Hydrological Features and Causes of the 2024 Ural River Flood in the Orenburg Oblast

The paper presents the results of analyzing the spring flood on the Ural River in the Orenburg region in 2024. The main natural and anthropogenic causes that led to significant flooding of the urban areas of Orsk and Orenburg are considered. The results of assessing maximum runoff and the highest water levels of the 2024 flood are presented. A significant change in the water level–discharge relationships as compared to previous notable floods is demonstrated. The analysis has revealed a discrepancy between the calculated values of the highest water levels of the low probability and those of peak discharges is revealed. Based on the fieldwork during the flood peak period, water surface elevations, flow velocities, and cross-sectional areas have been determined, and runoff hydrographs along the Ural River have been reconstructed. It has been found that the major reason of the high water levels in Orsk and Orenburg was local backwater caused by the reduced capacity of the Ural River channel and floodplain.