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Floodplain mapping using ISIS
Helping you understand flood risk
Cost-effective integrated
software solutions.
Evaluating flood risk is made easier
by using probability-depth floodplain
maps, which can allow you to better
understand the uncertainties involved in flood risk
modelling and more accurately represent the natural
variability of floodplain systems.
Similarly, the use of floodplain maps to support
emergency response and direct land use decisions is
simpler when the user has an appreciation of potential
sources of flooding and underlying uncertainties and
can communicate this to other stakeholders, including
emergency response teams, floodplain regulators,
developers, and community members.
What is floodplain mapping?
Floodplain maps are an essential tool for land use
planning in flood-prone areas. A floodplain map is a
topographic map where the hypothetical flood
characteristics are represented graphically.
Floodplain mapping is a basic starting point in any
evaluation of risk and assessment of possible flood
control. Floodplain maps can be used for:
Providing the initial information required for land
use planning and guidance for appropriate
development
Evaluation of the cost and benefits of flood
alleviation schemes
Serve as a logical base for investment planning and
priority setting
Form the basis for flood insurance
Increase public awareness of potential flood risk in
a readily understandable manner
How can ISIS help?
The ISIS suite provides an advanced one-dimensional
(1D) and two-dimensional (2D) simulation engine,
analysis, visualisation tools and an innovative fast
flood inundation solver unlike any other software
available, all within a single environment. An essential
tool for floodplain mapping projects, because the
modeller can customise the application of the
software, and use only the necessary functions to
optimize floodplain modelling.
The suite includes a range of flexible tools which allow
the modelling approach to be tailored to best suit
study needs, by applying a level of detail
commensurate with local risk, avoiding unnecessarily
detailed analysis and allowing lower cost fit for
purpose results in many areas.
Tools available within the ISIS suite can help
floodplain managers understand flood mechanisms,
and target funds to apply more detailed and costly
modelling and mapping in higher risk locations. This
allows modellers and floodplain managers to direct
their expert judgment and local knowledge, guiding
the choice of the most cost-effective modelling
approach, rather than defaulting to the most detailed,
costly method for the entire study area.
ch2mhill.com/isis
Key features

Allows the creation of flood maps and animated
flood sequences using ISIS MAPPER
Compatible with many commonly used GIS data
types and provides both two and three-dimensional
viewing options to enable the most appropriate
level of interaction for your needs
Includes a range of 1D units which can be used to
represent in-channel and floodplain features
Expensive GIS software isnt required for the
visualisation and analysis of flood risk as tools
within ISIS are provided for FREE
Easily load ISIS 1D model results to a triangulated
irregular network (TIN) to generate flood extents
Outputs from ISIS models and existing flood maps
can be viewed using ISIS VIEWER, turning
modelling information into user-friendly illustrations
ISIS can export flood mapping outputs directly into
Google Earth format. This provides further options
for visualising and sharing results
Allows the user to work with their geo-referenced
data sets for model building and results analysis
ISIS is fully customisable, allowing you to purchase
only what you need
Its FREE to download visit www.isisuser.com
Case studies

National surface water flood map, Scotland
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
has used ISIS FAST to produce, for the first time, a
national surface water flood map to cover the whole of
Scotland (total area: 78,000 km
2
). This is referred to
as the national pluvial flood map for Scotland.
The creation of this mapping dataset is one
component of a programme of work by SEPA to
respond to the 2009 Flood Risk Management
(Scotland) Act.

Sample results - Glasgow (Ordnance Survey data Crown
copyright and database right 2010)
The national pluvial flood map complements the fluvial
and coastal national maps available to SEPA to inform
the preliminary Flood Risk Assessment, which will in
turn enable determination of the areas at significant
flood risk, and inform the requirements for future
detailed flood risk mapping.
SEPA appointed CH2M HILL to undertake the
national pluvial flood mapping project. The project was
delivered in two phases. The first phase involved data
collection and method development together with trial
application to a pilot area. The second phase involved
application of the method to the whole of Scotland
together with reporting.

Lee Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and
Management Study, Ireland
The Office of Public Works in Ireland and its partners
Cork City Council and Cork County Council
recognised the high levels of existing flood risk in and
around the River Lee, its tributaries and Cork Harbour.
The Lee catchment flood risk assessment and
management study, covering the entire Lee
catchment, was undertaken to better understand the
issues and identify measures to manage the flood
risk.

A major use of the flood maps produced is to inform
planning and the development of a catchment scale
plan to manage flood risk. This enables decision
makers to reduce, avoid or minimise the creation of
additional flood risk and integrate flood risk issues
with development control.
A fully linked ISIS 1D-2D model, covering the 85km-
long river, was constructed. The ISIS 1D model used
over 4,000 nodes. The ISIS 2D model contained five
separate two-dimensional domains which were
interlinked and covered an active area of
approximately 35km in a 10m grid containing
approximately 350,000 cells.

Contact us

Vijay Jain, Software sales manager
tel +44 (0)845 094 7990
email softwaresales@ch2m.com