Hydraulic geometry and resistance to flow in headwater streams in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

Hydraulic geometry and resistance to flow of headwater streams in the Northwest Territories of Canada are presented in this paper. Power functions describe at-a-station hydraulic geometry relationships very well, where positive exponents of width, depth, and velocity have mean values of 0.14, 0.17, and 0.65, respectively. These values were found to be lower, much lower, and higher than corresponding mean values of width, depth, and velocity exponents found in the literature. The mean velocity exponent is greater than mean width and depth exponents combined, demonstrating the dominant role of velocity in accommodating varying discharge in all streams evaluated in this study. Darcy–Weisbach resistance factor (f) and Manning’s n individually vary over three orders of magnitude, 1.0–267 and 0.085–1.37, respectively. Despite large ranges, hydraulic relations are described effectively through power equations and Keulegan function curves fitted for each section.