Flood of October 1983 and History of Flooding along the San Francisco River, Clifton, Arizona

摘要

Clifton, Arizona, has received major damage from floods at least 12 times since the town was settled in 1870. Residents built floodwalls along the main channel of the San Francisco River, filled in flood-plain areas, and raised buildings and roads in an effort to protect homes and businesses. Although the floodwalls provide protection during low and medium flows, they provide little protection during large flows. During the flood of October 1-2, 1983, floodwaters overtopped the floodwalls and inundated flood plains. The peak discharge of 90,900 cubic feet per second on October 2, 1983, was the largest peak since 1870 and has a recurrence interval of 75 years. Flood routing and hydrograph analyses indicate that runoff from the southern part of the San Francisco River basin produced many large peaks at Clifton.