Vulnerability to increases in flood flows throughout Wisconsin based on classification of landtype associations in Wisconsin

Dale Higgins; Deahn Donner; Jessica Fowler

doi:10.2737/NRS-RMAP-13

Treesearch

Vulnerability to increases in flood flows throughout Wisconsin based on classification of landtype associations in Wisconsin

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Dale Higgins, Deahn Donner, Jessica Fowler

Year:

2025

Type:

Research Map

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RMAP-13

Source:

Res. Map NRS-13. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station.

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Abstract

Areas with landform characteristics that lead to more rapid runoff may be more vulnerable to increases in flood flows from more intense rainfall in the future. Those characteristics include fine-grained soils, low storage in lakes and wetlands, steep slopes, and high drainage densities. Landform characteristics that attenuate runoff include coarse-grained soils, high storage, gentle terrain, and low drainage densities. Groundwater recharge tends to be a dominant hydrologic process in such areas. Landtype associations (LTAs) are ecological units that relate closely with characteristics affecting runoff. A case study from the July 2016 northwest Wisconsin flood regarding the design of flood resilient road-stream crossings used LTAs to classify the vulnerability of landforms in Wisconsin to increases in flood flows.

Keywords

flood flow risk, flood vulnerability, landtype association, Wisconsin flood

Citation

Higgins, Dale; Donner, Deahn M; Fowler, Jessica R. 2025. Vulnerability to increases in flood flows throughout Wisconsin based on classification of landtype associations in Wisconsin. Res. Map NRS-13. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RMAP-13.