U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps 

for Cowskin Creek in Western 

Wichita, Kansas 

By SETH E. STUDLEY 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 03–4074 

Prepared in cooperation with 

CITY OF WICHITA, KANSAS 

Lawrence, Kansas 

2003 
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Gale A. Norton, Secretary 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Charles G. Groat, Director 

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement 

by the U.S. Geological Survey. 

For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from:


District Chief U.S. Geological Survey


U.S. Geological Survey Information Services


4821 Quail Crest Place Building 810


Lawrence, KS 66049–3839 Box 25286, Federal Center


Denver, CO 80225–0286 
CONTENTS

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


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


Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 2


Benefits........................................................................................................................................................................ 5


Description of Study Area ..................................................................................................................................................... 5


Hydraulic Analysis ................................................................................................................................................................ 5


Calibration and Results of Hydraulic Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 7


Development of Flood-Inundation Maps............................................................................................................................... 9


Cowskin Creek Flood-Inundation Maps on the World Wide Web ........................................................................................ 9


Summary................................................................................................................................................................................ 10


References ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10


Appendix—Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected Stages of Cowskin Creek, Western Wichita, Kansas ............ 11


FIGURES

1–2. Maps showing location of: 

1. Cowskin Creek Basin and study area in western Wichita, Sedgwick County, south-central Kansas................ 3


2.	 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station used as index site and October 31, 1998, flood-


inundation boundary determined by field survey .............................................................................................. 4


3.	 Photographs showing U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations on Cowskin Creek at 119th Street 


West and at 29th Street North ................................................................................................................................. 6


4. Map showing comparison of measured flood-inundation boundary and estimated flood-inundation areas for 

the October 31, 1998, flood on Cowskin Creek in Wichita .................................................................................... 8


5–11. Map showing estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th 


Street West gaging station for stream stage of:


5. 17 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 12


6. 18 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 13


7. 19 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 14


8. 20 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 15


9. 21 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 16


10. 22 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 17


11. 23 feet ................................................................................................................................................................ 18


TABLE

1.	 Water-surface elevations for selected stream stages and estimated discharges and flood-recurrence intervals at 


U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station on Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West, Wichita, Kansas .... 9


Contents III
CONVERSION FACTORS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND DATUMS 

Multiply By To obtain 

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) 

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) 

foot per mile (ft/mi) 0.1894 meter per kilometer (m/km) 

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) 

inch per hour (in/hr) 25.4 millimeter per hour (mm/hr) 

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) 

square mile (mi

2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical 

Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). 

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum 

of 1983 (NAD 83). 

IV Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western 


Wichita, Kansas 

By S.E. Studley 

Abstract 

The October 31, 1998, flood on Cowskin 

Creek in western Wichita, Kansas, caused millions of dollars in damages. Emergency management personnel and flood mitigation teams had 

difficulty in efficiently identifying areas affected 

by the flooding, and no warning was given to residents because flood-inundation information was 

not available. 

To provide detailed information about future 

flooding on Cowskin Creek, high-resolution estimated flood-inundation maps were developed 

using geographic information system technology 

and advanced hydraulic analysis. Two-footinterval land-surface elevation data from a 1996 

flood insurance study were used to create a threedimensional topographic representation of the 

study area for hydraulic analysis. The data computed from the hydraulic analyses were converted 

into geographic information system format with 

software from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 

Hydrologic Engineering Center. The results were 

overlaid on the three-dimensional topographic 

representation of the study area to produce maps 

of estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated 

depths of water in the inundated areas for 1-foot 

increments on the basis of stream stage at an 

index streamflow-gaging station. 

A Web site (http://ks.water.usgs.gov/ 

Kansas/cowskin.floodwatch) was developed to 

provide the public with information pertaining to 

flooding in the study area. The Web site shows 

graphs of the real-time streamflow data for U.S. 

Geological Survey gaging stations in the area and 

monitors the National Weather Service ArkansasRed Basin River Forecast Center for Cowskin 

Creek flood-forecast information. When a flood 

is forecast for the Cowskin Creek Basin, an estimated flood-inundation map is displayed for the 

stream stage closest to the National Weather Service's forecasted peak stage. Users of the Web 

site are able to view the estimated flood-inundation maps for selected stages at any time and to 

access information about this report and about 

flooding in general. Flood recovery teams also 

have the ability to view the estimated floodinundation map pertaining to the most recent 

flood. The availability of these maps and the ability to monitor the real-time stream stage through 

the U.S. Geological Survey Web site provide 

emergency management personnel and residents 

with information that is critical for evacuation and 

rescue efforts in the event of a flood as well as for 

post-flood recovery efforts. 

INTRODUCTION 

Flooding is the principal natural hazard in the 

United States, accounting for more damages and loss 

of life than any other hazards according to data from 

1974 to 1994 (Mileti, 1999). In October and November 1998, major flooding in south-central Kansas and 

the Kansas City and Wichita areas caused millions of 

dollars in damages and the loss of several lives. One 

notable occurrence of flooding was in the Cowskin 

Creek area of western Wichita, Kansas. Nearly 

170 homes and businesses along Cowskin Creek and 

its tributaries reported about $4 million in flood 

Introduction 1 
damage from the October 31, 1998, flood (Schminke 

and Wolf, 2001). 

Since that time, the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) in cooperation with the city of Wichita with 

assistance from the National Weather Service (NWS) 

conducted a study to develop management tools to 

improve flood-warning and flood-recovery efforts. 

These tools can provide estimated flood-inundation 

maps to city management and residents before, during, 

and immediately after flooding. 

The current (2003) local flood-warning system 

(ALERT) for the Cowskin Creek Basin uses data from 

a streamflow-gaging station operated by USGS and 

several rainfall and river-stage gages operated by NWS 

to develop a forecasted peak stage for one location 

(Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West, station 

07144480, fig. 1) in the basin. Stage is the watersurface elevation of the stream, in feet above a specified gage datum. The ALERT system was designed to 

improve the accuracy and timeliness of flood forecasts 

and to increase the safety of residents and businesses 

in the Cowskin Creek Basin when flooding is imminent (National Weather Service, 2002). Although this 

information is particularly useful for residents in the 

immediate area of the flood-forecast location, it is of 

limited use to residents upstream or downstream 

because the water-surface elevation is not constant 

through the entire reach of the stream. Also, Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State 

emergency management mitigation teams typically 

lack information related to where and how deep the 

water is at locations other than near USGS gaging stations or NWS flood-forecast points. 

In the past, measured flood-inundation mapping 

frequently has been done after major events like the 

1993 floods in Kansas (Perry and others, 1997). This 

mapping typically is done well after flooding has subsided and often is of marginal use for rescue and 

recovery efforts. 

The current (2003) availability of more accurate 

(1- or 2-ft interval) digital elevation data for communities and advanced hydraulic analysis computer programs make the production of estimated floodinundation maps more accurate than in the past. Estimated flood-inundation maps can be produced using 

remote-sensing information, accurate topographic elevation data, field surveys, real-time streamflow-gaging 

station data, hydraulic analysis, and geographic information system (GIS) technology. The estimated 

flood-inundation maps can show an estimate of the 

extent of flooding, the depth of floodwaters, and could 

greatly assist recovery and possibly rescue efforts 

before, during, and after floods. 

Purpose and Scope 

The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a series of estimated flood-inundation maps 

for various stream stages of Cowskin Creek near 

Wichita, Kansas. The maps and other useful flood 

information are available on the USGS Kansas World 

Wide Web site (http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/ 

cowskin.floodwatch). Users of the USGS Web site 

can view current real-time gaging-station information 

and select estimated inundation maps for current flood 

conditions, for the NWS forecasted peak stage, or for 

other selected stream stages. 

Tasks specific to the development of the estimated 

flood-inundation maps and the Web site were: (1) 

installation of two gaging stations on Cowskin 

Creek—a continuous-discharge record station at 119th 

Street West (station 07144480, fig. 1) and a stage-only 

station at 29th Street North (station 07144470, fig. 1), 

(2) collection of geometric data and steady-flow data, 

(3) performance of a hydraulic analysis of the 

Cowskin Creek Basin and computation of water-surface profiles using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's 

HEC-RAS computer program, (4) production of estimated flood-inundation maps at various stream stages 

using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's HECGeoRas computer program and GIS, and (5) development of a Web interface that uses real-time gagingstation information and NWS forecasted peak stage to 

display appropriate estimated flood-inundation maps 

on the World Wide Web during floods. 

The scope of this study was limited to the 

Cowskin Creek area between Central Avenue and 21st 

Street North (fig. 2) due to the availability of hydraulic 

information and ongoing construction to the south of 

this area. Future data-collection and hydraulic analyses are needed to provide estimated flood-inundation 

maps for Cowskin and Calfskin Creeks between the 

study area and U.S. Highway 54 (fig. 1), which was 

undergoing construction activities related to flood mitigation at the time of this study. 

2 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Introduction 3

Figure 1. Location of Cowskin Creek Basin and study area in western Wichita, Sedgwick County, south-central Kansas.
Figure 2. Location of U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station (07144480) used as index site and October 31, 1998, floodinundation boundary determined by field survey (Wichita Public Works Stormwater Division, written commun., 2001). 

4 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Benefits 

Local emergency management personnel could 

use the estimated flood-inundation maps prior to a 

flood to identify potentially threatened areas and take 

appropriate actions to warn property owners. The 

maps also could help business owners and the public 

identify property that is potentially threatened by 

floodwaters. A better inundation mapping system in 

place prior to flooding would provide more accurate 

information that could greatly improve rescue and 

recovery efforts, prevent loss of life, and provide warning to property owners. 

During flooding, time is critical to rescue crews, 

and logistical decisions need to be made quickly. If 

rescue efforts become necessary, knowledge of where 

and how deep the water is will help rescue crews 

decide what type of equipment and boats to move into 

the area. Knowing conditions at NWS forecasted peak 

stage will help rescue crews plan recovery efforts 

before conditions worsen. 

The results presented in this report will supplement the information collected as part of the city of 

Wichita’s flood-alert system. After viewing the estimated inundation maps on the Web site, people will 

have a better idea where conditions are unsafe for driving. The information can be shared with neighbors 

who do not have access to the World Wide Web. The 

maps could be helpful in rescue operations during a 

flood and in saving lives. Local and county road and 

street crews or the Kansas Department of Transportation could use the flood-inundation maps to help identify where road closures may be needed. 

After flooding, Federal and State mitigation teams 

move into flood-affected areas and are responsible for 

collecting information on damages and for informing 

the public on issues related to flood insurance, acquisition of property, applications for hazard mitigation 

grants for projects to reduce future flood damages and 

loses, and flood mapping. Information from the estimated inundation maps for the flood would help the 

mitigation teams more efficiently conclude these 

recovery efforts. 

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA 

Cowskin Creek is located on the western edge of 

Wichita in Sedgwick County, south-central Kansas 

(fig. 1), and has a total drainage area of 221 mi2. The 

stream reach detailed in this report extends from near 

21st Street North at the upstream end to Central Avenue at the downstream end (fig. 2). 

The stream channel slopes gently at approximately 

5.5 ft/mi with a total length of about 5.2 mi through 

the study reach. The channel banks are generally tree 

lined with brushy undergrowth. The flood plain 

beyond the channel banks consists mostly of low 

grasses and lawns with a few small agricultural plots 

in the northern end of the study area. The study area is 

still under development with new houses and some 

commercial businesses. 

The climate of western Sedgwick County varies 

both seasonally and daily. The average annual precipitation for Sedgwick County is about 30 in., with most 

occurring in April and May. The county has an average of about 55 thunderstorms per year, mainly in the 

spring and summer. Typically, rainfall rates for the 

thunderstorms are 1.0 to 1.5 in/hr with durations of 

several minutes to several hours. The record rainfall 

intensity for Sedgwick County occurred on June 15, 

1982, when nearly an inch of rain fell in 5 minutes. 

The most intense 24-hour rainfall total of 7.99 in. was 

recorded in September 1911. The storm that caused 

the 1998 Cowskin Creek flood had a 24-hour rainfall 

total of 5.84 in. on October 30–31 (National Weather 

Service, 2003). 

Two USGS streamflow-gaging stations were 

installed in April 2001 as part of the study described 

in this report. The first gaging station is located on 

Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West (fig. 3A) 

(station 07144480) and is a real-time streamflowgaging station that is used as the index site for the 

hydraulic analysis described in this report, and it also 

serves as the "trigger" to determine which estimated 

flood-inundation map is displayed on the USGS Web 

site during flooding. The second gaging station 

(fig. 3B) is located upstream from the study area at 

29th Street North (station 07144470). This gaging station collects stream stage data in real time and serves 

as an early warning site for possible flooding in the 

study area. Both of these stream gages also collect 

real-time precipitation data. 

HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS 

The hydraulic analysis for the Cowskin Creek 

study area was performed using the Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) 

computer program to develop a hydraulic model (U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, 1998) to simulate estimated 

Hydraulic Analysis 5 
Figure 3. U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations on Cowskin Creek at 

(A) 119th Street West (station 07144480, figs. 1 and 2) and at (B) 29th Street North 

(station 07144470, fig. 1). 

6 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
flood-inundation areas. The HEC-RAS program was 

designed specifically for application in flood-plain 

management and flood-insurance studies to evaluate 

floodway encroachment (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1998) and to simulate estimated flood inundation. The program is designed to compute onedimensional, steady-flow, water-surface profiles on the 

basis of the solution of the one-dimensional energy 

equation: 

2 2 Y2 + Z2 + (a2V2)/2g = Y1 + Z1 + (a1V1)/2g + he , (1) 

where 

Y1, Y2 = depth of water at cross section; 

Z1, Z2 = elevation of the main channel 

inverts; 

V1, V2 = average velocities (total discharge/ 

total cross-sectional area); 

a1, a2 = velocity weighting coefficients; 

g = gravitational acceleration; and 

he = energy head loss. 

The input data for the HEC-RAS program were 

divided into three categories—topographic, geometric, 

and steady-flow data. Topographic data for Cowskin 

Creek between Central Avenue and 21st Street North 

were obtained from the Sedgwick County GIS Department (Wichita, Kansas). The 2-ft-interval land-surface 

elevations were mapped at a scale of 1 in. = 200 ft 

based on February 1994 aerial photography. Mylar 

copies of the maps for the area between Maize Road 

and 21st Street North were scanned and converted to a 

digital format and entered into the HEC-GeoRAS 

computer program. The HEC-GeoRAS (U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, 1999) computer program is a 

package of ARC/INFO (Environmental Systems 

Research Institute, Inc., 1991) macros specifically 

designed to view and manipulate geospatial data for 

use in the HEC-RAS computer program. 

Geometric data consisted of establishing the connectivity of the river system (cross-sectional data, 

reach lengths, friction losses, and losses due to expansion and contraction) and hydraulic structures (information on bridges, culverts, weirs, and so forth). The 

geometric data for the study area was obtained from 

2-ft-interval land-surface elevation maps, field observations, and high-resolution aerial photographs. 

Stream cross sections were extracted graphically from 

the 2-ft interval data coverage using HEC-GeoRAS. 

This process allowed the location of cross sections 

anywhere in the study area without performing difficult and time-consuming field surveys. Field observations and high-resolution aerial photographs were used 

to select Manning's roughness coefficients for friction 

loss calculations. The selected Manning’s roughness 

coefficients ranged from 0.045 to 0.060 for this analysis. The hydraulic structures in the study area consisted of three bridges located at 13th Street North, 

119th Street West, and Central Avenue. Field surveys 

were performed to obtain the bridge geometry and 

embankment and abutment data. 

Steady-flow data consisted of flow regime, boundary conditions (known water-surface elevation, critical 

depth, normal depth, or rating curve), and peak discharge information. The steady flow data for the study 

reach were obtained from previous studies and field 

measurements of streamflow at the Cowskin Creek 

gaging station made at 119th Street West. Normaldepth boundary conditions were used in all computations using discharge values with known stages from 

actual streamflow measurements made at the 119th 

Street West gaging station and estimates of stage and 

discharge from previous studies to calibrate the 

hydraulic model (Ellis and others, 1963; Black and 

Veatch Corporation, 2001). 

CALIBRATION AND RESULTS OF HYDRAULIC 

ANALYSIS 

The resulting hydraulic model was calibrated 

using the estimated discharge and stage from the October 31, 1998, flood at 119th Street West, a GIS coverage of the extent of flooding for October 31, 1998, 

from the Wichita Public Works Stormwater Division 

(written commun., 2001), and the measured stage and 

discharge from the 119th Street West gaging station 

that was made during the October 4, 2002, flood. 

The estimated peak discharge for the October 31, 

1998, flood was 14,700 ft3/s (estimated 100- to 200-

year flood) at an estimated stage of about 22.1 ft at the 

119th Street West gaging station (Black and Veatch 

Corporation, 2001), and the measured discharge and 

stage for the October 4, 2002, flood were 1,080 ft3

/s 

and 17.01 ft, respectively. Calibration of the hydraulic 

model was achieved by making small adjustments to 

the roughness coefficients until the results of the 

hydraulic computations closely agreed with the two 

known flood discharge and stage values. The simulated estimated flood-inundation extent for the 

Calibration and Results of Hydraulic Analysis 7 
Figure 4. Comparison of measured flood-inundation boundary and estimated flood-inundation areas for the October 31, 1998, 

flood on Cowskin Creek in Wichita (measured flood-inundation boundary from field survey by the Wichita Public Works 

Stormwater Division, written commun., 2001). 

8 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
October 31, 1998, flood discharge compared to the 

GIS flood coverage for the study area showed close 

agreement (fig. 4). Differences between the two coverages most likely can be attributed to the lack of 

detail of 2-ft-interval contour lines in very flat parts of 

the study area and to changes in the land surface 

caused by new construction since the 2-ft-interval elevation data were produced in 1994. 

After the model was calibrated, discharge values 

were entered by trial and error until the desired stages 

of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 ft were simulated at 

the 119th Street West gaging station to compute estimates of discharge. These stages represent flow from 

bankfull to just above the October 31, 1998, flood 

peak. One-foot increments were selected because they 

match the uncertainty of the topographic information. 

The computed estimates of discharge are listed in 

table 1 with the water-surface elevation and the estimated flood recurrence interval for each estimate. 

DEVELOPMENT OF FLOOD-INUNDATION MAPS 

Flood-inundation maps have been developed in 

the past by hand-plotting inundation boundaries on 

topographic maps using known water-surface elevation points and interpolating the boundary lines 

between the points while taking into account the landsurface elevations. In this report, high-definition digital topographic data and computer software are used, 

and the water-surface profiles from hydraulic analyses 

can be overlayed on digital maps with greater efficiency and accuracy than in the past. As a result, realtime inundation mapping (Jones and others, 1998) or 

estimated flood mapping (for areas where precipitation 

variation can be assumed to be modest, such as in 

small drainage basins like Cowskin Creek) can be very 

useful. 

The simulated estimated flood-inundation maps in 

this report were developed using the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineer's HEC-GeoRAS software and highdefinition, georeferenced, aerial photographs obtained 

from Sedgwick County, Kansas. Water-surface profiles from HEC-RAS simulations were imported to 

HEC-GeoRAS, and the flood-inundation areas then 

were computed and overlaid on the topographic representation of the study area. Then, using ARC/INFO, 

the estimated flood-inundation areas were overlaid on 

georeferenced digital photographs of the study area to 

create a map that represents an aerial view of the estimated flood-inundation areas. 

The resulting estimated flood-inundation maps for 

stream stages of 17 to 23 ft in 1-ft increments are 

displayed in the Appendix (figs. 5–11). The estimated 

inundated areas are shown in graduated colors of blue 

to indicate the depth of the water. Darker areas have a 

greater water depth than the lighter areas. 

COWSKIN CREEK FLOOD-INUNDATION MAPS ON 

THE WORLD WIDE WEB 

A World Wide Web site was developed to provide 

Cowskin Creek estimated flood-inundation information to the public, especially during times of impending flooding. The Web site URL is 

http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/cowskin.floodwatch 

and also can be accessed by a link through the USGS 

Kansas Web site at http://ks.water.usgs.gov 

The main page of the Cowskin Creek Web site displays graphs of the current streamflow and stage at the 

119th Street West gaging station (07144480) and also 

Table 1. Water-surface elevations for selected stream stages and estimated discharges and flood-recurrence intervals at U.S. Geological 

Survey streamflow-gaging station on Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West, Wichita, Kansas (station 07144480, fig. 1) 

[NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; <, less than; >, greater than] 

Stream stage Water-surface elevation Estimated discharge Estimated flood-recurrence interval 

(feet) (feet above NAVD 88) (cubic feet per second) (years) 

17.0 1,329.4 1,160 <2 

18.0 1,330.4 1,720 2–5 

19.0 1,331.4 3,080 5–10 

20.0 1,332.4 5,700 10–25 

21.0 1,333.4 9,600 50–100 

22.0 1,334.4 14,200 100–200 

23.0 1,335.4 19,100 >200 

Cowskin Creek Flood-Inundation Maps on the World Wide Web 9 
the current stage at the 29th Street North gaging station (07144470). If the stream stage at 119th Street 

West gaging station is above 16.5 ft, an image of the 

estimated flood-inundation map closest to the current 

stage is displayed. When a National Weather Service 

(NWS) Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center 

(ARBFC) flood forecast has been issued for Cowskin 

Creek, a link is available from the USGS Kansas Web 

site to the estimated flood-inundation map closest to 

the NWS forecasted peak stage. Also, the peak stage 

and corresponding estimated flood-inundation map for 

past floods are stored in an archive and can be displayed. This report is provided as a reference. The 

estimated flood-inundation maps are displayed in sufficient detail to note the extent of flooding with respect 

to individual structures. This real-time information is 

available to the public and emergency management 

personnel so that preparation for flooding can be done 

in an efficient manner. 

Other useful links provided on the USGS Kansas 

Web site allow users to view current weather data, 

watches and warnings, and safety information from 

the National Weather Service. There also are links to 

Web sites that contain more information on flooding 

and related subjects provided by the USGS and the 

city of Wichita, Kansas. 

SUMMARY 

A series of estimated flood-inundation maps were 

developed in cooperation with the city of Wichita, 

Kansas, for Cowskin Creek between 21st Street North 

and Central Avenue. These maps, in conjunction with 

the real-time stage data from the USGS gaging station 

at 119th Street West (station 07144480) and National 

Weather Service flood-stage forecasts, will help the 

city to efficiently manage emergency flood operations 

and flood mitigation efforts. A USGS Web site also 

was developed to allow public access to the real-time 

flood information so that they may take safety precautions prior to emergency conditions. 

The maps were developed using the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers' HEC-RAS and HEC-GeoRAS 

programs to compute water-surface profiles and to 

delineate estimated flood-inundation areas for selected 

stream stages. The maps show estimated floodinundation areas overlaid on high-resolution, georeferenced, aerial photographs of the study area for stream 

stages of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 ft at the 119th 

Street gaging station. The estimated inundation areas 

are shaded to give a general indication of the depth of 

water at any point; lighter shaded areas have shallower 

depths of water than the darker shaded areas. 

REFERENCES 

Black and Veatch Corporation, 2001, Stormwater master 

plan, Cowskin Creek: Wichita, Kansas, Draft section 

II, p. 1–3. 

Ellis, D.W., and others, 1963, Floods in Wichita, Kansas: 

U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Investigations 

Atlas HA–63, 5 sheets, scale 1:24,000. 

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 1991, 

Understanding GIS—the ARC/INFO method: 

Redlands, California, various pagination. 

Jones, J.L., Haluska, T.L., Williamson, A.K., and Erwin, 

M.L., 1998, Updating flood maps efficiently—building 

on existing hydraulic information and modern elevation data with a GIS: U.S. Geological Survey OpenFile Report 98–200, information available on the 

World Wide Web, accessed May 22, 1998, at URL 

http://wa.water.usgs.gov/reports/floodgis/index.html 

Mileti, D.S., 1999, Disasters by design—a reassessment of 

natural hazards in the United States: Washington D.C., 

Joseph Henry Press, 376 p. 

National Weather Service, 2002, Cowskin Creek Basin, 

Sedgwick County, Kansas: Wichita, Kansas, National 

Weather Service Forecast Office, information available 

on the World Wide Web, accessed March 7, 2003, at 

URL http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/cowskin/efforts.htm 

———2003, Climatology: Wichita, Kansas, National 

Weather Service Forecast Office, information available 

on the World Wide Web, accessed March 2003, at URL 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/mainpg/ 

cif.php?Prod=climate.htm 

Perry, C.A., Clement, R.W., and Studley, S.E., 1997, Delineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River 

Basin—flood of July 10 and 27, 1993, Kansas City, 

Kansas, and vicinity: U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Investigations Atlas HA 735–E, 3 sheets, 

scale 1:24,000. 

Schminke, E.P., and Wolf, P.O., 2001, The Halloween flood 

of 1998: National Weather Service Technical Paper 

CR–ARP 23–01, information available on the World 

Wide Web, accessed March 10, 2003, at URL 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/techpapers/arp23/23-01.html 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1998, Hydrologic Engineering Center HEC-RAS river analysis system: Hydrologic Reference Manual, version 2.2, 249 p. 

———1999, Hydrologic Engineering Center HECGeoRAS, an application for support of HEC-RAS 

using ARC/INFO: User’s Manual, version 1.0, 85 p. 

10 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
APPENDIX—Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected 

Stages of Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 

Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected Stages of Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 11

Figure 5. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 17 feet. 

12 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Figure 6. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 18 feet. 

Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected Stages of Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 13

Figure 7. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 19 feet. 

14 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Figure 8. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 20 feet. 

Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected Stages of Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 15

Figure 9. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 21 feet. 

16 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 
Figure 10. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 22 feet. 

Estimated Flood-Inundation Areas for Selected Stages of Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas 17

Figure 11. Estimated flood-inundation areas and estimated depths of water at Cowskin Creek at 119th Street West gaging 

station for stream stage of 23 feet. 

18 Estimated Flood-Inundation Maps for Cowskin Creek in Western Wichita, Kansas