legacy of social and environmental challenges including poor water quality, degraded habitats, high maintenance costs, unrealized urban amenities, and altered sediment fluxes. Adopting the Los Angeles Metropolitan Region as a type‐locality for UHF, we propose a new paradigm for stormwater infrastructure based on the concept of erodible flood corridors. Our vision aims for greater sustainability and resilience to extreme events based on congruency with natural processes, conservation of resources and associated ecosystem services, minimization of flood exposure and vulnerability, and avoidance of legacy risk and energy intensive practices.This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of WaterEngineering Water > Planning WaterScience of Water > Water Extremes
Keywords:
[+]
Aquatic Science Ecology Management, Monitoring, Policy And Law Ocean Engineering Oceanography Water Science And Technology
Source:
WIREs Water, 7(2)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1414
ISSN:
2049-1948;2049-1948;
Format:
PDF
Publisher:
Wiley
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
Grant no. NA16NOS4780206
Rights Information:
Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:
Library
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:d78582dd2b39bea2782497701f50dbbf3113b9fc08b7c056f71e6f3499cd89ac
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/57068/noaa_57068_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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