Localized Effects of Subsidence on Flooding in a Small Urban Watershed

Extensive pumpage of groundwater in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area in the last century has caused compaction of the clay layers in the local aquifers with resulting widespread land surface subsidence. This paper presents the results of a study designed to evaluate localized flooding characteristics of a small urban watershed with respect to subsidence patterns present on a regional scale in the Houston metropolitan area and also those patterns resulting from local groundwater well fields.