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International Association of
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A DEFINITION OF DOMINANT
DISCHARGE
a
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ABSTRACT
The concept of dominant (stream) discharge in geomorphology has not been firmly defined. By
defining it, on rational grounds, as that discharge at which, over a long period of time, most sediment
has been transported, a definite value can be computed for a stream for which there are available durationcurve values of daily discharge and a sediment-rating curve. This has been done for 5 eastern and 4
western rivers. The dominant discharge, when expressed in terms of percentage duration, is remarkably
consistent, and is found to be a lower discharge than has generally been considered as dominant.
INTRODUCTION
DEFINITION
The forming and maintenance of channel cross sections and the movement of meanders
must be accompanied by the movement of sediment. It seems, therefore, logical to suggest a
definition of dominant discharge as the discharge that over a long time period transports the
most sediment. Such a discharge may be computed by combining information from a daily
sediment-rating curve and a discharge-duration curve. Because only information on suspended
sediment load is generally available, only suspended sediment can be considered and it is
necessary therefore to assume that total sediment load is proportional to suspended load.
76
ApPLICATION
Sediment-rating and discharge-duration information have been combined for several streams
where necessary data were available. Figure 1 shows histograms of discharged suspended
sediment for equal intervals of stream discharge at each station. Each histogram has a peak
ordinate. For each peak ordinate it can be said that there are more tons of sediment transported
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2000
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Fig. la -
77
within that range of stream discharge than within any other equivalent discharge range. From
duration curves the percent of daily flows that exceed the mid-range discharge of the peak ordinate were determined and are summarized in table 1. Flow days only were considered in computing the duration value; therefore for ephemeral streams the indicated duration is the percentage of flow days that exceed the peak ordinate discharge rather than percentage of time that
flow exceeds the peak ordinate discharge.
Rio Grande near
40
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DISCHARGE, IN HUNDREDS OF
CUBIC FEET PER SECOND
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CONCLUSIONS
With one exception the percentage of flow days exceeding the mid-range of the maximum
histogram ordinate lies within a fairly narrow range, 7.6 to 18.5 percent, and averages 12.4 percent. The exception is the Rio Grande at Bernalillo, New Mexico, for which the dominant discharge has a 42.1 percent duration. The reason that this stream diverges from the gerenal
pattern is not known. It might be that the transported sediment size is smaller than at other stations, but data are unavailable to investigate this possibility.
78
TABLE 1
Summary of discharge intervals transporting greatest amounts of suspended sediment at gaging stations
Stream
Contrib.
drainage
area
(sq. mi.)
Discharge Class
Average
Discharge
(cfs)
Lower
(cfs)
Upper
(cfs)
Duration
Average
duration
Lower
limit
Upper
limit
50.2
35.2
42.7
16.7
4.6
13.7
3.8
15.2
10.0
2.6
8.9
2.4
9.4
l.5-yr.
Peak
discharge
(cfs)
14,360
1.152
6,220
600
800
400
500
211.9
56.5
70
640
80
50.6
10.1
137,800
17,010
45,000
50,000
9.1
7.1
8.1
783
1,670
4,000
4,400
8.3
6.8
7.6
593
1,066
1,600
2,400
19.4
10.1
14.8
302
604
800
1,000
22
15
18.5
210
276
400
500
15
11
13.0
8,000
9,651
9,248
15,000
20,000
12.8
78,000
15.8
9.9
74,000
In any case, the dominant discharge defined in this manner is for most rivers much less than
bankfull-stage discharge and lies somewhere between the mean annual flow and the point indicated by Wolman's investigations.
The shapes of the histograms indicate that, although there are peaks, sediment loads of
almost the same amount (per equal discharge intervals) are transported over a large range of
discharge. Therefore the concept of a dominant discharge may not be too meaningful. Only
further study can show whether the dominant discharge determined in this manner has any
value in defining channel morphology.
REFERENCES CITED
CARLSTON, C. W., 1965, The relation of free meander geometry to stream discharge and its geomorphic
implications: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 263, pp. 864-885.
INGLIS, C. c., 1941, Digest of answers to the Central Board of Irrigation questionaire on meandering
of rivers with comments on factors controlling meandering and suggestions for future action, in
Edgecombe, A.R.B., ed. 1941, annual report (technical) of the Central Board of Irrigation, India,
1939-40: Pub. 24, pp. 100-114.
LEOPOLD, L. B., WOLMAN, M. G., and MILLER, J. P., 1964, Fluvial processes in geomorphology: San
Francisco, W. H. Freeman and Co., 522 p.
WOLMAN, M. G., and MILLER, J. P., 1960, Magnitude and frequency of forces in geomorphic processes:
Jour. Geology, V. 68, No.1, pp. 54-74.
80