Optimal Flood Control with Combination of Rockfill Detention Dams and Levees

When the river flow rate is larger than the capacity of the river, the adjacent areas are prone to flooding. Structural methods of flood control usually are used to reduce flood hydrograph peak. Rockfill dam is a type of structural methods that controls the flood. Levee, with no effective change in the flood peak, is another structure that controls flood. Simultaneous use of rockfill dams and levees will reduce the severity and power of flood and prevent flooding of the low lands adjacent to the river. In this way, the final options for flood control will be selected with more flexibility. The important point about dilatory flood control measures is suitable selection of their position. Depending on the topography and other environmental factors, location and design of rockfill dams and design of levees will be different. Accordingly, any kinds of proper design of these two methods can be effective in flood relief projects. Obviously, this combination is not the best with respect to the hydraulic and economic limitations. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method in which the most appropriate design and location of dams and the most proper design for the levees in the residential area is taken into account. Other restrictions such as movement of the flood, total minimum cost of construction of dams and levees is also considered in this study. Reaching this goal requires a combination of basin simulation model with a nonlinear optimizer model, such as genetic algorithms.