Stream Flow Measurement

Streamflow is important because it is a factor that can define the shape, size, and course of a stream. Streamflow is composed of water, sediments and other dissolved nutrients that are moved downstream. Streamflow affects not only the water quality but also the habitat. Food sources, spawning areas, and migration paths of fish and other wildlife are all affected and defined by streamflow and water velocity. Streamflow is influenced by both forces of nature and by humans. This series describes several methods for measuring stream flow.