Theses and Dissertations

Advisor

Ramirez-Avila, John

Committee Member

Khalid, Mohammad

Committee Member

Schauwecker, Tim

Date of Degree

8-12-2026

Original embargo terms

Embargo 2 years

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Civil Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Abstract

Historically, a 1.5‑year bankfull recurrence interval has been used to estimate the bankfull discharge of a stable stream during the design process for stream‑restoration projects. However, recent studies indicate that this traditional assumption does not consistently hold when applied across different regions. This study evaluates whether bankfull discharge recurrence intervals correspond with Level III Ecoregions in the southeastern United States and whether ecoregion‑specific values provide more accurate estimates than the long‑standing 1.5‑year benchmark. Results show that ecoregion‑based stratification yields higher regional‑curve performance (greater R²) than state‑based or broader contiguous‑region approaches, and that the conventional 1.5‑year recurrence interval does not adequately represent bankfull behavior across the Southeast. These findings demonstrate that replacing the traditional 1.5‑year assumption with ecoregion‑specific recurrence intervals offers a more reliable basis for estimating bankfull discharge in stream‑restoration design throughout the region.

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Available for download on Saturday, September 09, 2028

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