Flood-Inundation Maps Of The Current And Jacks Fork Rivers Including The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Southeast Missouri, 2023
Abstract
Digital flood-inundation maps for a 131.8-mile reach of the Current River and a 44.6-mile reach of the Jacks Fork River, in southeast Missouri, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission and the South Central Ozark Council of Governments. The maps also encompass the 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which is the first national park area to protect a river system. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program website at https://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corre-sponding to selected water levels (hereafter referred to as "stages") at eight reference USGS streamgages—five on the Current River (USGS station numbers 07064440, 07064533, 07066510, 07067000, and 07068000) and three on the Jacks Fork River (USGS station numbers 07065200, 07065495, and 07066000). Near-real-time stages at these streamgages may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN or the National Weather Service National Water Prediction Service at http://water.noaa.gov/, which also forecasts flood hydrographs at four of these sites (USGS station numbers 07067000, 07068000, 07065495, and 07066000).
Flood profiles were computed for seven of the eight map reaches by means of two-dimensional hydraulic models and the remaining reach by a one-dimensional hydraulic model. The models were calibrated by using stage-streamflow relations or streamflow measurements at the USGS streamgages and from high-flow stage measurements from water-level loggers distributed throughout the reaches.
The hydraulic models were used to compute water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot intervals referenced to the streamgage datums. The profile stages ranged from the National Weather Service "action stage" or near bankfull, to a stage exceeding the highest recorded water level at each streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a nonvegetated vertical accuracy of a maximum 10-centimeter root mean square error) to delineate the area flooded at each water level and the associated water depths.
The availability of these maps, along with information regarding current stage from the USGS streamgage and forecasted high-flow stages from the National Weather Service, will provide emergency management personnel, resource managers, and residents with information that is critical for flood-response activities such as evacuations and road closures, as well as for postflood recovery efforts.
Recommended Citation
D. C. Heimann et al., "Flood-Inundation Maps Of The Current And Jacks Fork Rivers Including The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Southeast Missouri, 2023," USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5092, vol. 2025, U.S. Geological Survey, Jan 2025.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255092
Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Publication Status
Public Domain
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2328-0328; 2328-031X
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 U.S. Geological Survey, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2025
Comments
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Grant None
Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.
Recommended Citation: Heimann, D.C., High, J.L., Atkinson, A.A., and Rydlund, P.H., Jr., 2025, Flood-inundation maps of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers including the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, southeast Missouri, 2023: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2025–5092, 29 p., https://doi.org/ 10.3133/ sir20255092.
Associated Data for this Publication: Heimann, D.C., Atkinson, A.A., and High, J.L., 2025, Hydraulic models and geospatial products associated with flood inundation mapping of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers including the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Southeast Missouri, 2022–25: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90H2UQY.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2021, USGS water data for the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, https://doi.org/ 10.5066/ F7P55KJN.
Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge funding provided by the South Central Council of Governments and the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. The authors also acknowledge the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for funding the operation and maintenance of the streamgages used for this study. Lastly, the authors acknowledge the National Weather Service for their continued support of the U.S. Geological Survey Flood Inundation Mapping Program.