Computation and prediction of the flood runoff of the Eastern Caucasus rivers

Analysis of observational data of the average monthly discharges, air temperatures, and precipitation totals collected at about 100 hydrological and meteorological stations before 2005 revealed that precipitation fallen on the Eastern Caucasus river basins in winter and spring plays the principal role in formation of floods that are observed in the period from April to June. The precipitation and runoff variability over the territory and altitudinal zones was studied and generalized. The hydrograph decomposition and the rivers classification according to their sources of feeding in the flooding period were performed. Analysis of correlation between the flood flow and winter and spring precipitation allowed obtaining reliable multiple regression equations that are suitable for computation and forecasting of the flood flow.