U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Pamphlet to accompany

Scientific Investigations Map 3135

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V

Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach of the 

Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan

Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach 

of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to 

Battle Creek, Michigan

By Christopher J. Hoard, Kathleen K. Fowler, Moon H. Kim, Chad D. Menke, 

Scott E. Morlock, Marie C. Peppler, Cynthia M. Rachol, and Matthew T. Whitehead

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region V

Pamphlet to accompany

Scientific Investigations Map 3135

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Hoard, C.J., Fowler, K.K., Kim, M.H., Menke, C.D., Morlock, S.E., Peppler, M.C., Rachol, C.M., and Whitehead, M.T., 

2010, Flood-inundation maps for a 15-mile reach of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan: 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3135, 6 p. pamphlet, 6 sheets, scale 1:100,000. 
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................1

Study Area Description........................................................................................................................3

Antecedent Conditions..................................................................................................................................3

Calculating Flood Probabilities....................................................................................................................5

Constructing Water-Surface Profiles.........................................................................................................5

Inundation Mapping ......................................................................................................................................5

Summary..........................................................................................................................................................6

Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................................6

References Cited............................................................................................................................................6

Figures

1. Location of the Kalamazoo River and Enbridge oil-spill response divisions ......................2

2. Illustration showing NEXRAD 1-day observed precipitation storm tracks 

from July 22 to July 25, 2010; NEXRAD data from National Weather Service 

data center located in Grand Rapids, Michigan......................................................................3

3. Discharge hydrographs for the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, 

Kalamazoo River near Battle Creek, and Battle Creek River at Battle Creek 

streamgages..................................................................................................................................4

Tables

1. Precipitation, in inches, measured at Enviro-Weather Automated Weather 

Network stations, July 22–25, 2010............................................................................................4

2. Gage height, water-surface altitude, and discharge associated with the 

July 25, 2010, and the 0.2, 1, 2, 4, and 10 percent flood exceedance 

events for the Kalamazoo River at Marshall (station 4103500) .............................................5
iv

Sheets

1. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek Michigan, 

for the July 25, 2010, flood corresponding to a gage height of 7.44 feet and an altitude 

of 884.09 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage at Marshall, 

Michigan (station ID 04103500).

2. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek Michigan, 

for a flood with a 10-percent exceedance probability corresponding to a gage height 

of 7.10 feet and an altitude of 883.75 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological Survey 

streamgage at Marshall, Michigan (station ID 04103500).

3. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek Michigan, 

for a flood with a 4-percent exceedance probability corresponding to a gage height 

of 7.60 feet and an altitude of 884.25 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological Survey 

streamgage at Marshall, Michigan (station ID 04103500).

4. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek Michigan, 

for a flood with a 2-percent exceedance probability corresponding to a gage height 

of 7.96 feet and an altitude of 884.61 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological Survey 

streamgage at Marshall, Michigan (station ID 04103500).

5. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek Michigan, 

for a flood with a 1-percent exceedance probability corresponding to a gage height 

of 8.30 feet and an altitude of 884.95 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological Survey 

streamgage at Marshall, Michigan (station ID 04103500).

6. Flood-Inundation map of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek 

Michigan, for a flood with a 0.2-percent exceedance probability corresponding to a 

gage height of 9.11 feet and an altitude of 885.76 feet (NAVD88) at the U.S. Geological 

Survey streamgage at Marshall, Michigan (station ID 04103500).
Abstract

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 15-mile reach of the 

Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan, 

were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help 

guide remediation efforts following a crude-oil spill on July 

25, 2010. The spill happened on Talmadge Creek, a tributary 

of the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, during a flood. The 

floodwaters transported the spilled oil down the Kalamazoo 

River and deposited oil in impoundments and on the surfaces 

of islands and flood plains. Six flood-inundation maps were 

constructed corresponding to the flood stage (884.09 feet) 

coincident with the oil spill on July 25, 2010, as well as for 

floods with annual exceedance probabilities of 0.2, 1, 2, 4, and 

10 percent. Streamflow at the USGS streamgage at Marshall, 

Michigan (USGS site ID 04103500), was used to calculate the 

flood probabilities. From August 13 to 18, 2010, 35 channel 

cross sections, 17 bridges and 1 dam were surveyed. These 

data were used to construct a water-surface profile for the July 

25, 2010, flood by use of a one-dimensional step-backwater 

model. The calibrated model was used to estimate watersurface profiles for other flood probabilities. The resulting 

six flood-inundation maps were created with a geographic 

information system by combining flood profiles with a 1.2-

foot vertical and 10-foot horizontal resolution digital elevation 

model derived from Light Detection and Ranging data. 

Introduction 

On July 26, 2010, Enbridge Energy Partners (LLC) 

reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources and 

Environment (DNRE) that a pipeline had ruptured, spilling 

more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into Talmadge Creek, 

a tributary of the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Michigan 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Heavy rainfall 

during the 3 days preceding the spill in this same area exacerbated the spill by causing a flood with an approximate annual 

exceedance probability of 4 percent on the Kalamazoo River 

near Marshall (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] streamgage 

station number 04103500). The elevated river deposited the 

spilled oil onto flood plains, and on top of submerged inchannel islands and intermixed it into soft bed sediments held 

behind three downstream dams: Ceresco, Monroe Street, and 

Morrow (fig. 1). The Morrow Dam pond is the largest and 

farthest downstream of the three impoundments.

In response to the spill, Federal, State, and local agencies mobilized cleanup and remediation crews and teams 

tasked with human health and wildlife protection. Initially, 

focus centered on air and water quality; after these immediate hazards had been evaluated and the area was deemed safe 

to access, attention shifted to characterizing the extent of the 

oil spill. The USGS was provided with a Pollution Removal 

Funding Authorization by the USEPA on August 11, 2010, and 

survey crews from the USGS were deployed August 13, 2010. 

These crews collected stream channel and bridge geometric 

data that were used to create a hydraulic model using the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydrologic Engineering Center 

River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), (U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, 2002a) from which flood-inundation maps were 

developed. 

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to provide the USEPA with 

timely flood-inundation maps for a 15-mile stretch of the 

Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek for assistance 

with remediation of flood-plain sediment and vegetation associated with an oil spill on July 25, 2010, on Talmadge Creek, 

a tributary to the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Michigan. 

Six flood-inundation maps were constructed and include the 

July 25 flood and floods with exceedance probabilities of 0.2, 

1, 2, 4, and 10 percent. These maps will help identify existing potential depositional areas as well as potential future 

depositional areas in the event that cleanup activities are not 

completed before another flood happens. The 15-mile reach 

mapped in this report corresponds to USEPA’s Management 

Division C, the reach immediately downstream from the confluence of Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.

Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach of the 

Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan 

By Christopher J. Hoard, Kathleen K. Fowler, Moon H. Kim, Chad D. Menke, Scott E. Morlock, 

Marie C. Peppler, Cynthia M. Rachol, and Matthew T. Whitehead
2 Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan

clt

alb cer

pcc

0 2.5 5 10 MILES

0 2.5 5 10 KILOMETERS

Lake Michigan

Kalamazoo

Battle Creek

Marshall

Ceresco Albion

86°00’

42°30’

42°00’

84°30’

Ottawa

Allegan

Kent

Barry

Iona

Eaton

Van Buren

Cass St. Joseph

Kalamazoo Calhoun

Jackson

Hillsdale Berrien Branch

Morrow dam

Monroe Street

dam

Ceresco dam

Ceresco

Talmadge Cr

Battle Creek

River

04103500

04105000

04105500

Battle

Creek

Marshall

Kalamazoo

River

EXPLANATION

River/stream

Lake

County boundary

Kalamazoo River drainage basin

04105000 Streamgage and number

OIL-SPILL RESPONSE DIVISIONS

City

A

B

C

D

E

clt Enviro-Weather automated weather

station and identification name 

Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic

State Plane coordinate system, Michigan South, FIPS 2113

North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

City names and locations from U.S. Geological Survey digital raster graphics, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1:250,000 (42084–A1), and Racine, Mich., 1:250,000 (42086–A1). Hydrologic divides and 

hydrologic features from the U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset (NHD, http://nhd.usgs.gov/ , accessed 2010). County boundaries from Michigan Resource Information 

System.

MICHIGAN

Figure 1. Location of the Kalamazoo River and Enbridge oil-spill response divisions.
Antecedent Conditions 3

Study Area Description

The Kalamazoo River is in southwest Michigan, has a 

drainage area of 2,020 mi2

, and covers parts of 10 counties 

(Ottawa, Kent, Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Jackson, and Hillsdale; fig. 1). As part of the 

oil-spill response, affected areas of Talmadge Creek and the 

Kalamazoo River were sectioned into five management divisions within Calhoun and Kalamazoo Counties (fig. 1). All 

flood-inundation model scenarios are within Division C only.

Divisions A, B, D and E were not modeled as a result of a 

combination of factors that include: a lack of hydraulic (stage 

and discharge) data for those divisions, and the inability to 

access areas where intense oil recovery efforts were taking 

place. Riparian areas along the Kalamazoo River in Division C 

are predominantly rural with mainly agriculture and residential 

properties adjacent to the river until the city of Battle Creek, 

which provides an urban setting for the remaining 2 miles of 

the Division.

Antecedent Conditions

The Kalamazoo River within the study reach received 

rain for 3 days prior the oil spill and the coincident flood. 

Precipitation was unevenly distributed throughout Calhoun 

County and appeared to occur in very distinct bands that 

provided larger amounts of precipitation to the reach stretching from the city of Battle Creek to Albion (fig. 2). EnviroWeather stations (Michigan State University, 2010) in Ceresco 

and Albion recorded 5.70 and 5.65 inches of precipitation, 

respectively, from July 22 through midnight on July 25. An 

Enviro-Weather station located to the north in Charlotte, near 

headwaters of the Battle Creek River and Hastings (not within 

the Kalamazoo River basin, though located within the same 

vicinity) recorded 0.62 inch and 0.87 inch, respectively, for 

the time period from July 22 to July 25. The Enviro-Weather 

station at Ceresco recorded 5.70 inches of rain, with the most 

(3.40 inches) being recorded within a 1-hour period on the 

night of July 22, the evening of July 23, and the early morning of July 25. Precipitation recorded at the Albion station was 

less intense through the same timeframe.

The pattern of this storm is reflected in the USGS 

streamgage hydrographs for stations located on the Kalamazoo River at Marshall (station 04103500) and near Battle 

Creek (station 04105500), and on the Battle Creek River near 

Battle Creek (station 04105000) (fig. 3). Data from both of 

the Kalamazoo River streamgages documented the increase 

in streamflow in response to the precipitation received in 

the Ceresco to Albion part of the basin; data collected on the 

Battle Creek River showed that streamflow decreased during 

the same period.

July 24, 2010 July 25, 2010

July 22, 2010 July 23, 2010

Kalamazoo Marshall Kalamazoo MarshallMarshall

Kalamazoo Marshall Kalamazoo Marshall

Figure 2. Illustration showing NEXRAD 1-day observed precipitation storm tracks from July 22 to July 25, 2010; NEXRAD data 

from National Weather Service data center located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The colorbar is estimated precipitation in inches.
4 Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan

100

1,000

10,000

10

DISCHARGE, CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

07/23/201007/25/2010

07/27/2010

07/29/2010

07/31/2010

08/02/2010

08/04/201008/06/2010

08/08/2010

DATE

Discharge at 04103500 Kalamazoo River 

at Marshall streamgage

Discharge at 04105500 Kalamazoo River 

near Battle Creek streamgage

Discharge at 04105000 Battle Creek River 

at Battle Creek streamgage

EXPLANATION

Figure 3. Discharge hydrographs for the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Kalamazoo River near Battle Creek, and Battle Creek 

River at Battle Creek streamgages.

Table 1. Precipitation, in inches, measured at EnviroWeather Automated Weather Network stations, July 22–25, 

2010. (Michigan State University, 2010)

Date Ceresco Albion Charlotte Hastings

July 22, 2010 0.29 1.11 0.29 0.27

July 23, 2010 3.40 2.60 0.09 0.10

July 24, 2010 0.70 0.49 0.24 0.50

July 25, 2010 1.31 1.45 0.00 0.0

Total 5.70 5.65 0.62 0.87 
Inundation Mapping 5

With this storm pattern in mind, it is important to 

recognize that the flood-inundation maps should not be used 

for flood preparedness and response activities for precipitation events that affect the Battle Creek River portion of the 

Kalamazoo River basin. Secondary flood-inundation maps that 

reflect flooding within the Battle Creek River are beyond the 

scope of this study.

Calculating Flood Probabilities

A peak flow analysis was performed on both the Kalamazoo River at Marshall streamgage (04103500) and the 

Kalamazoo River at Battle Creek streamgage (04105500) to 

determine the 0.2, 1, 2, 4, and 10 percent probability of flow 

exceedance discharge values. Essentially, the peak flow data 

for the period of record for each gage were evaluated using 

statistical techniques described by the Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data 

(1981). The result of this analysis provides the probability 

of a certain discharge event occurring in any given year. For 

example, the 0.2-percent flow exceedance value for the Kalamazoo River at Marshall of 2,800 ft3

/s estimates that there is 

a 1 in 500 chance that a discharge of 2,800 ft3/s will occur in a 

given year. 

Constructing Water-Surface Profiles

The flood water-surface profiles used to produce the six 

flood-inundation maps were constructed by using (HEC-RA), 

version 4.1.0 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2002a). HECRAS is a one-dimensional step-backwater model for computing water-surface profiles with steady-state (gradually varied) 

or unsteady-state flow computation options. The HEC-RAS 

analysis was done with the steady-state flow computation 

option.

Channel cross sections were developed from USGS field 

surveys that were conducted in August 2010; these cross sections provide detailed channel elevation data below the water 

surface and were collected using hydroacoustic instrumentation to measure depth and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) instrumentation to determine horizontal position. 

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data with horizontal 

resolution of 10 ft were used to provide digital elevation data 

for the portions of the cross sections that were above the water 

surface at the time of the surveys. The LiDAR data were collected in 2009 by the City of Battle Creek; post processing of 

these data was completed in the spring of 2010. 

Various anthropogenic structures (bridges and dams) 

along the river affect or have the potential to affect flow in the 

river. To properly account for these structures in the model, 

their dimensions needed to be acquired. In total, 17 bridges 

were incorporated in the model. Bridge structures were 

measured and surveyed in the field concurrently with the river 

channel surveying. In addition, two dams were included in 

the model: the Ceresco dam in Ceresco and Monroe Street 

dam in Battle Creek. The Monroe Street dam was surveyed to 

determine its width and crest elevation. The Ceresco dam was 

not surveyed due to safety concerns; however, width and crest 

elevation data were provided by Wharry Engineering (Ralph 

Wharry, Wharry Engineering, written commun., 2010).

Water-surface profiles were first developed and calibrated to match a flow of 415 ft3

/s at the Kalamazoo River 

at Marshall streamgage. This flow was on the receding limb 

of the July 25 flood (fig. 3). Water-surface elevations were 

surveyed at 19 locations along the reach and used for calibration. The calibrated HEC-RAS model was then run for six 

streamflows corresponding to the July 25 event as well as 

for estimated floods with 0.2, 1, 2, 4, and 10 percent exceedance probabilities. These events correspond to streamflows 

at the Marshall streamgage of 1,700, 2,800, 2,280, 2,070, 

1,860, and 1,580 ft3

/s, respectively and at the Battle Creek 

streamgage (04105500) of 3,040, 8,760, 6,820, 6,050, 5,300, 

and 4,350 ft3/s, respectively. 

Inundation Mapping

Flood-inundation maps for the Division C reach were 

created in a geographic information system by combining 

floodwater-surface profiles and digital elevation model data. 

The digital elevation model data were derived from 10-ft 

horizontal resolution LiDAR data with a vertical accuracy of 

1.2 ft obtained from the City of Battle Creek (Jonathon Merrick, City of Battle Creek, written commun., 2010). Estimated 

flood-inundation boundaries for each modeled profile were 

developed with HEC-GeoRAS software (U.S. Army Corps 

Table 2. Gage height, water-surface altitude, and discharge associated with the July 25, 2010, and the 0.2, 1, 

2, 4, and 10-percent flood exceedance events for the Kalamazoo River at Marshall (station 4103500).

[ft, feet; ft3/s, cubic feet per second]

Gage 

04103500

July 25 

2010 event

0.2-percent 

exceedance

1-percent 

exceedance

2-percent 

exceedance

4-percent 

exceedance

10-percent 

exceedance

Gage height (ft) 7.44 9.11 8.30 7.96 7.60 7.10

Altitude (ft) 884.09 885.76 884.95 884.61 884.25 883.75

Discharge (ft3

/s) 1,770 2,800 2,280 2,070 1,860 1,580
6 Flood-Inundation Maps for a 15-Mile Reach of the Kalamazoo River from Marshall to Battle Creek, Michigan

of Engineers, 2002b). HEC-GeoRAS is a set of procedures, 

tools, and utilities for processing geospatial data in ArcGIS by 

using a graphical user interface (Whitehead and Ostheimer, 

2009). The interface allows the preparation of geometric data 

for import into HEC-RAS and processes simulation results 

exported from HEC-RAS (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

2002b). USGS personnel then modified the HEC-GeoRAS 

results to ensure a logical transition of the boundary between 

modeled cross sections relative to the contour data for the land 

surface (Whitehead and Ostheimer, 2009). The resulting inundation maps have a vertical accuracy of about 1.2 ft. 

Summary

The USGS produced six flood-inundation maps to help 

guide remediation of flood-plain sediment and vegetation 

following a large crude oil spill that affected the Kalamazoo 

River between Marshall and Battle Creek, Michigan. These 

flood-inundation maps correspond to a flood that occurred on 

July 25, 2010, as well floods with exceedance probabilities 

of 0.2, 1, 2, 4, and 10 percent. The flood associated with the 

spill had an annual exceedance probability of approximately 

4 percent. High-resolution digital elevation model data were 

combined with surveyed river channel elevations to construct 

flood profiles along a 15-mile reach known as Division C. 

This model was calibrated to conditions at the time of the river 

channel survey and then used to generate water-surface profiles associated with the five flood probabilities that bracketed 

the size of the July 25 flood. The simulated water-surface profiles were combined with high-definition digital topographic 

data to produce flood-inundation maps with a vertical accuracy 

of 1.2 ft (Jonathon Merrick, City of Battle Creek, written commun., 2010).

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the USGS field survey crews from 

Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana who responded 

quickly to collect river channel, bridge, and dam geometry 

data. The authors would also like to thank Rodney Southard 

and Faith Fitzpatrick from the USGS for detailed and thorough 

technical reviews of the report. 

References Cited

Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency Advisory 

Committee on Water Data, 1981, Guidelines for determining flood frequency: Reston, Va., U.S. Geological Survey 

Bulletin 17B, Office of Water Data Collection, 183 p. 

Michigan State University, 2010, Enviro-Weather Automated 

Weather Station Network, Climate Database accessed 

August 30, 2010 at http://www.agweather.geo.msu.edu/

mawn/. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydrologic Engineering 

Center, 2002a, HEC-RAS River Analysis System, hydraulic 

reference manual, version 3.1, [variously paged].

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydrologic Engineering Center, 2002b, HEC-GeoRAS, accessed on November 

27, 2007, at URL http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/

hec-ras/hec-georas.html.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010, EPA response to 

Enbridge spill in Michigan, accessed on August 20, 2010 at 

http://www.epa.gov/enbridgespill/ .

Whitehead, M.T., and Ostheimer, C.J., 2009, Development 

of a flood-warning system and flood-inundation mapping 

for the Blanchard River in Findlay, Ohio: U.S. Geological 

Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5234, 9 p.
For more information concerning this publication, please contact:

Director, Michigan Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

6520 Mercantile Way, Suite 5

Lansing, MI 48911

(517) 887-8903

Or visit the Michigan Water Science Center Web site at:

http://mi.water.usgs.gov/