Appendix A: A Practical Guide to Effective Discharge Calculations
Figure 4
Comparison of Sediment Relationships for a Gage Site on Abiaca Creek, Mississippi
(adapted from Watson et al., 1997)
COMPUTATIONAL PROCEDURE
Overview
The recommended procedure to determine the effective discharge is executed in three steps. In
Step 1, the flow frequency distribution is derived from available flow duration data (Figure 5). In Step 2,
sediment data are used to construct a bed material load rating curve (Figure 6). In Step 3, the flow
frequency distribution and bed material load rating curve are combined to produce a sediment load
histogram (Figure 7), which displays sediment load as a function of discharge for the period of record. The
histogram peak indicates the effective discharge.
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