7050

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7050
• Author: Andrews, E. D.
• Title: Effective And Bankfull Discharges of Streams In THe Yampa River Basin, Colorado and Wyoming
• USFW Year: 1980
• USFW - Doc Type: Journal of Hydrology
• Copyright Material: YES

320

DURATION OF EFFECTIVE DISCHARGE

The quantity of sediment transported by various discharges at a gaging
station during a period of years was computed directly from the total sedi-
ment-load-duration curve. The range of discharges was divided into approxi-
mately 20 equal increments. Then the sediment-Ioad-duration curve was inte.
grated between the limits of each increment, and multiplied by 365 days. The
quantity of sediment transported by equal increments of discharge for the
Little Snake River near Dixon is shown in Fig. 5. The computed values are
shown plotted against the mean discharge of the increment. A smooth curve .
was then fitted to the computed points. The modal discharge, or the discharge
that transported the most sediment during the period of record was 113 m3fs.
This discharge will be termed the effective discharge because it transported

30,000

25.000

lJ)
z
e 20,000

u
~
I-
W
:::!i
Z
-:. 15,000
a
<(
o
...J
I-
Z
w
:::!i
o 10,000
w
lJ)

5000

. Effective discharge
I Q = 113 cubic meters
per second

00

I Mean annual discharge
Q = 14.6 cubic meters
per second

50 100 150 200 250
DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC METERS PER SECOND

300

Fig. 5. Mean-annual sediment load transported by increments of discharge for the Snake
River near Dixon, Wyoming.

- .-. ---
_ _..________4....;. ______

1

-I
,