Development of hydrodynamic channel routing model of the Lower Rio Grande River to assist in flood and stormwater management

Flooding and stormwater management of the Lower Rio Grande River (LRG) has become a major issue throughout the years with local entities along the river. The purpose of this study is to develop a hydrodynamic channel routing model to predict water surface elevation changes due to flooding. The study area consists of the LRG from Los Ebanos to Brownsville, Texas. This hydrodynamic model displays the hydraulics of the water flow through the LRG and determines where potential flood hazards exist. To verify the accuracy of the model a series of calculated output hydrographs were established at the Progreso Bridge and San Benito, Texas and compared to the measured data at these locations. The computed water surface elevations show a very good agreement with the measured elevations. This hydrodynamic model can be used as a very important tool for flood control and management purposes.