Changes in flow conveyance and implication for flood protection,Sava River,Zagreb

A low‐lying part of the Croatian capital, Zagreb, is exposed to flood risk from the Sava River. The biggest flood to data, with catastrophic consequences, occurred on 26 November 1964. To protect Zagreb from the Sava River floods, a flood control system was built and set in operation at the end of 1978. The Sava River's flood response changed over time as a result of this constructed system, as well as other anthropogenic and natural influences. The series of maximum annual Sava River stages and discharges measured at the Zagreb gauging station from 1926 to 2004 were analysed. Hydrological methods were used in order to assess Zagreb safety from the Sava River floods in the new conditions. This paper detects changes in high water occurrence in the Sava River near Zagreb. Long‐term stages and linear trends in discharges were examined. A simple technique for the conversion of stages to actual river channel morphology conditions was used. The technique presented in this paper enabled the recalculation of flood probabilities. It is stressed that for a complete understanding of floods, an examination should include the study of parameters of both maximum stages and maximum discharges. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.