The hydraulics of channel-floodplain under overbank flows is a key area of research for standard channel hydraulics and for improving our understanding of floodplain deposition and nutrient distribution. We have begun analytical research focused on developing generalized expressions for predicting the distribution of depth-averaged velocities in compound trapezoidal channels (channel-floodplain).

Major accomplishments:

Paper
Wilkerson, G. V. (2007), Flow through trapezoidal and rectangular channels with rigid cylinders, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 133:5, pp. 521-533.

Tool
Stream Restoration Tool-Willow Post Analyzer
This tool facilitates prediction of velocity distributions in rectangular and trapezoidal channels with vegetation for user specified conditions.