î

CONÏENTs

I ntnoducfion

Sur,nnary of F lood Situatlon

General ConditionsBasin CharacteristÍcsStnearn Characteristic's and lrnprovernents

F lood Control ìmProv'ernents

Develo,prnents t¡Ûithin the Flood FfainBridges Ac¡'oss the Sf,rearn

Obstruction to F"lood F'Íow

Past FloodsFlood RecordsDuralion and Rate of R'lse

Potenfial FloodsI nlerrnediate Regional F lood

Standard Fro.jecl F Ìood

Grealer FloodsHazards of Great FloodsVe locitiesFlood Areasn Floo'd Prof i les and Cross Sectïons

GlossarY of Terns

Aulhtority,Acknowle.dgernentsandlnterpretationofData

TABLES

Tab le

Popu I ati on Frojectionslu,lajor structu.res Ac,r'oss Diicki nson Drai'nage Dïtch

þ9"¡

I

4

4

4

4

5

66

lzt2lz¡3l3l414

]5l6l6

¡7

2a

lqgie,

t23

5:¡

t5Flood Stages

I NTRODUCT I ON

This report concerns the flood dangers along the

Dickinson Drainage DiÌch which runs through the easterly section of

Dickinson, North Dakota. l+ was prepared at the request of the Cily

of Dickinson through The North Dakota sfate water commission' Flood

hazards are identified to assist local officials and others in making

pru<jent use of stream valleys and to indicate the dangers to existing

developments in the val ley. lnformation is based upon an analysis

of flood statistics, urban growth patterns and other technical data

affecli ng f loods on the Dra i nage D i tch 'Generalcharacteristicsofthevalley,detaileddescrip-

tions of lhe study reach on the ditch, a record of flood history of

theditch,andtheprobableeffectoffloodsgreaterthananyofrecord are presenfed, in that order, in this report' A definitionof the technical terms used throughout is included at the end' Two

potential floods, lntermediate Regional and Standard Project, were

used to represent reasonable I imits of expected flooding' The lnfer-

rnediateRegionalFloodisrepresentativeofonewithanaveragefrequencyofaboutonceinahundredyears'orapProximalelyalper-cent chance of occurrence in any specific year. lt was developed

fromananalysisofavailablebasinstreamandrainfallrecords.TheStandardProjectFloodrepresentsarareevenlandexceeds'byawidemargin,anyknownfloodonthisstream.lndevelopÎngcontrolsandplanningforfloodplainconstruction,appropriateconsiderationshould be given to historical, lntermediate Regional and Standard

Project F loods 'Thereportcontainsmaps''profiles'andcrosssections

which indicate the extent of flooding lhat mighf occur in the future

inthevalleyoftheDrainageDitch.Thisshouldprovehelpfulinplanning the best use of the flood plains. From lhe maps, profiles

andcrosssections,lhedepthofprobablefloodingbyoccurrenceof

SUMMARY OF FLOOD SITUATION

The Dickinson Drainage Ditch rises approximately 4-5miles northwesl of the City of Dickinson. The Ditch runs in a

southeasterly direction crossing through lhe easterly section oftown and ends at the Heart River near the sewage lagoons. Thisreport covers apProximately a 4 mile stretch beginning at the mouth

of the Drainage Ditch and extending approximately 4 mi les upslream

to the north-soufh counfy road that is State Avenue within the cilylimits.

ln recenf years the City of Dickinson has exPerienced a

steady expansion into the Dickinson Drainage Ditch Basin and to some

extent into the flood Prone areas nexl fo the stream. The develop-ments are largely residenlial, such as the Parkview area which was

first starled in 1952 and the Pleasant Valley Addit¡on starfed in1955. Some commercial developments are located in the vicinity ofHighway 22, lnterstate l-94 and u. S. Highway 10. lt is anticipatedthat this expansion wi I I conti nue

Although none of the areas have experienced any ser¡ousflooding since the late l930rs, the problem of future floods does

èxist. Floods with a magnitude of the lntermediate Regional Flood

and the Standard Project Flood have occurred elsewhere and could

occ'ur i n the City of Dickinson in any year.* *

THE CAUSES 0F FLOODS along the Dickinson Drainage Ditch are primari lyinlense thunderstorm rainfal I during the surmer months and to a

lesser extent, rapid snowmelt run'off in the spring. Snowmelt runoffcan conlribute to damaging floods when combined with heavy rainfall-The basin terrain is hi I ly and somewhat impervious. This, coupled

with a drop in elevation of apProximately 27 feet per mile produces

rapid concentration of runoff. The result is the potential forflash-type flooding.

The last major damaging flood occurred in the late

FLOODED AREAS by the Standard Projecl Flood and the lntermediateRegional Flood would exTend over the entire valley f loor. The width

of the flooded area would vary trom 300 feet to 1,500 feel for a

Standard Project Flood and from lO0 feet to 1,000 feef for an lnter-mediate Regional Flood. Downstream from the Northern Pacific Rai l-way, the flooded area would decrease in width because the valleynarrows and the velocity of flow increases with the increased channel

slope. The Standard Project Flood covers more area than the lnter-mediate Regional Flood due to the increased depth. The area is much

greater where fhe flow is obstructed by the Northern Pacific Railway

emba nkment.l( * *

DURATION OF FLOODS is quite short with high peak flows.* * lÉ

HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS would occur during large f loods as a result of

lhe rapidly rising stream, high velocities and deep f lows. Veloci-ties greater than 3 feef per second cornbined with depths of 2 feetor greater are general ly considered extremely hazardous, bul lesser

velocities and depths are dangerous. Both the lnlermediate Regional

Flood and the Standard Project Flood would have hazardous velociliesand depths. Channel velocities of 3 to 6 feet per second are common

in the section studied for both the lnlermediafe Regional Flood and

fhe Standard Project Flood. Maximum velocities within the Dickinson

city limits reach 9 feet per second during lhe lntermediate Regional

Flood and lo-l/2 feet per second during the Standard Project Flood'***

FLOOD CONTROL AND DEFENSE in the Dickinson Basin has been developed

to meet particu lar situations. The Stark County Water lvlanagement

Dislrict has the responsibility for flood control projects such as

channel improvements. The channel has been improved in the developed

areas. Ttrere is no flood warning system, but the low crossings inthe Draihage Ditch are barricaded and flares are set oul when the low

cross i ngs are overtopPed.

3

Deve I opments |'l¡th ¡ n the F lood Plai n

The City of Dickinson has zoned most of the area wifhin

the val ley as residential. The only commercial zoning near the

Drainage Ditch is near the intersection of Highway 22 and lnterstateg4,andinthevicinityofU.S.HighwaylOontheeastsideoftown.since 1952, a tofal of lB additions have been added to the Northeast

Section of the city. Three of these have been added since 1967'

seven of these additions border the Drainage Ditch. The lower areas

alongtheDrainageDitcharePronetofloodingandasfheseadditionsarefurtherdeveloped,higherrunofffromfheuplandareaswillin-crease the danger of flooding in the val ley developments' The major

damageableitemsarelocatedwithinthecitylimitsofDickinson.These include the trailer court on the east side of u' s' Highway 22'

houses bui lt in the flood plain, and some commercial developments

northofU.S.HighwaylO.Theseitemsareshownonplates2andS.Thedevelopmenltrendisindicatedbyfablel'which

showstheCityofDickinson|spoPulationfiguresforlg50andl960along with the projected figures for the future'

TABLE I

POPULAT ION PROJ ECT IONS

Year Popu I ati on I ncrease

Est.Est.Est.Est.

I 950

I 960

1965I 970

I 980

I 990

7,4699,911

I l,B0o1 2,800I 5,400I 8,000

2,5021,8291,0002,6002,600

The projected population figures were developed by the

Bureau of Reclamation for their water supply Report on the Enlarge-

mentoftheDickinsonDamandReservoìrdaledAugust,1954.5

TABLE 2

MAJoRSTRUCTURESAcRoSsDIcKINSONDRAINAGEDITcH

undercl"a.unc" l/

StreamBed

E lev.Gãil2392.82393.O2391 .72393,52415.22417 . t

2430.2

Road-way

Elev.TêõT-

I ntermed i ate StandardReg iona I ProjectFlood FloodCrest Crest

feet

Relation toI nter. Reg.

Flood

ldentiflcation Type of Cross i nq

Northern Pacific Railway l' 12F+' Conc' Arch

2. Twi n Bf *7 ' PgB/3. 6t Dia. CulvertTriple gtxl I RCB

30 t -0rr Br idge23t -6tt Br idgeTiple BrxBr RCB

Two 9r Dia. Slruct.P I ate Cu I verts6r Dia. Culverl

2436.2 2447.9 2448.3 2448'.8 2445'2

2451 .B 2459.9 2461 .9 2462.8 2457 'B

feelElev.EõT

AboveTããT'

Belowteef

2u2.7!24t2.7424t2.742402,42420.82423.72441 .4

2402.02402.02402.02402.42422.02424.42440.7

2413.72413.72413.72413.72423.O2426.32442.7

2404.82400.o2391 .72400.52420.82422.82438.2

2.8

U. S. HighwaY l02nd Ave. EastSims Street3rd Ave. East(HighwaY 22)

I nterstate l-94

2.O

4.31.91.21.62.5

3

4County Road

See GlossarY of Terms

Denotes Base of rai I elevationRCB means relnforced concrete box

)I42IAll elevations are based on U' S' G' S' mean sea level datum'

ïI

-l

¡

(

2nd Avenue East Bridge50 f t. Clear Span

Sims Street Bridge23 ft. 6 in. Clear SPan

9

fa

e

ld.:t¡lwrf undeiF'rt l-94-'Tmma S.ünu,efl¡r,ã!ù Ff afu,i$ylwrte,'-' I ft'ln Dtf

)

ül

POTENTIAL FLOODS

This seclion mainly discusses the lntenmediate Regional

Flood and Standard Project Flood on the DÌckinson Drainage Ditch,and some of the hazards inherent in floods of these magnitudes.

The lnlermediale Regional Flood represents those floods with an

average frequency of occurrence of about once În a hundred years,

and is increasingly being accepted by the Public as the limit forapplication of local regulations and the minÎmum standard for f lood

proteclion. The Slandard Project Flood is of greater magnitude and

represents a reasonable upper I imit of expected flooding. However,

it is not the largest possible flood that might ever occur. Both

floods are further defined in the Glossary of Terms. lt is empha-

sized that lesser floods than the lntermediate Regional Flood are

much more likely to occur and could also cause damage, hardship and

inconvenience. Such lesser floods would inundate smaller areas than

indicated on fhe maps for the lntermediate RegÎonal Flood.Flooding in the magnitude of the lntermediate Regional

and Standard Projecl Floods has occurred on other streams in the

plains states, and they could occur in this basin at any time. ltis therefore desirable, in connection with these studies, to consider

fheir effects so proteclive measures can be considered.

ntermed iate Req iona I F loodFrequency studies of avai lable gaging data for streams

in the region show that the lntermediate Regional Flood discharge on

the Dickinson Drainage Ditch would be 1,800 cubic feet per second in

the upstream end of the reach, and 2,000 cubic feef per second below

the lnterstate Highway Bridge. The depth of flow would average about

9 feet upstream of llighway l0 and about 12 feet upstream of lnter-stale 94, with depths of as l¡ttle as 5 feef between and beyond these

points. u. s. Highway l0 and lnterstate 94 would have less than a

foot of water flowing over the roadways. Highway 22 would be above

l3

Hazards of Great FloodsTheamountandextentofdamagecausedbyaflood depends

ingeneralupontheareaflooded,deplhofthewater,floodvelocity,rate of rise and duration of flooding'

V,/heretheflowisobstructedbytheNorthernPacificRailway, the Standard Project Flood covers more area than the lnter.mediate Regional Flood. Because the val ley floor rises only a few

feetbelweenthestreamandlheborderinghills,theareacoveredbythe slandard Project Flood and lhe lntermediate Regional Flood are

approximately the same where flow is not obslructed by The railway'

The large increase in damage resulting from greater floods would be

caused primari ly by increased water depths and increased velocities'Tabulated in fable J are discharges and stages for the lnterrnediate

Regional Flood and the Standard Project Flood'

TABLE 3

FLOOD STAGES

I ntermed iate Reqional Standa rd ProiectF lood

Locat i on

D i schargeAverage FloodDepth at Chan-nel in Feet

I nterstate 94

2,000

I 0 I nterstate 94 U.

5,000S t0HwyU.S. HwY.

2,0oo 5,000

J2.l 8.9 12.6 t9.5

Theprofilesweredevelopedbybackwatercomputationsusing the ttstandard step methodil employing cross sections, topo-

graphic maps, and roughness coefficIents establ ished by field inves-

tigation. consideration vras also given to the effect of clogging of

Var¡ousbridgeopeningsduringf]oodsandtheforcingofflowsoverroads,streetsandrailways.ForthestandardProjectFloodthef]owgénerallyexceededthecaPacityofthebridgeopenings,andblockagehadonlyminoreffectonwatersurfaceelevations.Theeffectof

t5

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

FloodAn overfrow of rands not normar ry covered by water andfhat are used or usabre by man. Froods have two essentiar charac_teristics. The inundation of rand is temporary; and the rand isadjacent to and inundated by overffow from a river, stream, ocean,lake or other body of standing water.Normary a rrfrood" is considered as any temporary risein stream flow or stage, but not the ponding of surface water thatresults in significant adverse effects in the vicinify. Adverseeffects may incrude damages from overftow of rand areas, temporarybackwater effects in sewers and rocar drainage channers, creationof unsanitary conditions or other unfavorabre situations by deposi-tion of materiars in stream channers during frood recessions, riseof ground water coincidenf with increased stream frow, and otherprob I ems .

Flood CrestThe maximum stage or elevation reached by the waters offlood at a given location.

F lood Peak

gtvencrest.

Flood Plain

channe I

body ofwater.

The maximum instantaneous discharge of a flood at alocation' rt usuaty occurs at or near the time of fhe f rood

The relatively f lat area or low lands adjoining theof a river, stream or water course or ocean, lake or otherstanding water, whích has been or may be covered by flood

l7

I nlermed i ate iona I FloodA flood having a one percent probability or an average

frequency of occurrence in the order of once in r0o years, arthoughthe f lood may occur in any year. rt is based on statísticar ana.ry-sis of rainfall and runoff characteristics in the ,,general region ofthe watershed.'?

Left Bank

The bank on the reff side of a river, stream or watercourse, looking downstream.

Low Steel (or Undercl earance )

See itUnderc learance. rl

Riqht Ban k

The bank on the right side of acourse, looking downstream.

river, stream or water

Standard Pro ecf FloodThe f rood that may be expecfed from the most severecombination of meteorotigicar and hydrorogicar conditions that ísconsidered reasonabry characteristic of the geographicar area inwhich the drainage basin is rocated, excruding extremery rare combi_nafions. peak discharges for these froods are generar ry about 40percent fo 60 percent of the probabre Maxímum Froods for the samebasins' such froods, as used by the corps of Engineers, are intenðedas pracficable exPressions of rne Jegree of protection îhat shouldbe sought in the desígn of flood control works, the failure of whichmight be disastrous.

Underc I eara nceThe

across a river,lowest point of a bridge or other strucfure over orstream or water cour.se thaf

l9

I ímits the openlng

AUTHORITY. ACKNOI{LEDGEMENTS AND I NTERPRFTATION OF DATA

This report has been prepared in accordance with theauthority granted by section 206 of the Flood control Act of 1960(Public Law 86-645) as amended.

***Assistance and cooperafion of the u. s. vleather Bureau;

u. s. Geological Survey; and Díckinson city Engineer in supplyinguseful data are appreciated.

,ß *. tÉ

This reporf presents fhe local f lood situation along theDickinson Drainage Ditch. The omaha Dfstrict of fhe corps of Engi-neers will provîde interpretation and lechnical asslstance ln appli_cation of data presented hereín.

2,

U. S. ARMY

NOTES:l. Flood outlines ore bosed on surveys ot the

locotíons of volley ond ditch cross sections.Outlines between cross sections qre inter-preted from U.S.G .S. quodrongle mops7.5 mínute Series, doted 1959 . Usersshould determine octuol ground elevotionswhere precision is required. Prof iles orebosed on U.S.G .S. meon seo level dotum.

2. Photo copies ore produced from oeriol photo-grophy mqde in August , 1965,

LEGEIIDSTANDARD PROJECT FLOOD

I INTERMED IATE REG IOI{AL FLOOD

O 3I+ LæAT IO{ OF EIIDS OF SURI/EYED VALI'TY Aì{DSTRE¡fi CR6S SECTIO{S.

SCALE IN FEETtooo 500 0 o oo

DICKINSON, NORTH DAKOTADRAINAGE DITCH

FLOODED AREAS

ARED BYD&ASSOCIATES,INC

DACW4'5-68-C-0082

U. S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, OMAHACORPS OF ENGINEERS OMAHA, NEBRASKA

JUNE 1968

PTATE 3

CORPS OF ENGINEERS U. S. ARMY

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CULVERT SYMBOLn-{oadway ElevationU-crlu"rt lnvertBRIDGE SYMBOL

I - Roadway Elevation

2380 - Underc I earance

LEGEIIDSTAI{DARD PROJECT FLOODI II{TERMEDIATE REGIOI{AL FLOOD

2370

2%0 D IOKINSON, NORTH DAKOTADRAINAGE DITCH

PROFIT ES23fi

100+00 90+00 80+00 70jo0PREPARED BY

B. H. BACKLUND & ASSOC IATES, INC.coNTRACT NO. DACW45-6S-C-O082

ó0+00 50+00 40+00DISTANCE IN IOO'S FEET ABOVE MOUTH

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LEGEIID:ti:,::ïi:äi:i:i:::iä STAIIDARD pROJECT FL00t)r IilTERMEDIATE REGIOI{AL FLOOD

24æ

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U. S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRIbT, Or,trXICORPS OF ENGINEERS OMAHA, NEBRASKA

J UNE 196S

PRE PARED BYBACKLUND & ASSOC IATES, INC.

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