Patent ID: 8510667

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for defining a floodplain encroachment, comprising: (a) obtaining river reach and station information into a geographic information system (GIS); (b) defining floodplain encroachment values using a floodplain encroachment graphical user interface (GUI) of the GIS, wherein the floodplain GUI comprises a simultaneous view of: (i) station identifiers for each station for which the floodplain encroachment is to be defined; (ii) one or more profiles defined for each of the station identifiers, wherein the one or more profiles comprise discharge profiles that specify an amount of water that passes a point in a given time period; (iii) a method identification corresponding to each of the one or more profiles except for a base profile, wherein the method identification identifies the method used to analyze the corresponding profile to compute a base flood elevation; (iv) a target water surface elevation change for each profile that is input into the GIS; (c) providing the floodplain encroachment values to a Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) engine; (d) receiving analysis results from the HEC-RAS engine and further populating the floodplain GUI with the analysis results by displaying items (b)(i)-(iv) simultaneously with: (v) for each of the one or more profiles, a water surface elevation change as calculated by the HEC-RAS engine; (vi) for each of the one or more profiles, a top width of a floodway as calculated by the HEC-RAS engine; (vii) for each of the one or more profiles, a water velocity as calculated by the HEC-RAS engine; (e) modifying the floodplain encroachment values that are used by HEC-RAS and repeating steps (c)-(e) until the floodplain encroachment values are finalized; (f) finalizing the floodplain encroachment values; and (g) outputting the finalized floodplain encroachment values.