A Civil Action - The Woburn Toxic Trial > Learning Modules > Flooding

# Flooding and the Toxic Trial

### Woburn Resources across the site

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## Module Goal:

- Learn how hydrologist's monitor and categorize floods based on frequency.
- Evaluate what occurs in flood plains, particularly regarding fine-grained sediments, during a flooding event.
- Understand why the defense implicated flooding as part of the overall spread of contamination in the Aberjona River Valley.

### Student Assignment

## Overview

To gain a general understanding of flooding and flood controls go to USGS Fact Sheet regarding floods. During the Woburn trial, the defense considered flooding to be an important part of their case, particularly considering the history of industrial development in the stream's reach above Wells G & H.

## How do floods occur and how can we control them?

On smaller streams, floods are often unpredictable and changes in flow can occur quickly. On larger order streams, floods can be predicted when weather conditions are monitored. Floods on larger streams and rivers have been called "slow disasters". When they occur on larger order streams, those communities down stream of the flood wave can often only wait and see if their flood protection can withstand the test of the oncoming crest of the flood wave. In drainages where streams have developed flood plains it is common for flood events to deposit a new layer of sediments, and redistribute materials placed in the flood plains in the upper reaches of the drainage.

## What's normal flow in the Aberjona River?

The National Oceanic and Atomspheric Administration NOAA maintains a hydraulic monitoring station on the Aberjona River. This is part or the NOAA's "real time" monitoring network, that allows us to see stream stage data and understand how flow fluctuates, both in the near term and in the past. Click here to see the NOAA web page for the Aberjona River.

## Student Assignment

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