There are several factors that affect stream discharge. The velocity of the water affects it; faster water means more passes per second so more discharge. The width and depth of the river also affects it; a larger river at the same speed will have higher discharge.
What is meant by river discharge?
River discharge’ is the volume of water flowing through a river channel; measured at any given point in cubic metres per second.
What is the formula for stream discharge?
Discharge, or the volume of water flowing in a stream over a set interval of time, can be determined with the equation: Q = AV, where Q is discharge (volume/unit time-e.g. m3/second, also called cumecs), A is the cross-sectional area of the stream (e.g. m2), and V is the average velocity (e.g. m/s).
Why is river discharge important?
The monitoring of river discharge is ideally suited to detect and monitor changes resulting from climate change. At the same time, the freshwater discharge from rivers into the oceans plays a role in driving the climate system, as the freshwater inflow into the oceans may influence oceanic circulation patterns.
What are the 3 types of streams?
One method of classifying streams is through physical, hydrological, and biological characteristics. Using these features, streams can fall into one of three types: perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral. Definitions and characteristics of each stream type are provided in this Appendix.
How is discharge measured?
Discharge is the volume of water moving down a waterway per unit of time. It is most commonly expressed in cubic feet per seconds or gallons per day. To calculate discharge, multiply the area of water in a channel cross section by the average velocity of water in that cross section.
How does discharge affect erosion?
In the lower reaches of a stream, where the discharge is greater, since friction is less the stream need not be so steep to transport the load. If it were steeper than needed to transport the sediments erosion would result. But this would decrease the gradient leading to a decrease in erosion.
How do you calculate stream flow?
Multiply the average depth of the stream by the width of the stream to find the area in ft2. Divide the distance traveled by the average travel time to find the velocity of the stream in ft/sec. Multiply the velocity of the stream by a correction factor. This is the corrected velocity of the stream.
How do you measure cfs?
Calculate the discharge in cubic feet per second (cfs) by multiplying velocity (ft/sec) by the cross-sectional area (ft2) of the stream.
How do you calculate drainage discharge?
To do this, we simply multiply across each row. The runoff, Q, for the roof area in drainage Zone A is: (1.00 x 1.5 x 500) / 96.23 = 7.79 gallons per minute. The runoff for the grass portion of drainage Zone A is: (0.35 x 1.5 x 900) / 96.23 = 4.91 gpm.
What is water flow in a stream called?
Streamflow, or channel runoff, is the flow of water in streams, rivers, and other channels, and is a major element of the water cycle. It is one component of the runoff of water from the land to waterbodies, the other component being surface runoff.
How does discharge affect the velocity of a stream?
As discharge increases, the width, depth, and average velocity of the stream increase. The gradient of the stream, however, will decrease.
How does stream flow affect water quality?
High streamflow may decrease water quality through increased sediment from bank erosion, disturbed streambed sediment, nutrients released from sediments, and disturbance of the physical and chemical properties of water quality.
What is an effluent stream?
Effluent stream: A stream which picks up water from saturated zone.
Which stream means?
(Entry 1 of 2) 1 : a body of running water (such as a river or creek) flowing on the earth also : any body of flowing fluid (such as water or gas) 2a : a steady succession (as of words or events) kept up an endless stream of chatter.
What is in a stream?
A stream is a small water body with surface water flowing within the bed and banks of the channel. It exists by itself and joins with other streams to form a large river. A stream may be permanent or seasonal depending on the source of its water and the climate and geography of its course.
