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

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 depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels at eight reference USGS streamgages—five on the Current River (USGS 07064440 in reach CR1, USGS 07064533 in reach CR2, USGS 07066510 in reach CR3, USGS 07067000 in reach CR4, and USGS 07068000 in reach CR5) and three on the Jacks Fork River (USGS 07065200 in reach JF1, USGS 07065495 in reach JF2, and USGS 07066000 in reach JF3). Flood profiles were computed for seven of the eight map reaches (reach CR1, CR2, CR3, CR4, JF1, JF2, JF3) by means of Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) two-dimensional hydraulic models and the remaining reach (CR5) by a one-dimensional HEC-RAS 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 vertical datums (datums referenced to North American Vertical Datum of 1988). 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 to delineate the area flooded at each water level and the associated water depths. There are eight .7z files in this data release, one each for map reaches CR1, CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5, JF1, JF2, JF3. Each .7z file contains the hydraulic model run files, calibration metrics of the model(s) used in the development of flood-inundation maps, and geospatial files--flood-inundation polygons and depth grids. 

Associated Scientific Investigations Report:
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Heimann, D. C., Atkinson, A. A., High, J. L., and Rydlund, P. H., 2025, Flood-Inundation maps for the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers including the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Southeast Missouri: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5092, x p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255092.