EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- The rain-filled Rogers Dry Lake was responsible for its first known “wet” save when the pilot of an F-104G aborted his takeoff due to a control problem, and ran off the end of the runway onto the flooded lake surface. The water prevented a fire from the overheated brakes.
Analysis of the flood hazards at Edwards Air Force Base is difficult because there is little existing streamflow and precipitation data, the area is extremely arid, and the landforms evolved under different climatic conditions. Previous flood- hazard studies done at EAFB by other investigators used standard methods of analysis, such as physiography and channel geometry. Results of those studies produced very extreme values for 100-year flood discharges; such extremes would not occur under present climatic conditions. Because the results of the previous studies conflict, the USAF requested that the USGS document the type of method used to evaluate flood hazards and describe the methods used. Five continuous streamflow gages, 5 precipitation gages, and 4 crest-stage gages were installed at EAFB for this study (table 1). Two previously established precipitation gages—the Edwards Air Force Base gage and the Boron gage—were used to provide long-term daily and hourly precipitation data. However, little data have been collected to date because few flow- producing storms have occurred since the gages were installed.