The affects of Urbanization on flooding
... that occurs in each area. My research led me to assume that my hypothesis is correct. DATA/RESULTS: The data that I collected came from several different resources mentioned in my experimental procedure. The results from my research show that urbanization does indeed increase flooding. The results also show that urban development causes an increase in flood discharge. I found that in Mercer Creek, which is a creek in an urban setting, the flood discharge increases as urban development occurs. Whereas, in Newaukum Creek located in a rural area, the maximum flood discharge varied but did not show a clear trend. The results of my experimental procedure are shown below. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: In doing my experimental procedure on urban vs. rural flooding I found that urban development not only increases flooding but does so in many ways. I found that removing vegetation and soil, grading the land surface, and constructing drainage networks increase runoff to streams from rainfall and snow melt. As a result, the peak discharge, volume, and frequency of floods increase in nearby streams. Roads and buildings constructed in flood-prone areas are exposed to increased flood hazards, including inundation and erosion, as new development continues. In doing my research I also found that in areas such as forests and grasslands, rainfall and snow melt accumulate and are stored on vegetation. When this storage capacity is filled, runoff flows slowly through soil as subsurface flow. In...