Characterizing the Extent of Spatially Integrated Floodplain and Wetland Systems in the White River, Indiana, USA

Floodplain delineation may inform protection of wetland systems under local, state, or federal laws. Nationally available Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs, "100-year floodplain" maps) focus on urban areas and higher-order river systems, limiting utility at large scales. Few other national-scale floodplain data are available. We acquired FIRMs for a large watershed and compared FIRMs to floodplain and integrated wetland area mapping methods based on (1) geospatial distance, (2) geomorphic setting, and (3) soil characteristics. We used observed flooding events (OFEs) with recurrence intervals of 25-50 to >100 years to assess floodplain estimate accuracy. FIRMs accurately reflected floodplain areas based on OFEs and covered 32% of river length, whereas soil-based mapping was not as accurate as FIRMs but characterized floodplain areas over approximately 65% of stream length. Geomorphic approaches included more areas than indicated by OFE, whereas geospatial approaches tended to cover less area. Overall, soil-based methods have the highest utility in determining floodplains and their integrated wetland areas at large scales due to the use of nationally available data and flexibility for regional application. These findings will improve floodplain and integrated wetland system extent assessment for better management at local, state, and national scales.