Evaluation of Flow and Sediment Models for the Rillito River

Hydrodynamic and sediment transport models are useful engineering tools for predicting flood flow. Many models were developed for perennial rivers, and may not be suitable to ephemeral rivers in arid and semi-arid regions. This report outlines a comparison study that examined the accuracy of those models by using the observed water surface and bed elevations of a flood event in the Rillito River at Tucson, Arizona.