A one-dimensional surge was studied in a laboratory flume 1-foot wide and 65-feet long. The wave was generated by releasing water from a head tank through a mechanically-operated sluice gate. The timing of the sluice gate operation, along with the gate calibration, allowed a description of the initial wave to be formulated. The wave travel along the flume was traced in terms of maximum stage and wave front velocity. Waves were discharged into dry and wet channels, using two different bottom slopes and two types of bottom roughness elements in addition to the naturally smooth plexiglas channel. The problem of mathematically modeling surge motion, including the extreme surge due to dam rupture, is discussed. Some of the results from mathematical models are compared with experimental values obtained in the laboratory study. The experimental results show that channel roughness and bottom slope have a significant effect upon the velocity of the advancing wave front and upon the maximum surge height. (WRSIC)