Flood risk analysis for Culiacan River infrastructure development using HEC-RAS

This study examines the influence of a planned civil construction on the Culiacán River via HEC-RAS hydraulic simulation. Flood scenarios for 25, 50, 100 and 10,000-year return periods, with and without the civil work, were simulated using official hydrological and hydraulic data, an aerial photogrammetry-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM), channel bathymetry and measurements of bridge perimeters and the Carlos Carvajal diversion dam's curtain. The findings suggest that return periods of 25, 50, 100 and 10,000 years do not produce significant inundations in residential zones or the work's location. Flooding in both areas would only occur for return periods exceeding 10,000 years.