The discharge for a single stream should not change much from the headwater to the mouth. The exceptions to the mouth would be if another stream joined the main stream, which would increase the discharge or if you loose a significant amount of water to infilitration, which would decrease the discharge. The gradient should be high at the headwaters and gradually decrease downstream where it should be low at the mouth. Of course differences in lithologies or secondary streams can change the gradient for a short distance, thought the overall profile should fit the expected model.
At the headwaters (in the mountains) the gradient is steep, then as the stream moves into the foothills and onto the plains on its way to the sea where it has its mouth, the gradient gets less and less steep.
In a typical stream where the gradient is steep the discharge is small.
In a typical stream where the gradient is steep the discharge is small.
In a typical stream where the gradient is steep the discharge is small.
Q-Tips
A steep gradient will force the water to flow downhill faster.
The gradient typically decreases as you move from the headwaters to the mouth of a stream. This is because the elevation drops and the slope becomes gentler downstream.
13 kilometers
Gradient refers to the steepness or slope of a river or stream, affecting its velocity. As gradient decreases, discharge typically increases because the water spreads out over a larger area, allowing for higher flow volumes. Conversely, in steeper areas, higher gradients can lead to faster flow but lower discharge due to limited water volume. Therefore, the relationship between gradient and discharge is often inversely proportional in river systems.
headwaters
Bedrock channels are more likely to be found near the head of a stream where the gradient is steeper and erosion processes are more active. As the stream flows downstream and the gradient decreases, the likelihood of encountering bedrock channels decreases as well.
over a drainage divide