The use of soil maps in the delineation of flood plains

Abstract

Soil maps provide a tool for rapid, low‐cost delineation of river flood plains, based on the difference in morphology between soils frequently flooded and soils free of flooding. Very rare floods along the Mississippi River inundated over 99% of the soils that would be expected to flood but in addition flooded 7% of the terrace soils. Flooding predicted with soils information was compared with flooding predicted with an engineering study for small streams in a mature landscape in southwestern Wisconsin. For a 100‐year synthetic flood an agreement of ±4.5% was obtained. Comparison of flooding with soil types for a small stream in a recently glaciated landscape in southeastern Wisconsin indicated that alluvial soils flood frequently and, in addition, that soils with restricted drainage and soils of fluvial origin also flood frequently. Some of the data are inconclusive, owing to the lack of precise flooding information to serve as a basis of comparison. In areas where man‐made works do not appreciably alter the stream regimen and where extensive flood plain areas must be delineated, it appears that accurate soil maps, properly interpreted, will give a good estimate of areas subject to flooding.