Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of Multi-Catchment Rating Curves For Streams Of Appalachian Mixed-Land-Use Watersheds: Preliminary Results, Zachary A. Heck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Anthropogenic activities can alter the quantity and quality of water. Traditional monitoring of streamflow involves measurements of stage (mm), or water height, and discharge (i.e., streamflow) (m3 s -1 ) above a local datum. However, while stage is relatively easily monitored, continuous streamflow measurement is often impractical and prohibitively expensive. To address this challenge, rating curve equations can be developed to convert stage to flow. To establish a series of rating curves for flow estimations in Appalachia, an investigation was conducted in a representative urbanizing, mixed-land-use watershed in north-central West Virginia consisting of 21 nested stream gauge sites. At each …