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Estimating salinity of streams in the southwestern United States
Author(s) -
Pionke H. B.,
Nicks A. D.,
Schoof R. R.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr008i006p01597
Subject(s) - streams , salinity , hydrology (agriculture) , streamflow , ephemeral key , base flow , environmental science , watershed , flow (mathematics) , stream flow , mathematics , geology , drainage basin , geography , oceanography , computer science , algorithm , geometry , geotechnical engineering , computer network , cartography , machine learning
A model is presented for the improved estimation of stream salinity as a function of streamflow components. The proposed model ln s = K − a ln Q b − b Q s / Q b was constructed by using base flow Q b and the ratio of surface to base flow Q s / Q b , all expressed as daily values averaged for each month. The coefficients a and b and the constant K are derived by regression. Among individual parameters tested, the ratio Q s / Q b was the best salinity predictor for ephemeral streams. Conversely, total flow was the best individual predictor for the stream draining the largest watershed. Stream salinity was estimated by three models: one based on total flow, one developed by Ledbetter and Gloyna, and the model proposed above. The models were evaluated statistically by using data from five streams in Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The proposed model explained 77.1–95.2% of the variability in stream salinity and never exceeded a 30% error for any stream as determined from the standard error of estimate. It was found to estimate more precisely and accurately the salinity of streams characterized by ephemeral flows than the other models did, and was approximately equivalent to the Ledbetter‐Gloyna equation in estimating the salinity of larger streams characterized by more stable flows.