HYDROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HIGH WATERS OF THE KUTINSKA RIVER SERBIA

Abstract

The Kutinska River, located in southeastern Serbia, is a left bank tributary of the Nišava River, drains a basin of 231 km2 with elevations from 203 to 1810 m a.s.l. In this study, maximum annual discharges recorded over a 30 year period (1991–2020) at the “Radikine Bare” gauging station were analyzed to assess the probability of high water events. Several probability distributions Normal, Pearson Type 3, Gumbel, Log Pearson Type 3, and Log Normal were examined in order to compare their statistical performance in modeling hydrological extremes. The results of the flood frequency analysis were evaluated using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test and the Chi square test, with empirical frequencies determined using the Weibull formula. Goodness of fit testing indicates that the Pearson Type 3 distribution provides the most adequate representation of the observed dataset. The resulting design discharges provide a reliable basis for flood hazard assessment, water resources management, and spatial planning within the basin.