InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water Science and Society > Student Materials > Section 2: Physical Hydrology > Module 3: Rivers and Watersheds > River flow changes over time
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: March 31, 2017

River flow changes over time

The amount of water moving down a river at a given time and place is referred to as its discharge, or flow, and is measured as a volume of water per unit time, typically cubic feet per second or cubic meters per second. The discharge at any given point in a river can be calculated as the product of the width (in ft or m) times the average depth (in ft or m) times average velocity (in ft/s or m/s).

The vast majority of rivers are known to exhibit considerable variability in flow over time because inputs from the watershed, in the form of rain events, snowmelt, groundwater seepage, etc., vary over time. Some rivers respond quickly to rainfall runoff or snow melt, while others respond more slowly depending on the size of the watershed, steepness of the hillslopes, ability of the soils to (at least temporarily) absorb and retain water, and the amount of storage in lakes and wetlands.

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »